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association officers and appointed positions
biographieS
2010
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CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD

KOREN
COLBERT
Koren received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology
from Florida State University 1984. She has been a law enforcement officer
employed with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office since 1991. Koren currently
holds the rank of Lieutenant within the Criminal Investigation Division and
supervises Crime Scene Investigations and Forensic Services. The Bay County
Sheriff’s Office provides forensic services for all the local, state and
federal agencies in the surrounding panhandle area. Over the years of
working in the field she has developed a passion for buried bodies and
surface skeletal remains and entomology. Koren is a Latent Print Examiner
with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office since 1995 and is a certified crime
scene investigator by the IAI. She has been a member of the FDIAI since 1996
and a member of the IAI. Koren is a certified law enforcement instructor by
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and an adjunct instructor with the
Gulf Coast Community College Crime Scene Technology Certificate Program.
Koren was honored as the adjunct instructor of the year 2007. She has
received numerous awards to include a Medal of Distinction for her work
identifying a serial rapist and bringing conclusion to a cold case |
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PRESIDENT
erica
lawton-mcwhite
Erica
Lawton-McWhite is currently employed by the Broward Sheriff's Office in
their Crime Laboratory as a Firearm and Tool Mark Examiner. She has a
Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in
Criminalistics from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2002 and is
currently enrolled in Oklahoma State University’s Masters of Forensic
Science Program. She is certified in Firearm Evidence Examination and
Identification by the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE).
Erica has taught at the FDIAI, the IAI, and the AFTE conferences and
participates in training at the Metropolitan Police Institute. Erica
also participates in teaching and designing an impression evidence class
at Nova Southeastern University. She serves on the Shoe Print and Tire
Track Evidence committee and the Firearm and Tool Mark Committee. Erica
has also received the FDIAI Good of the Association Award in 2006
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1st
Vice President

king brown
King is the Crime Scene
Supervisor for the West Palm Beach Police Department and has been in the
field of Forensic Science for 25 years.
King attended Florida
International University, Miami, Florida. He holds a Masters Degree in
Criminal Justice and a Graduate Teaching Certificate.
King has been an Instructor
at the IAI Educational Conferences, FDIAI Educational Conferences, IPTM, The
Taylor Group, Benchmark Professional Seminars, North Alabama Law Enforcement
Training Center, Evidence Photographer International Council and Gold Coast
Forensic Association. Mr. Brown is also an Adjunct Professor at
Brevard
Community College, Crime Scene Technology Associates Degree Program, Palm
Beach State College, Law Enforcement Program and in the process of
developing the Latent program for Oklahoma State University.
King has been a member
of FDIAI since 1997 and IAI since 1990. King holds the following
certifications CFPH, CLPE, CSCSA, EPIC and Florida State Certified
Instructor. King is Chairman of the Forensic Photography Certification Board
for the Florida Division of the IAI. He is a Distinguished Member of the
Florida Division and received the President’s Award in 2006. He is the
Chairman of the Crime Scene Sub-committee for the IAI. In 2009 he received
the Good of the Association Award from the IAI
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2nd
Vice President

