WIFLE-Enews       Volume 2, Issue 3

Message from the WIFLE Executive Committee: 
President Stephanie Davis, Air Force, OSI; Vice President Catherine Sanz, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Secretary Karen Ratke, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Treasurer Rebekah Salazar, U.S. Border Patrol

The highly successful WIFLE Seventh Annual Leadership Training was held June 19-22, 2006, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.  Over 500 attendees took part in the informative workshops and various other events offered at the Training Conference, and much positive feedback was received from both attendees and presenters.  We wanted to take advantage of the September WIFLE-Enews to recap for you some of the highlights of the Training Conference.

In addition, WIFLE announces that its Eighth Annual Leadership Training Conference will be held in Rancho Mirage, California,  Tuesday through Thursday, June 26, 27 and 28, 2007.  Travel dates are Monday, June 25 and Friday, June 29.  Be sure to mark those dates on your calendar.  We will return to the Westin Mission Hills Hotel and Conference Center for this event.

Visit the website to see some 2006 Conference photos.

Career Day: Recruitment and Job Fair

In concert with the Seventh Annual Leadership Training, WIFLE hosted a Recruitment and Job Fair on June 19.  Open to the public, the Recruitment and Job Fair was a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the multitude of careers in federal law enforcement.  A broad spectrum of federal and local law enforcement agencies participated in the Fair and offered recruiters and active law enforcement agents to provide information and breakout sessions.  WIFLE thanks all agency participants for helping us make the 2006 Recruitment and Job Fair another success.

Recruitment and Job Fair photos are on the conference website.

WIFLE Members Only Reception at the Australian Embassy

On Tuesday, June 20, the Australian Federal Police hosted a cocktail reception for WIFLE members at the Embassy of Australia in Washington, DC.  This networking event allowed WIFLE members to meet one another and many federal officials in a relaxed setting.  The gathering also provided a wonderful evening of cultural learning, including a special preview of the Aboriginal Women’s Art Exhibition.  The reception was truly one of the most memorable affairs of the 2006 Training Conference.  

The Aboriginal Women's Art Exhibition, Dreaming Their Way: Australian Aboriginal Women Painters, can be seen June 30, 2006 - September 24, 2006, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), Washington, D.C.

Dreaming Their Way is a groundbreaking exhibition of art by indigenous women of Australia. The first-ever of its kind in the U.S., the exhibition presents over seventy works of art, from intensely colorful canvases to intricate bark paintings, all demonstrating women’s bold and often experimental representations of their heritage. {Description courtesy of the NMWA website.}

Events such as the preview of the Aboriginal Women's Art Exhibition hosted by the Australian Embassy are for WIFLE members only.  These networking events are part of our commitment to bring members together and to highlight the benefits of membership.  (This is a reminder to renew your membership if you haven’t done so already.  And, please feel free to recruit new members to WIFLE.) 

Authors Speak at WIFLE Conference

New York Times Best Selling author David Baldacci presented a seminar for conference attendees on the final day.  After receiving his law degree from the University of Virginia, Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.  He has published 13 novels, all of which have been national and international bestsellers, and has written seven original screenplays.  Castle Rock Entertainment made Absolute Power (Warner Books, 1996) into a major motion picture starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.  Mr. Baldacci serves as a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and participates in numerous charities.  After his session, Mr. Baldacci signed copies of Absolute Power for conference attendees.

Lucinda Delaney Schroeder, a retired Special Agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and now published author, spoke to an interested audience about the undercover experiences throughout her career.  In her book, A Hunt for Justice, she explains how difficult and dangerous catching wildlife violators can be, and that sometimes it requires a tremendous amount of time, money and effort.  She believes in the power of women and how effective they can be in law enforcement and in the work place in general. 

Ms. Schroeder also signed copies of her book after her session.

2006 WIFLE Scholarship Awardees

WIFLE was pleased to award a total of six scholarships at $2,000 each in 2006.  This was the most money ever awarded since WIFLE was created in June 1999.  Three of the awardees – Adrienne Abramowitz, Emily Melville, and Lynette Sumait -- were able to attend the Awards Banquet at the June Training Conference and receive their scholarships in person. The remaining three scholarships were awarded to Amanda Baker, Amy Childers, and Cherie Smith. 

WIFLE offers scholarships to talented individuals to meet the demands in the field of law enforcement and to foster the professional development of those engaged in law enforcement.  Scholarships are awarded based on the student’s academic potential, achievement, and commitment to serving their local communities.  For example, one of the 2006 recipients is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology and interning at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service this summer.  Another is pursuing her Masters degree in organizational leadership and is detailed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington, DC.  A third recipient is working on a degree in Administration of Justice and Psychology, with a GPA of 4.865 (on a 5.0 scale), and is involved in a community program called “Upward Basketball” that targets fourth through sixth grade girls struggling with school, home, and life issues.

Women in Federal Law Enforcement will offer a scholarship(s) to talented individual(s) to meet the demands in the field of law enforcement and to foster the professional development of those engaged in law enforcement. The dollar amount of each scholarship will be approximately $2,000, but may vary based on numerous factors. Awards may be renewable on subsequent applications.   WIFLE scholarships are awarded annually in conjunction with WIFLE's Leadership Conferences and are based on the student's academic potential, achievement, and commitment to serving communities in the field of law enforcement. The scholarship is open to all eligible persons.

WIFLE conducts fundraising activities throughout the year to benefit the Scholarship Program; uses the funds from the annual Silent Auction and the online WIFLE Store for the Scholarship Program; and accepts tax-deductible donations throughout the year.  Visit the website for more details or to make a special donation in memory of WIFLE Founding Member Bonni G. Tischler.

2006 WIFLE Awards Ceremony and Banquet

One of the highlights of the Annual Leadership Training was certainly the 2006 WIFLE Awards Banquet.  WIFLE Vice President Catherine Sanz welcomed guests and presided over the evening’s events, which included Presentation of Colors by the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division Ceremonial Honor Guard; a keynote address by the Honorable Karen P. Tandy, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (photo at right); dinner served by the Capitol Hilton staff; and, presentation of the 2006 awards and scholarships. Congratulations to all WIFLE award winners and their agencies!

WIFLE solicits Agencies to nominate individuals who have demonstrated achievements to compete for the various annual WIFLE Awards.  WIFLE is the only organization to offer these awards to recognize exceptional courage, outstanding accomplishments, and significant contributions that have advanced the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in federal law enforcement.  Additionally, WIFLE honors a federal prosecutor for exceptional work resulting in the conviction of individual(s) for trafficked women or children for sexual exploitation; committed or attempted to commit a crime of violence against women/or any minority group; committed a civil rights violation; and, other heinous criminal offenses.  More information on the annual WIFLE Awards Program can be found on the yearly conference websites.