The Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Board is pleased to announce Mrs. Natasha Harris and Mr. Thomas Flanagan as the 2017 recipients of the FLETA Team Leader Recognition Award. FLETA Board Chair, Mr. Domenic McClinton, presented the Team Leader Recognition Award to Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan during the FLETA Board meeting on April 19, 2018 in Glynco, GA.
“On behalf of the FLETA Board, I am pleased to recognize Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan for this distinguished award,” stated Mr. McClinton. “Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan are highly respected among the FLETA community and demonstrates their professionalism and excellence in everything they do whether serving as a team leader, assessor, or self-assessor.”
Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan have been involved with the FLETA process in various roles for many years. Mrs. Harris currently serves as an Accreditation Program Manager for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), while Mr. Flanagan currently serves as a Law Enforcement Specialist, Accreditation for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).
Both, Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan, in addition to serving as the Accreditation Program Manager and Law Enforcement Specialist, Accreditation for their respective agencies, have also served on numerous assessments and self-assessments, both as assessors and team leaders. In addition to serving as a team leader and assessor on FLETA assessments, Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan provide direct and in-direct support to other federal law enforcement agencies as a source of expertise conducting self-assessments.
Mr. Joseph Collins, Executive Director for the FLETA Office of Accreditation, congratulated Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan on the award. Mr. Collins stated, “Team leaders, like Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan are the critical link between the FLETA Board and the assessment teams. I have had the honor of working with both individuals and their dedication to the FLETA process sets the standard for all team leaders and assessors. We would not have a FLETA process without the hard work and dedication of Mrs. Harris and Mr. Flanagan, and their fellow team leaders and assessors.”
The FLETA Team Leader Recognition Award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly or demonstrated exceptional commitment while serving in a team leader capacity during the FLETA accreditation process. The team leader has successfully demonstrated an effective and innovative approach associated with obtaining the highest quality of federal law enforcement training. The FLETA Team Leader Recognition Award is intended as an individual annual award; however, multiple candidates may be considered by the Board.
The FLETA Board is the accrediting body for all federal law enforcement training and support programs. To achieve accreditation, agencies submit to an independent review of their academy and/or program to ensure compliance with the FLETA Standards and Procedures in the areas of: Administration, Training Staff, Training Development, Training Delivery, and Distance Learning. Accreditation is a cyclical process occurring every five years. Each year, agencies must submit annual reports in preparation for reaccreditation, which is a new and independent review of the academy/program.