HARIA HAUGHT, CLPE
Haria Haught is currently
employed by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office as the Manager of their
Biometric Identification Unit. She has a Bachelor in Arts degree in Criminal
Justice with a concentration in Forensics from Saint Leo University in
Florida. She also holds a Crime Scene degree from Saint Petersburg College
in Florida. Haria is an Adjunct Instructor with Saint Petersburg College
instructing Fingerprint Classification. Prior to her position at the
Hernando County Sheriff's Office, she was employed with the Pinellas County
Sheriff's Office as a Fingerprint Technician. Haria has taught the Science
and History of fingerprints at Saint Leo University as well as the National
Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC). Haria is an IAI Certified Latent
Print Examiner.
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3rd
Vice President
JOEL SMITH
Joel H. Smith, has
served in law enforcement as a civilian investigator for approximately
eight years with a previous background in agricultural science and
religion. He is married with two daughters and currently supervises the
Crime Scene Investigation & Identification Section of the Port St. Lucie
Police Department.
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REGION I Director
BETH RANKIN
Beth
is currently employed with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a
Latent Print Examiner in the Pensacola Region. She began her career with
the FDLE in 1993 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal
Justice from the University of West Florida. Beth has worked in the Latent
Print Section since 1997. She is a Certified Instructor through the
Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. Beth provides training
both within the FDLE and to the local law enforcement community in Northwest
Florida. She has been a member of the IAI since 2004 and the FDIAI since
1997. |
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region
2 Director
DAN
GERARD
Sgt Gerard
started his forensics career in 1979 when he was assigned as a Military
Police Investigator. During his service as a Military Police Investigator
(1979-1983), he was awarded four Army Commendation Metals, one Army
Achievement Metal and received numerous other awards for his investigative
service. In 1984 he joined the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy
Sheriff while still maintaining his military career through the Florida
National Guard until retiring as a 1SGT in 1996.
In 1986 he was
transferred to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit. In 1989
he became a member of the IAI and in 1990 was certified as a Senior Crime
Scene Analyst. During his assignment as a Crime Scene Investigator, he was
declared at trial, an Expert Witness in the field of Crime Scene
Investigations. In 1996 he was reassigned to the Crime Prevention Unit where
he received his Practitioners’ Certification. In 1998, he was promoted to
the rank of Sergeant and in 1999 received his Bachelors of Arts degree from
Saint Leo University. In 2002 he was assigned as supervisor of the Forensic
Unit. He is currently an Active member of the IAI and FDIAI and has attended
the FBI Post Blast School. He is also assigned to the Regional Domestic
Security Tasks Force Forensic Response Team (RDSTF). |
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region
3 Director

