OUR TEAM

 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, serving for the last 9 years as President of that 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 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 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 state of Pennsylvania to be accredited.  

Rhonda is an assessor for the PLEAC 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 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 PLEAC Program since 2012 and serves as the PPAC mock coordinator for the western third of Pennsylvania. Jason was appointed to the PLEAC Commission 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.

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 accreditation program and has been an assessor since 2008. He is currently the Vice-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.