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David Stender

Biography:

Dr. Stender is the Senior Director for Strategy and Innovation for the College of Criminal Justice. Before that, he served as the Deputy Director for the SHSU Institute for Homeland Security (IHS). IHS focuses on the security and resilience of critical infrastructure in Transportation, Energy, Chemical, and Healthcare. Visit the LinkedIn site @https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-homeland-security.
Before SHSU, he served as the Deputy Director of Facility Safety for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, focused on facility safety, including suicide prevention and security management. Before joining TJJD, he served as a Senior Management Analyst for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism Division from February 2016 to March 2019. He served as the collection manager for the division. In addition, he revamped the training program for intelligence analysts and criminal analysts training programs, assisting in connecting analysis to police operations.

Before joining DPS in February 2016, he served in Vinnell Arabia from May 2015 through Jan 2016 as a Curriculum Developer Instructor/Advisor who assisted in planning, coordinating, developing, and evaluating the curriculum for the Ministry of National Guard's (MNG) Command and General Staff College (CGSC). He performed his duties under the Curriculum Developer Instructor Advisor (CDIA) team's supervision, developing methods that achieved results.

Dr. Stender served over 26 years in the U.S. Army, retiring from Active Federal Service as a Regular Army Lieutenant Colonel in the Military Police Corps. He deployed in support of the implementation and stabilization force for Bosnia Herzegovina as a Platoon Leader, 984th Military Police Company; Operation Iraqi Freedom One, Iraq, as the 501st Military Police Company Commander and First Armor Division Force Protection Officer; Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09, Iraq, as the Operations Officer and Executive Officer for 720th Military Police Battalion; and Operation Enduring Freedom as the Regional Command-East Provost Marshal for First Calvary Division.

Dr. Stender served in leadership positions from platoon leader to battalion commander over twenty years as a Military Police Officer. Before commissioning into the Military Police Corps, he served as an enlisted Soldier in the Army National Guard, progressing from Private to Staff Sergeant in the Infantry. After the Army, he began state service as a collection manager, senior management analyst, and deputy director for facility safety. Dr. Stender is also a reserve peace officer for the Harker Heights Police Department, earning the Texas Master Peace Officer Certificate.

Dr. Stender holds Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, four Master's Degrees, including a Master of Criminal Justice from Boston University, a Master of Military Operational Art and Science/Studies from the Air Force Command and Staff College, and a Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management and Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management from Webster University; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Arkansas State University.