July Luncheon Meeting – Special date

Deanna started with the San Luis Obispo Police Department as the new Chief of Police on January 4th, 2016. Prior to this appointment, she was with the Mesa, Arizona Police Department for 21 years with her last assignment as the Assistant Chief of the Administrative Services Bureau where she oversaw Fiscal, Supply, Fleet, Police Information Technology, Communications, Records and the Forensics Lab. Deanna oversaw a direct budget of $28M, and indirectly oversaw the police budget of $164M. Previously Deanna served as the Deputy Chief of Special Operations, Patrol Commander, Internal Affairs, Gangs and Patrol Lieutenant, and many other positions within the police department including time spent as a Motor officer in Traffic, and several Special Operations positions.

Deanna has been heavily involved in fostering positive relationships between law enforcement and the community she serves. She developed a deep-rooted history of community engagement and participation, serving on the NAACP Legal Redress Committee and the Muslim Police Advisory Board. She served as the chair of the diversity and peer support teams, and was the departments Subject Matter Expert for constitutional matters regarding search and seizure. Prior to becoming an advisor, Deanna served as the Chair of the Arizona Women’s Initiative Network (AZ-WIN) in order to increase the number of women in policing.

Deanna holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Education and a Masters of Administration from Northern Arizona University. She is a graduate of Northwestern University Police Staff and Command School and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Policing Organizations course. Deanna is an adjunct faculty member for Northwestern University teaching policy and contemporary policing.