Review Boards

On July 31, 2008, Congress passed Public Law 110-298, which established the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 ("Act"). Under the Act, two separate categories of this award were created: the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery. For each category, a separate Board was established to review nominations, make recommendations for recipients to the Attorney General, and address other responsibilities required under the Act.

Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Board

The Federal Board shall be composed of seven members appointed as follows:

1. One member jointly appointed by the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate
2. One member jointly appointed by the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives
3. One member from the Department of Justice appointed by the Attorney General
4. Two members of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
5. Two members of the Fraternal Order of Police

Jon Adler (Member), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) appointment

Duncan Templeton (Member), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) appointment

Michele Leonhart (Member), Attorney General appointment

Michael C. Stenger (Federal CBOB Board Chair), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) appointment

Andrew Maybo (Member), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) appointment

Richard Gardner (Member), Senate Majority/Minority appointment

House Speaker/Minority appointment (Vacant)

The State and Local Board shall be composed of nine members appointed as follows:

1. One member jointly appointed by the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate.
2. One member jointly appointed by the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives.
3. One member from the Department of Justice appointed by the Attorney General.
4. Two members of the Fraternal Order of Police.
5. One member of the National Association of Police Organizations.
6. One member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
7. One member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
8. One member of the National Sheriffs' Association.

State and Local Board members:

Chuck Canterbury (Member), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) appointment

Michael Hettich (Member), Senate Majority/Minority appointment (member of the FOP)

Attorney General’s appointment (vacant)

Dave Hiller (State and Local CBOB Board Chair), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) appointment

John Thompson (Member), National Sherriff’s Association (NSA) appointment

Chief Patrick R. Melvin (Member), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) appointment

William Johnson (Member), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) appointment

Doug Scott (Member), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) appointment

House Speaker/Minority appointment (Vacant)

Federal Review Board Profiles:

Michele M. Leonhart
Ms. Leonhart was unanimously confirmed as the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by the U.S. Senate on December 22, 2010, following her nomination by President Obama in February 2010. In that capacity, Ms. Leonhart, a career DEA Special Agent, directs the $3 billion agency and is responsible for over 10,000 employees in domestic offices throughout the U.S. and in 86 foreign offices in 67 countries. Ms. Leonhart had been the Acting Administrator since November 2007, and served as DEA’s Deputy Administrator since 2004.

Prior to becoming Administrator and Deputy Administrator, Ms. Leonhart held several positions within DEA’s Senior Executive Service (SES). She was the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division from 1998-2003, SAC of San Francisco Field Division from 1997-1998, and her first SES appointment was in 1996 when she spearheaded DEA’s Special Agent Recruitment efforts at DEA Headquarters. As a career DEA Special Agent, Ms. Leonhart held several key positions as she moved through the ranks of DEA. In 1995 she was promoted to the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Division, and between 1993 and 1995, Ms. Leonhart held management positions within DEA Headquarters. Prior to that, she initiated major drug investigations and conspiracy cases in Minneapolis and St. Louis, and served as a DEA Special Agent recruiter.

While at DEA, she attended Boston University’s Leadership Institute, and is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations in recognition of her leadership, performance, and commitment to public service. She was awarded the rank of Distinguished Executive by President Bush in 2004, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service from President Bush in 2005, and the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service from President Clinton in 2000. Additionally, Administrator Leonhart received the Law Enforcement Exploring William H. Spurgeon Award in 2006, the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Outstanding Federal Law Enforcement Employee Award in 2005, and the Administrator’s Award in 1993. Ms. Leonhart received a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice in 1978 and joined DEA as a Special Agent in 1980.

Michael C. Stenger
Mr. Stenger was appointed as Assistant Sergeant at Arms for the United States Senate Sergeant at Arms Office of Intelligence and Protective Services in February 2011. In this capacity as Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the United States Senate, he oversees security and continuity of operation policies and programs and provides strategic and analytical assistance to the Senate Sergeant at Arms.

In August 2008, Mr. Stenger was appointed as Assistant Director for the United States Secret Service office of Government and Public Affairs. As Assistant Director, Mr. Stenger administered Secret Service liaison activities with the United States Congress, Department of Homeland Security, other federal agencies, and members of the media and general public.

Michael Stenger is a 35-year veteran of the United States Secret Service, having served in Newark, New York City, and Washington, D.C. in protective, investigative, and staff assignments. During his career with the Secret Service, Mr. Stenger served as Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Research, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington field office, Deputy Assistant Director of the office of Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge of the Financial Crimes Division.

In November 2004, Mr. Stenger was selected as a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award recipient. He has also received the Vice President's Award for Excellence in Financial Crimes Management and the Department of the Treasury Secretary's Annual Award for Outstanding Performance in the area of Financial Crimes. Mr. Stenger received his B.A. from Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and attained the rank of Captain in the United States Marine Corps.

Andrew Maybo
Officer Maybo has over 15 years of government experience and is currently a K9 officer with the U.S. Capitol Police. Along with his active career in law enforcement, he is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and is currently the Vice President of Washington, DC Lodge #1, which serves over 12,000 members in the Washington, DC law enforcement community. Officer Maybo serves as the chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police National Memorial Committee for the National Peace Officer's Memorial Service, which is held annually on May 15th. He has been involved with the Law Enforcement Memorial since his career started and is now responsible for the planning and oversight of this national service.

