Business Nuts & Bolts

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Join us on Thursday, September 11 as we meet with the City's Police & Fire Chiefs.  Attendees will hear their intiaitives, discuss hot topics from each of their departments, learn how as citizens and as the business community we can assist these intiatives and participate in a question and answer session.  We invite you to enjoy breakfast, engage in discussion and participate in honoring our first responders and veterans.  

Speakers:
Chief of Police Michael DeLeo & Fire Chief Jerome Gaines

Chief Michael DeLeo
Michael DeLeo was appointed Chief of Police of the Tallahassee Police Department on December 30, 2013. Prior to his appointment, Chief DeLeo was the Deputy Chief of the Plantation Police Department. He began his career with the Plantation Police Department in 1994 as a patrol officer. During his career, he has served in the Patrol Division and Criminal Investigations Division and supervised the SWAT Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Crisis Response Team, Field Force Unit, Traffic Unit and K-9 Unit. As Deputy Chief DeLeo managed the Administration Bureau, which included the Budget, Fleet, Communications, Professional Standards, Records, Property & Evidence, Training, Recruitment & Hiring, and Code Enforcement.

Chief DeLeo’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida, a Masters of Science degree from St. Thomas University and a Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy 219th Session and the 33rd Session of the Southern Police Institute Command Officer Development Course. Chief DeLeo was named an FBI Leadership Fellow in 2004 and spent six months in residence at the FBI Academy where he assisted in developing and delivering executive law enforcement training around the world. Chief DeLeo was an adjunct faculty member for Broward College, Institute of Public Safety. In addition, his professional accomplishments include the development of the Safe 7 Grant Program; serving as chairperson for the Juvenile Assessment Center, and member of the Joint Advisory Committee for the Institute of Public Safety. Chief DeLeo is also a member of the FDLE’s Advisory Group for the Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Training.

Chief Jerome Gaines
Jerome Gaines was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from Northrop High School and received his Bachelors Degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011.

On December 9, 1983 he was sworn in as a firefighter with the Fort Wayne Fire Department. In 1988 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the suppression division. In 1989 he transferred to the training academy and became the lead instructor. Later that year he was promoted to Captain. In 1991 he was promoted to the rank of District Chief of Hazardous Materials Operations. In 1993 he was promoted to Chief of Special Operations. While in this position he also took on the duties of Systems Administrator over the Information Technology Division. In 1999 he returned to the fire suppression division as a Battalion Chief. In 2004 he was appointed to the position of Shift Commander and in 2014 he was appointed to the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations, where he oversaw the daily activities of over 300 firefighters. On June 30, 2014, he was sworn in as the 17th Fire Chief for Tallahassee Fire Department.

The pre-registration deadline is Tuesday, September 9. Following this deadline cancellations will not be accepted, however replacements can be sent.