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Florida Polytechnic University Chief of Police Selected to Lead Polk County Police Chiefs Association

January 4, 2018

Florida Polytechnic University Police Chief Richard A. Holland has been selected to head the Polk County Police Chiefs Association. He served as the vice president in 2017.

Holland was sworn in during the 36th Polk County Police Chief’s Association Annual Installation of Officers Thursday, January 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the Florida Polytechnic University campus located at 4700 Research Way in Lakeland.

“This is very exciting! I always had dreams of being a police chief and to now be their voice and to carry that voice all the way to Tallahassee is a prestigious thing and truly an honor,” said Holland.

About a dozen officers from different police departments in Polk County will also be recognized during the ceremony for their courage and hard work. Florida Poly President Dr. Randy K. Avent will deliver the welcoming message and Polk County Sherrif’s Office Senior Chaplain Marvin Pittman will administer the oath of office during the installation of the 2018 officers. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will lead the invocation.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the county will be in attendance along with members of the State Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Before Holland came to Florida Poly in 2014, he worked for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for 27 years where he served in multiple leadership and supervisory roles. He has worked as an adjunct professor at Polk State College since 2010, teaching criminology courses.
Holland has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Troy University in Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. He earned his associate’s degree in criminology from Polk Community College.
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This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.

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Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.