Dr. Kathryn Hamel is the Chief Executive Officer at the Hecht Trauma Institute.

Prior to her transition into non-profit leadership, she worked in higher education and served her community for nearly 25-years as a law-enforcement professional for two mid-sized municipal police departments. She has worked as a police lieutenant, police sergeant, special victim’s detective, public information officer, and task force officer.

During her tenure at a local University, she served as the Dean of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Organizational Development. Concurrently, she was responsible for creating an 18-month postgraduate leadership academy.

Dr. Hamel is a certified facilitator, trauma and resilience professional, and seasoned educator. She is also the best-selling author of Body Mind & Badge: Strategies for Navigating Trauma & Resilience in Law Enforcement.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she holds a Doctoral Degree in Public Safety Leadership from Capella University, a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Studies from California State University, Long Beach.

Dr. Hamel serves as an appointed member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP's) Human and Civil Rights Committee and on the National Board of Directors for KinderVision, a non-profit co-founded by her late mother, Ashby Sebastian, dedicated to addressing the exploitation of children.

On Peace and Happiness