The Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement (MAWLE) welcomed approximately 280 attendees to its 18th Annual Conference on October 28th at the Four Points by Sheraton Conference Center in Norwood.
The Color Guards of the Norwood Police Department and Norfolk County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums, opened the program, while Boston Police Officer Nischeena Charles sang the National Anthem. Welcoming remarks were provided by Norwood Police Chief Christopher Padden, Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott, United States Attorney Leah Foley, and MAWLE President Marie Cleary.
Retired Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor provided the keynote address. She spoke about her challenges handling adversity in her role as Chief, and the power of choosing resilience.
Attendees then chose to attend up to three different breakout sessions throughout the day. They included:
“Recruitment and Hiring” presented by Gretel Hartman, Get Badged
“Communications in Crisis and Critical Incidents” presented by Kelli O’Hara, Kelli from Boston
“Challenging the Myth of Work/Life Balance and changing our perspective to make it all work!” presented by Jennifer Brady, MA Probation
“Leading with Insight: Asking for Feedback that Builds Trust” presented by Laura Crosby, Braverick Insights
“Resilience is a Choice” presented by Mary O’Connor, Retired Chief, Tampa Police Department
“Family Violence and Animal Cruelty: How Prosecuting Animal Abuse Can Save Lives” presented by Erin Aiello, Humane World for Animals
“Health Coach and Movement Specialist” presented by Certified Health Coach, Tia DeVincenzo
“Just A Girl” presented by Lt. Kellie Barhight, Stow Police Department
The conference concluded in the ballroom, where everyone attended the final session presented by UMass Boston Police Chief Stacey Lloyd, “Arrested by Our Mind: Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for Women in Law Enforcement”.
The MAWLE Executive Board and Conference Committee would like to thank the Essex County Sheriff’s Department for printing our beautiful programs.
The conference also provided valuable networking opportunities with our many vendors. We thank them for attending and speaking to attendees on the services they provide and the organizations they represent.
The MAWLE Executive Board would like to recognize this year’s Conference Committee: Superintendent Pauline Wells, Cambridge Police Department; Chief Cara Rossi, Ashland Police Department; Officer Alora Clemons, Rehoboth Police Department; Detective Sarah Palermo, Boston Police Department.
The MAWLE Executive Board would like to thank our conference sponsors: Platinum – John Guilfoil Public Relations; Gold – Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Boston Fire Credit Union (BFCU), and Shot Fore Shot; Silver – The Brotherhood for the Fallen – Boston, FirstNet, Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston (LLEGO), GetBadged, Hunt’s Photo & Video, Shatterproof, and FHE Health; Bronze – Municipal Police Institute (MPI), The Bulfinch Group, Blue Voice, Symbol Arts, and Rebuilding First Responders; Community – Bay State Sewage Disposal, Blue Line Financial, 22 Mohawks, Ballin Law, Ancora Psychological, Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, Massachusetts Latino Police Officers Association, and American International College.
We also had a wonderful array of raffle prizes from some more of our amazing supporters. That included Pizza Barbone, Cambridge Police Department Peer Support, Debrief Recovery, AAA Police Supply, Central Equipment, Boston X, The Greater Boston Realtor Ann DiMascio, Law Enforcement Dimensions, N&S Events, and E Street Screening.
