Magnolia, AR – The Southern Arkansas University Police Department has been awarded the prestigious FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA) Agency Trilogy Award, a national distinction recognizing law enforcement agencies that prioritize leadership excellence and professional growth at every level of command. The recognition specifically highlights the leadership of Chief Bryan Christenson and Assistant Chief James Derek Avery for their commitment to advancing professional development within the department.
The Agency Trilogy Award is presented to agencies whose command staff have successfully completed FBI-LEEDA’s comprehensive three-tiered leadership program. The curriculum focuses on essential areas such as ethical leadership, community engagement strategies, organizational effectiveness, implicit bias awareness, emotional intelligence, and strengthening community trust. Agencies that earn this recognition demonstrate a sustained investment in developing leaders equipped to meet the evolving challenges of modern policing.
“The agencies that earn the Trilogy recognition have put in serious work, and that matters,” said FBI-LEEDA Executive Director Jacques Battiste. “Chief Christenson and the Southern Arkansas University Police Department have demonstrated the kind of commitment to growth that strengthens a department from the inside out.”
“Growth remains a central theme for our organization, and our participation in the Trilogy program reflects that commitment. The Trilogy program pushed us to be more intentional about how we lead, and that carries over into everything we do,” said Chief of Police Bryan Christenson of the Southern Arkansas University Police Department.
Designed for public safety professionals at every rank, FBI-LEEDA courses equip participants with practical leadership and management tools. Classes are taught by experienced law enforcement executives from across the country who bring real-world insight and expertise into the classroom.
Since the inception of the Agency Trilogy Award, 271 law enforcement organizations have been recognized for excellence in leadership upon completion of the Command Leadership Institute, Supervisor Leadership Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute. To learn more about the Agency Trilogy Program, visit www.fbileeda.org.
About FBI-LEEDA
FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA) is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization with 15,000+ active members in the United States and internationally that serves the training needs of law enforcement officers and improves law enforcement management practices. FBI-LEEDA pursues educational excellence through public and private partnerships, offering more than 450 in-person training classes each year instructed by over 50 seasoned law enforcement officers. FBI-LEEDA’s flagship program, the Agency Trilogy Award, consists of the Supervisor, Command and Executive Leadership Institute classes tailored to various law enforcement ranks. FBI-LEEDA also offers additional educational opportunities in media and public relations, internal affairs, leadership integrity, cultural awareness and an annual training conference. Learn more at FBILEEDA.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X @FBILEEDA.