JOHN REES
John Rees joined the Hernando County
Sheriff’s Office in July 2007 as a Latent Print Examiner (part time)
following his retirement from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office in New York
State with 27 years of service. He began his career in law enforcement
following four years in the United States Coast Guard. In June 1980 he
started as a Deputy Sheriff assigned to the road patrol division, followed
by four years as a juvenile officer. He then transferred to the
Identification Bureau where he started training as an Identification Officer
in Fingerprint Comparison, Crime Scene Photography, Evidence Collection,
Accident Reconstruction, and Composite Drawing. John received extensive
training in Fingerprints, and attended the FBI Administrative Advanced
Latent Fingerprint Course in 1989. He was promoted to Criminal Investigator
in 1991 and in 1995 he completed his Associate of Science degree and a
Bachelor of Professional Studies degree at Empire State College in
Hartsdale, New York. In 1998 John was certified by the IAI as a CLPE. He
attended the 207th session of the FBI National Academy in
September 2001. John was then promoted to Sergeant and became the supervisor
of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer program for
the next three years. He was then promoted to Senior Criminal Investigator
and supervised the Crime Scene Unit, Central Records, and Pistol Permit
Bureau until his retirement in July 2007. John is a member of the
International Association for Identification, The New York State division of
the IAI, and the Florida division of the IAI. |
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region
4 Director
LISA FALK
Lisa Falk has
been in law
enforcement since 1981 starting my career at the Fort Lauderdale Police
Department. Her husband, Tim and here live in Stuart, FL and have been
married for over twenty-five years. They have two children, Justin and
Daniel both of whom plan on going into the Navy. Lisa moved on to the
Stuart Police Department where she was involved in getting her
department accredited. She succeeded and received their certification
which was a proud moment her our department. Lisa began working in crime
scene with Stuart, attending classes and responding to callouts. Lisa
took a week off from work using her own time to attend an FDIAI
conference. Lisa never realized you could learn so much in just one
week. A few months after returning to Stuart she applied for a full time
Crime Scene Investigator position with the city of Port St. Lucie.
Lisa has been with the department since February of 2007 and is very
excited to be involved with the FDIAI as a representative.
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region
5 Director
briaN
cerchiai
Brian Cerchiai is currently employed
by the Miami-Dade Police Department as a Latent Print Examiner. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology
with an Undergraduate Certificate in Demographics from Florida State
University in 1997. He is a Certified General Instructor through the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement and has instructed Basic
Fingerprint Classification & Comparison and Advanced Fingerprint Science
Workshop for Tenprint Examiners at the Metropolitan Police Institute.
Brian is also an Adjunct Professor for the Criminal Investigations
Program at Everest Institute
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region
6 Director
KAREN COOPER
Ms. Cooper is a Crime
Laboratory Analyst Supervisor at the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement, Fort Myers
Regional Operations
Center. She has been with the Department since May 1980 and during that time
has been principally involved in crime scene analysis. She is a
graduate of Florida
State
University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
Ms. Cooper has provided
instruction in the areas of collection and preservation of physical
evidence, all aspects of crime scene processing, laboratory capabilities
and services, and forensic archaeology for numerous state agencies.
Karen is currently an adjunct instructor for the Institute for Police
Technology and Management in the area of forensic archaeology. She has
conducted several workshops in forensic archaeology for the
International Association for Identification (IAI), the Florida Division
of the IAI, the Georgia Division of the IAI, the Nevada State Division
of the IAI, the Southern Association of Forensic Scientists and the
Connecticut State Police.
Ms. Cooper is certified
by the FDLE to perform independent casework in crime scene analysis and
currently supervises the Latent Print/AFIS, Crime Scene and Photography
Sections in the Fort Myers Crime Laboratory.
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Secretary / Treasurer
M. FRANK SHONBERGER
Frank was employed with
the City of Miami from 1967 to 1999.
During his employment with
the City of Miami Police Department he had progressed through the
Identification Technician job family. Beginning as an Identification
Technician I, then being promoted to Shift Supervisor, He was promoted in
1984 to Criminal Identification Unit Supervisor. He managed the operation
of the functions of this Unit: Prisoner Processing, Photographic Laboratory,
Video Studio, Latent Print, Automated Fingerprint Identification System and
Crime Scene Investigation In January 1999, Frank retired to undertake the
challenge of establishing a New Crime Scene Investigation Unit for the City
of Coral Gables Police Department and currently works for that agency.
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Editor
Igor pacheco
Igor
received his bachelors of science degree in Biology in 1998 from Texas Tech
University. He moved to Miami Florida in 2001 to attend Florida
International University's Forensic Science Certificate Program. While
attending FIU, Igor was hired in 2002 at the Miami-Dade Police Department
Crime Scene Investigations Bureau Fingerprint Identification Section as a
Fingerprint Analyst I in their MasterFile Unit. He finished his certificate
program in Forensic Science at FIU in 2003 having taken post graduate
classes in analytical chemistry, molecular biology, forensic
chemistry, and forensic biology. He is now been employed as a fingerprint
analyst for two years (at the end of 2004). Recently, he has been
transferred laterally to the AFIS unit within the CSI Bureau's Fingerprint
ID Section as a Fingerprint Analyst I AFIS administrator. In addition, he
also has one year experience as editor of the South Florida Forensic
Association newsletter
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Historian
paula
bolivar
Paula
graduated from the
University of Virginia in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and
Latin-American Studies. Thereafter, she taught high school biology at
American Senior High School in Hialeah, Florida and was later employed by
the Miami-Dade Police Department as a Fingerprint Analyst I in June 2006.
Paula has provided presentations on the History of Fingerprints at the FDIAI
Educational Conference, Advanced Ten-Print Class in 2006 and 2007. She has
also presented at the Metropolitan Police Institute in Doral, Florida and
the National School of Technology in Kendall, Florida. She devised and
authored the MDPD Fingerprint Analyst I Training Program and is currently
working on her Master of Science in Forensic Science from Florida
International University with emphasis on Biology and Chemistry
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Sgt. At Arms

DANNY FORMOSA
In
1979 after receiving an Associates of Art degree from
Miami Dade Community College, he started his career with
the Homestead Police Department. In 1980 he was assigned
to the Identification Unit. It was then that he started
his training in the Crime Scene and Fingerprint
Identification. In 1983, he became a member of the FDIAI
and after years of intense training and attending
several FBI courses, he testified as an expert
in the Latent field. In 1987 he received his Bachelors
of Science degree from Barry University. In 1993 he was
promoted to Sergeant where he supervised the
Identification Section. In 2003, he retired from the
Homestead Police Department and is currently working as
a Crime Scene Investigator with the Coral Gables Police
Department.
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