Convention 2008 Keynote Speakers

Saturday, May 17 – Opening Session
John Shanks, Director of Law Enforcement Relations for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

John Shanks, Director of Law Enforcement Relations for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, will speak at the Opening Session on Saturday, May 17, about current trends in law enforcement fatalities. The year 2007 proved to be the deadliest year in three decades for the law enforcement profession. Mr. Shanks will review line-of-duty deaths, causes and what can be done to reduce those deaths. In addition, he will talk about the campaign – “A Matter of Honor” – to build the National Law Enforcement Museum. He will discuss the status of the Museum project that includes groundbreaking in 2008, artifact collection, officer roll call, and current fund-raising efforts. You will see a virtual tour of the Museum and learn how every officer in America has an opportunity to be a part of the Museum.

Mr. Shanks is a 22-year law enforcement veteran and has been with the NLEOMF since June 2007. He started his career as a United States Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist and served in assignments that included time in a joint drug enforcement task force. He taught for many years at the Joint Law Enforcement Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base.

Mr. Shanks is retired from the USAF. While on active duty with the USAF, he attended the Texas State Peace Officer Academy and was commissioned as a Texas Peace Officer in 1983. As a civilian officer, he worked assignments in patrol, traffic accident investigation, warrants, and also taught at the San Antonio Law Enforcement Training Center, San Antonio College.

Mr. Shanks holds a Master Peace Officer Certification from the state of Texas. He had previously been a volunteer at the NLEOMF for eight years and has served as a Law Enforcement Ambassador, helping raise awareness about the campaign to build the Museum.

Sunday, May 18 – General Session II
Robert West, WPPA Consultant – “We're all in the same boat, let's pull together!”

Robert West, well known for his dynamic motivational speaking, will speak at the General Session on Sunday morning, May 18.

When we organize to become a union, we do so because we realize there is strength in numbers. We recognize that we can do better in the long run collectively rather than standing alone. Our decision to organize is not based on who we hire to represent us or what organizations with which to affiliate. Those things come later and are secondary to our decision to let the collective will prevail for mutual aid and assistance. We agree to be bound by majority rule and yet respect the views of those who may be in the minority. We embrace the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all. Once we have made this fundamental choice and are comfortable that our strength is in our unity, then we determine what resources we need to assist us. Ironically, management knows that our unity is our strength and often works to divide us by working on small groups or making tempting offers that reward only a few. Some of their efforts to divide us are blatant and obvious and others much more subtle. When these management efforts work, we often find our union boat spinning in circles as both sides are not pulling equally on the union oars. We must be alert to attempts to divide us and we must always be vigilant in maintaining our solidarity. It is important to remember we don't really join a union; we are a union!

Robert West was an organizer from the minute he set foot in his first classroom as a teacher in the middle ’60s. He organized his colleagues and bargained a contract when it was the exception, not the rule. In 1971, he left the classroom to work full time for the Wisconsin Education Association Council. He served as an organizer, negotiator, political activist, and, for the final 15 years prior to his retirement, as the statewide Director of Bargaining and Research. In 2001, he was retained as a consultant to the WPPA. He has worked on interest and grievance arbitrations and consulted on organizational matters.