HAPCOA Swears in 2019 National Board

(Baltimore) Each year, during the HAPCOA General Membership meeting, the HAPCOA National Board is elected or promoted depending on their positions.  Several positions are also filled by appointment.  At the HAPCOA 45th Annual National Law Enforcement Training Symposium, the HAPCOA Membership meeting was held on Monday, April 29th. 

The newly confirmed, elected and/or appointed members of the 2019 HAPCOA National Board include: 

• President Chief Teresa Ramon, Judson ISD, San Antonio, TX 
• 1st VP Stephen Noguera, RAC, Naval Criminal Investigative Service 
• 2nd VP Sheriff Javier Salazar, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio, TX 
• 3rd VP Ivan Acosta, SAC, Naval Criminal Investigative Service 
• 4th VP Lt. Steve Reyna, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio, TX 
• Immediate Past President Richard Rosa, SFAM (retired) Federal Air Marshals, Baltimore, MD  
• President Emeritus Chief Tina Nieto, Marina Police Department, Marina, CA 
• Secretary Mary Ruiz, SSA (retired), IRS-CID, San Antonio, TX 
• Treasurer CJ Jorif, SSA (retired), US Secret Service, Dallas, TX 
• Sgt-at-Arms Manny Ovalle, Ombudsman (retired), Uniformed Division, USSS, Washington, DC 
• Historian/Parliamentarian Yasmin Favela, SA, AFOSI, Germany 

Appointed Positions: 

• Director at Large Don Tijerina, Chief Deputy (retired), Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio, TX 
• Executive Director Tony Chapa, Assistant Director (retired), US Secret Service, Washington, DC 
• Symposium Coordinator Mary Cox, Arizona

The HAPCOA 2019 National Board was sworn-in by Tom Ostrosky of Verizon Wireless, who also delivered the Keynote Address on Thursday, May 2nd at the Closing Reception. 

The HAPCOA membership each year elects a new 4th Vice President (VP) who then progresses up the ranks each year and eventually ends up as National President.  The HAPCOA VP promotion model is similar to the one utilized by the IACP.  HAPCOA to ensure equal participation by command officers from both Federal Agencies and non-Federal agencies, at the board VP level, offers the 4th VP position to alternate members from Federal and Non-Federal Agencies.  This year the VP position was offered to a non-Federal Agency HAPCOA member.  Elected to the 4th VP position was Lt. Steve Reyna of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (San Antonio, TX).  Steve is a longtime supporter of HAPCOA and previously served on the HAPCOA National Board as Sergeant-at-Arms.  Furthermore, he is also an active board member on the San Antonio HAPCOA Chapter. 

The HAPCOA National Board positions of Secretary, Treasurer, Sgt-at-Arms and Historian Parliamentarian are positions that are filled every two years.  These positions are held for two years and then are up for election or re-election.  This year three of our previous position holders (Mary Ruiz, Secretary; Manny Ovalle, Sgt-at Arms; and CJ Jorif, Treasurer) ran for re-election and were elected running unopposed. New to the Board is Yasmin Favela who is a member of AFOSI and presently assigned in Germany. 

As is customary, the outgoing National President (Richard Rosa) remains on the Board as its Immediate Past President.  Last year’s Immediate Past President (Chief Tina Nieto) assumes the position as President Emeritus. 

HAPCOA Chapter Presidents are (non-voting) supporting members of the National Board and are invited to attend all formal meetings.  Present active HAPCOA chapters include: Atlanta, Los Angeles, National Capitol Region, San Antonio, and Panama. 

The National Board schedules quarterly meetings to address HAPCOA business matters, and plans for the next HAPCOA National Law Enforcement Training Symposium.  The President with concurrence from the National Board selects the location of each year’s National Law Enforcement Training Symposium.  The site of next year’s Symposium will be San Antonio, TX – details to follow.

Chief Deputy (retired) Don Tijerina, San Antonio Chapter President, delivers a message from 2019 National President Chief Teresa Ramon at the HAPCOA Closing Reception.

HAPCOA 2019 National Board members: (First row) Tony Chapa, Executive Director; Yasmin Favela, Parliamentarian Historian; Mary Ruiz, Secretary; Manny Ovalle, Sgt-at-Arms. (Second row) Don Tijerina, Director at Large; Ivan Acosta, 3rd VP; Richard Rosa, Immediate Past President. (Back row) C.J. Jorif, Treasurer and Stephen Noguera, 1st VP.  Not pictured are Chief Teresa Ramon, 2019 National President, Chief Tina Nieto, President Emeritus, Sheriff Javier Salazar, 2nd Vice President, and Steve Reyna, 4th Vice President.