OUR TEAM
Leon Crone
Leon Crone is currently employed as the Captain of the Lower Allen Township Police Department, where he has worked since 1995. Leon was promoted to his current position in 2016 and serves as the highest-ranking sworn officer at that agency.
Leon’s agency has been Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CALEA) accredited since 1995 and Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) accredited since 2006. Leon has served as Accreditation Manger for both programs since 2005, leading the agency’s process through CALEA Flagship and Meritorious awards, as well as participating in the initial PLEAC accreditation of the department.
Since 2009, Leon has served on the executive board of the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC), serving for 9 years as President of the esteemed organization. In 2020, he stepped down from that role. Since 2007, Leon has served as an assessor for the PLEAC program, conducting countless assessments and mock assessments across the Commonwealth. Leon has served on the PLEAC Commission since 2011, has been a member of the administrative committee, and currently serves on the standards committee. Leon has instructed Assessor Classes and Accreditation Manager classes on behalf of the PLEAC organization.
Leon is currently completing a Masters in the Administration of Justice degree from Wilmington University. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command.
Leon has served in the United States Army and in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Leon continues his life of service through his policing career and is honored to be seen by peers and professionals as a trusted resource and advisor for all things police administration- and police accreditation-related.
Rhonda Diercks
Rhonda Diercks is currently employed as the Manager of Accreditation and Professional Standards with Carnegie Mellon University Police Department. In addition to managing the accreditation program, Rhonda is also responsible for Clery and Uniform Crime (UCR) Reporting. Rhonda’s agency has been accredited by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association since 2007. Rhonda’s agency was the first university police department in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be accredited.
Rhonda is an assessor for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. She earned her bachelors degree from Duquesne University and her PA Municipal Police Officers’ Education & Training Commission Act 120 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Rhonda is also an instructor with the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program.
Jason Hendershot
Jason Hendershot is currently employed as the Chief of Police/ Director of Public Safety & Emergency Management with the Clarion University Police Department. Jason was hired as the Chief at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Prior to working for Clarion University, he worked for the Carnegie Mellon University(CMU) Police Department for 16 years. During his time with CMU he served as the Accreditation Manger for 6 years until his departure in late 2014.
Jason’s current agency has been accredited since June of 2017, which was a priority for him upon his arrival at Clarion University. The exposure to accreditation while at CMU reinforced with him the importance of the accreditation process as a Chief of Police. The road to accreditation was familiar to him and within 2 ½ years of walking in the door the agency had revised policies, a new facility, standards to follow, and had completed their initial accreditation assessment.
Jason has served as an assessor for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program since 2012 and serves as the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) Mock Coordinator for the western third of Pennsylvania. Jason was appointed to the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) in 2020, and currently chairs the assessor committee. Jason has been an instructor for the PLEAC Accreditation Manager classes at the annual conference. Jason also serves as an ACT 180 Instructor for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Criminal Justice Training Center, and served as the program coordinator for the IUP ACT 120 program at CMU from 2010 to 2014.
Jason received his master’s degree in professional administration from Duquesne University in 2016. He is also a 2019 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff & Command. Jason completed his undergraduate work at West Virginia University.
Joshua Kilgore
Joshua Kilgore is currently employed by the Northern Lancaster Co. Regional Police Department (NLCRPD) as a Patrol Operations Lieutenant. Josh began his law enforcement career in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1994 and was later employed by the Warwick Township Police Department (WTPD), Lancaster County in 1997. In 2011 the WTPD became one of three original charter members of the newly formed NLCRPD. Josh currently oversees training, scheduling, personnel, and has been the acting accreditation manager since 2019. Josh currently serves an active member and assessor with the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association through their Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, is an active member of both the PA and Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association, and is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates Eastern PA Chapter.
During his twenty-five year career Josh spent over fifteen years as a street supervisor, was in charge of the agencies crash team, firearms division, and field training program. Josh spent 19 years with the Lancaster County Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) where he was named SWAT officer of the year in 2013 and received the “Mrs. Smith” award from the South Central Task Force in 2019. Josh served as the Deputy Commander from 2015 until his resignation from the unit in 2019. As a student of leadership and organizational development, Josh has served as an adjunct instructor at Harrisburg Area Community College and participated as a guest instructor with the Pennsylvania State Police Leadership Development Program.
Josh holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Business, and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Leadership, both from Elizabethtown College. Josh is a graduate of the FBI LEEDS program, PA State Police Leadership Development program, and the FBI National Academy - class 258. Josh is responsible for the research and development of the LEADER*ONE promotional system currently being evaluated for publication and distribution.
Brian Omlor
Brian Omlor is currently employed as the Detective Sergeant of the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, where he has been employed since 1996. Brian has served as a patrol officer, community policing officer, detective, and detective sergeant. Brian has also served as his department’s accreditation manager, for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, since his department’s initial accreditation in 2014.
Brian has participated as an assessor for the for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and as a mock assessor with the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition since 2016.
Brian has attended The Pennsylvania State University and is completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He earned his Municipal Police Officer Certification from the Philadelphia Police Academy in 1995.
Michael Piacentino
Michael Piacentino is currently employed with the Manheim Township Police Department in Lancaster County, PA. He was hired in 2003, promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2012, and advanced into an administrative Sergeant position in 2017. In addition to overseeing and performing the administrative functions of the department, Michael was also named the department's public information officer (PIO) and accreditation manager at the same time. In early 2021, he was promoted to Lieutenant and currently serves as the commander of the Administrative Services Division, in addition to being PIO and the accreditation manager. Michael's police department has been accredited with the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since 2007, and most recently obtained its fifth re-accreditation in 2020, while under his command as accreditation manager. His agency is expected to attain PLEAC Premier status in 2023.
Michael joined the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) in 2017 in order to collaborate with other accreditation managers throughout the Commonwealth. He became a mock assessor during that same year, aiding other police departments in their successful journey through the accreditation process. In 2019, he ran for the Treasurer's position on the PPAC Executive Board and was unanimously voted in. In 2020, he was once again nominated to serve in that assignment. He is a 2009 graduate from Millersville University, obtaining a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Criminology. He is also enrolled in a Master's of Science Criminal Justice program at Penn State University.
Michael strongly believes in the accreditation process and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. He recognizes the benefits of establishing professional standards and objectives for police departments to adhere to in order to increase accountability, transparency, and community support and trust. In late 2020, Michael joined LEAS as he recognized that the founders of this company shared the same vision of accreditation as he does, and saw LEAS as being an excellent conduit to further the accreditation program throughout the Commonwealth.
Michael lives in Lancaster County with his wife, two children, a doberman named Rosie, and a miniature horse named Franklin. In 2019, Michael and Franklin trained and became a registered therapy animal team with KPETS, a local non-profit organization. This volunteer position sends Michael and Franklin into area nursing homes, schools, and other social venues to promote well-being by sharing the power of human/animal interactions.
Thomas Rudzinski
Chief Rudzinski is a 1987 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College with a degree in Government and a minor in American History. The week following graduation, he was hired by the Manheim Township Police Department in Lancaster County, and has been there ever since. He worked his way up through the ranks and was promoted to Chief of Police in 2017.
In addition, Chief Rudzinski has a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University and is a 2011 graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. Chief Rudzinski is a strong advocate of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and has been an assessor since 2008. He is currently the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and Vice-President of the Central Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
Chief Rudzinski is active in the Knights of Columbus and is a Board Member of the PA Dutch Council Boy Scouts of America. He has been married to Stephanie for 23 years, and they have two children and one grandchild.