This was my second year in a row attending the annual conference held by FCCD. I was afforded the opportunity to attend two days of the conference this year. When I walked down the exhibit Hall I was amazed at how many vendor booths filled both sides of the hall. Not only was the hallway filled with vendor booths but a separate ballroom to the side was also overflowing with vendors. Each vendor I spoke with was excited to be there and address any questions I had. 

Each morning started with a Plenary Session in the main ballroom. The first morning was a panel discussion about the topic of “Race and Crime”. It was enlightening to hear from various Criminal Justice professionals and their point of view on the topic. As that session broke out, I attended three additional workshops throughout the day. The second day began with a morning session that was presented by an FBI agent who spoke on the tragedy of Pulse. It was fascinating to hear about the experience the agent underwent as he experienced Pulse firsthand as one of the main investigators. The workshop that left the biggest impression on me was the Human Trafficking “A Survivors Perspective”.

Hearing about how she survived being Human Trafficked was eye opening to say the least. All of the presenters throughout the conference were very knowledgeable and engaging with their presentations. Overall, I was very impressed with the professionalism all around from the registration staff to the moderators and speakers. The hotel was beautiful and easy to maneuver through parking and locating the conference. I enjoyed each workshop that I attended and excited to share what I learned with my team!

Thank you for allowing me to attend!

CCO Kimberly Howard

Orange County Corrections Department