ADVISORY BOARD
Distinguished leaders guiding RACERS research and mission
The RACERS Advisory Board brings together distinguished leaders from the fire service, emergency management, law enforcement, and academia to guide our research agenda and ensure our work addresses the most pressing needs of the emergency response community.
Executive Committee
Sally Regenhard
Chairperson, Skyscraper Safety Campaign, Inc.
Sally Regenhard is the Chairperson of the Skyscraper Safety Campaign and a member of the Family Steering Committee of the 9-11 Commission. Her son, Christian Michael Otto Regenhard, was a United States Marine and FDNY Probationary Firefighter who perished during the attacks on the World Trade Center. The Center is named in his honor.
Board Members
Chief Theron Bowman, PhD (Ret.)
President & CEO, Theron L. Bowman, Inc.
Former Chief of Police and Deputy City Manager for Arlington, Texas. Theron began his career in law enforcement as an officer for the Arlington Police Department in 1983. His consulting work includes security for MLB World Series and Super Bowl XLV.
Tim Clancy
President, Arch Street LLC
Senior leadership experience in academia, Congress, and federal agencies. Former NSF representative and House Science Committee professional staff member. Expert in cyber security and critical infrastructure protection. J.D. from Western New England University School of Law.
Deputy Fire Chief Larry Collins
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department (Ret.). Career spanning 1977-2017 including 30 years as a paramedic. Led various Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces since 1991 and was instrumental in rescue program development.
Deputy Chief Clark Kimerer (Ret.)
Seattle Police Department
Over 31 years of service with the Seattle Police Department, holding ranks including Deputy Chief of Operations. Led the Neighborhood Policing Project since 2004 and is a published leader in evidence-based policing research. Bachelor’s from Northwestern University.
Clifford L. Karchmer
Research Fellow, Police Foundation
Almost five decades of law enforcement and national security research experience. Former Director of Program Development at the Police Executive Research Forum (19 years). Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
Chief Paul Maniscalco
President Emeritus, International Association of EMS Chiefs
Paul spent 22 years as a career Paramedic with the City of New York, retiring with the rank of Deputy Chief. Appointee to the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council (2002-2011). Master’s degrees from NYU Wagner School and George Washington University.
Michael McEvoy, PhD, NRP, RN, CCRP
EMS Chief, Saratoga County, NY
Critical care nurse at Albany Medical Center; chairs the resuscitation committee. EMS Editor for Fire Engineering magazine and lead editor for Critical Care Transport. Firefighter/paramedic for West Crescent Fire Department.
Andrew Phelps
Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
Serving since 2015, Andrew manages Oregon’s 9-1-1 program and state/federal preparedness grants. Former NYC Community Emergency Response Team member and Rescue Team Chief. Master’s in Homeland Security from Naval Postgraduate School; undergraduate degree from John Jay College.
Frank Straub, PhD
Former Director, Center for Targeted Violence Prevention, National Policing Institute
Veteran of law enforcement with 30 years of experience. Special Agent with Bureau of Diplomatic Security (1984), Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Inspector General. NYC Police Deputy Commissioner of Training; Chief of Police, Spokane Police Department (2012-2015). First responder to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Fire Chief Toni Washington
Fire Chief/Emergency Manager, Decatur, Georgia
First African American and first female to serve as Fire Chief of Decatur, and fourth African American female fire chief in the nation’s history. Bachelor’s from Savannah State University; Master’s in Managerial Leadership from National Louis University. Chief Fire Officer designation from Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Col. Gordon Lee USAF (Ret.)
Office of Director of National Intelligence
John “Jack” Walsh
Department of Law and Police Science, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)
Non-Voting Member
Charles Jennings, PhD – Director Emeritus, Associate Professor, Department of Security, Fire, and Emergency Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
In Memoriam
James “Jimmy” Boyle (1939-2019) – Founding Board Member, Former President, Uniformed Firefighters Association
Work With Us
Interested in collaborating with RACERS on emergency response research? We welcome partnerships with academic institutions, fire departments, and public safety organizations.