Assessment Centers for Public Safety: Fire Service, Law Enforcement & Corrections

Richard S. Michelson, MPA, has a master’s degree in public administration and has conducted postgraduate research on succession planning in public safety with the Union Institute and University.

After a career in law enforcement, he taught full-time for a criminal justice program at a community college and served as an adjunct at the graduate level. After experiencing the assessment center process himself, he created a series of intensive workshops designed to help public safety officials develop the leadership and management skills needed for their next rank.

He is currently the site coordinator for the Union Institute and University in San Diego, California. A certified DACUM facilitator, Michelson has been a trainer for the Public Safety Leadership & Ethics course in conjunction with the California State Chancellors’ Office for Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. He is also a promotional preparation contributor to PoliceOne® and has published articles with Law & Order and Police Chief magazines.