President’s Message

20 years of collaboration, innovation, and evolution. When that tagline was created someone said, “Yup, that pretty well sums it up.”  Well, it does, and it doesn’t.

When CPKN was created in March 2004, it was all about hope and potential; very little in terms of strategic objectives and planning. There was a group of like-minded people – police training leaders from across the country, who believed in the potential of e-learning.

Truth be known, collectively, we had little more than hope that CPKN might — just might — be an asset for Canadian policing.

John Arnold was the first President; he was the idea guy behind CPKN.  I held the role of Chief Operating Officer, and then in 2007, I took over from John and assumed the role of President.

Looking back over two decades there is an impressive history and body of work to make those founders justifiably proud. Seeing this organization grow from four courses to over 150, and watching the Network expand from coast to coast has been amazing. There is much to celebrate and many people to share in the collective accomplishment.

Although it is important to reflect, it might be more important to look to the future and imagine what CPKN can and will become.

Since those early days, CPKN has become more sophisticated about governance, strategic planning, and operational excellence. CPKN Staff, the Board of Directors (Board), and the National Advisory Committee (NAC) are very focused on leveraging the solid foundation that has been created to envision a future that is much more aspirational than just proof of concept and survival.

Great ideas and opportunities abound for CPKN. Growth, driven by innovation, will define the next stage of the Network’s existence. Continued focus on collaboration, research and development of innovative learning solutions, and nationally relevant priorities around professional development in policing will drive the strategic priorities.

So, the stage is set, and the future is bright. And after 17 years, I believe it is now time to find the next President who will lead us into the future. As we continue to grow, CPKN will need an experienced and visionary leader who will set the trajectory of the Network into this bright future.

To be clear, I am not leaving, but my role will change. The Board has asked me to lead the search and manage the transition of the new President and remain after as the President Emeritus.

This is an exciting time for us all. Krystine Richards and the senior management team represent a huge part of the solid foundation the new leader will inherit. The Board and the NAC are also functioning at a very high level. The credibility of CPKN in the police community has never been higher. I believe that CPKN is poised for great things.

The new President – hopefully, to be introduced in the fall – will arrive to a world of opportunity and high expectations.

2024 is a significant year in the life of CPKN. There is much to celebrate!