Richard "Joe" Gardner
In 1985, Mr. Gardner joined the U.S. Marine Corp, where he served until 1989. In January 1991, he joined the U.S. Marshals Service and served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal until his retirement in August 2012.  During his time in the U.S. Marshals Service, Mr. Gardner was a firearms and tactics instructor for over 15 years and served with local and other federal law enforcement agencies on the Criminal Apprehension Team where he participated in over 1,500 physical arrests during a 2 ½- year period and was an integral part of the January 4, 2010 response to the assault on the U.S. District Courthouse in Las Vegas Nevada.  In 2011, he received the Robert Forsyth Valor Award, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association National Award for Heroism for 2010, and the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Mr. Gardner graduated from Lake Superior University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. 

State and Local Review Board Profiles:

Chuck Canterbury (Chair)
Mr. Canterbury began serving as President of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in January 2003 and has been reelected five times. Mr. Canterbury joined FOP in 1984 when he, along with 11 other officers, chartered their Local Lodge. He served as Local Lodge President for 13 years, during which time he was instrumental in starting the Lodge Legal Defense Plan, purchasing the first lodge building, and starting the Lodge insurance program.

He went on to serve as State Lodge President from 1990 to 1998. During his tenure he was instrumental in establishing the State Lodge lobbying program, initiating the political endorsement program and implementing the State Lodge Legal Defense Plan. He led the effort to hire a full time Executive Director for the State Lodge to manage these programs. He began his service on the Grand Lodge Executive Board in 1995 when he was elected to the first of three terms as the Second Vice President. In 2001, he was elected Vice President. During this time, he has worked to expand the police labor movement in the areas of our country who do not have collective bargaining rights. Improving the quality of life for police officers has been his foremost goal. During his tenure he has brought a best business practice model to the FOP.

Mr. Canterbury retired in January 2004 from the Horry County Police Department, Conway, South Carolina, where he most recently had oversight of the Operations Bureau. He began his police career in 1978 and over his 26-year career he worked in the Patrol Division, the Criminal Investigations Division and served as the Training Division Supervisor, during which he was certified as an Instructor in basic law enforcement, firearms, chemical weapons, and pursuit driving.

Mr. Canterbury was appointed by President George Bush to serve on the Medal of Valor Board and also serves on the Homeland Security Council. He also has been appointed to the Congressional Badge of Bravery Awards committee, is on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and serves as Treasurer of the International Council of Police Representatives Association, which represents over 1.4 million law enforcement officers worldwide. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coastal Carolina University.

Michael Hettich
Michael Hettich is Chief Deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky.

John Thompson
Chief (Ret.) John Thompson joined the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in 2002 as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff. NSA represents the nation's sheriffs at federal and state government levels, providing guidance to legislators and providing a vehicle for the voices of sheriffs to be heard. Chief Thompson’s public safety career started in 1972 when he joined the federal fire service as a firefighter. In 1974 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a military police officer, canine handler, and military intelligence officer before being honorably discharged. Chief Thompson continued to work in law enforcement and was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Mount Rainier, a diverse community bordering Washington D.C.  During his tenure as Chief of Police, he reorganized the department and its priorities, placing an emphasis on community policing, and implementing very successful and innovative crime reduction programs that won the department two “Award of Excellence” awards from the Maryland Municipal League. In 1998, Chief Thompson was appointed Assistant Sheriff for Prince Georges County, Maryland where he worked until 2002.

Chief Thompson has a degree in criminal justice and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command as well as the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development School. He currently sits on the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Advisory Policy Board, the Homeland Security Consortium, and the Department of Homeland Security Emergency Services Sector Coordinating Council, which he chairs.

Chief Patrick R. Melvin
Chief Melvin is currently the Chief of Police for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Salt River Police Department has 150 members, 114 sworn officers and 36 professional staff. The former Police Chief of the City of Maricopa, Arizona (5 years), Chief Melvin held the positions of Chief of Police, Public Safety Director, Interim Fire Chief, and Assistant City Manager. Chief Melvin was the City of  Maricopa's first-ever police officer as the Chief of Police (Badge #001) after retiring from the City of Phoenix Police Department (21 years) as a police commander. Chief Melvin is credited with building the city's police department from the ground up. Chief Melvin served as the 33rd National President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, an organization of approximately 3,500 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean. 

Chief Patrick Melvin received an Army Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant from Wentworth Military Academy (Lexington, MO), a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University, an M.Ed with Distinction from Northern Arizona University, the Certified Public Manager Designation from Arizona State University, attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Southwest Command College, and the 65th Session of the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.

William J. "Bill" Johnson
Since January 2002, Mr. Johnson serves as Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations, Inc. He previously served as General Counsel to the organization. Mr. Johnson is a former law enforcement officer and prosecutor, having served with the Old Orchard Beach, Maine Police Department, and, after attending law school, the Miami, Florida State Attorney's Office. Among other crimes, he prosecuted drug trafficking, armed robbery, homicide, and aggravated child abuse cases. Mr. Johnson also served as the chief prosecutor of the Crimes Division of the Dade County Court (Miami, Florida). He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his law degree from Georgetown University and is also a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.