Motivational Speakers

Sgt. Bryan Schafer is a Patrol Sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department. Bryan formerly coordinated the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program and all impaired driving related training for the Minneapolis Police Department. He is one of the premiere instructors in the United States. He has instructed in over 10 states including the first Drug Recognition School for the RCMP in Canada. He was invited to Washington D.C. to work on the administration and establishment of instructional programs for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and also participated in the Drug Evaluation and Classification Research Study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lt. Doug Thooft is a Lt. with the Minnesota State Patrol. Doug formerly served as the state coordinator for the Drug Recognition Expert Program and coordinated all the Drug Recognition Expert Schools in Minnesota. Doug also coordinated all of the impaired driving related training for all police officers in the state of Minnesota. Doug was in the first Minnesota class for Drug Recognition Experts and was the first Instructor for the state of Minnesota. He is one of the premiere instructors in the United States and is asked for by name to instruct and assist other states in organizing DRE programs. Doug has been to 38 other states to assist in impaired driving issues. Doug also participated in research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He continues to assist NHTSA in developing courses related to drug impairment.

Sgt. Robert "Bob" O'Brien is retired from the Minneapolis Police Department after 32 years of service, 24 of which were served in the Traffic Division. O'Brien was among the first officers in the State of Minnesota selected to receive training in the Drug Evaluation Classification Program (DRE) sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). After completing training, he became the first DRE Coordinator for the Minneapolis Police Department. In this position, Bob was required to establish program guidelines within the MPD, as well as, work with other city, county, and state organizations. Currently, Bob works with the MN Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, as a Law Enforcement Liaison for the Safe and Sober Program. He also instructs Defensive Driving and Instructor Development Train the Trainer for the National Safety Council.

Charles "Chip" Lemon is a Corporal with the Minnesota State Patrol. For the past eight years, Chip has instructed Standardized Field Sobriety, Drugs That Impair, and Drug Recognition in many of the law enforcement agencies throughout Minnesota. Chip was formerly the lead instructor for Standardized Field Sobriety and Drugs That Impair programs in the MN State Patrol recruit academy. Lemon currently serves as the lead instructor and coordinator for Standardized Field Sobriety and Drugs That Impair in five state colleges in Minnesota. In 2004, Chip was awarded "Skills Instructor of the Year" from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

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