ASCLD Membership and the ASCLD Leadership Academy

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, Inc.® began with a meeting in the fall of 1973 of a group of thirty crime laboratory directors in Quantico, Virginia.  Early on, membership was limited to Crime Laboratory Directors. There was some initial resistance to opening up membership beyond laboratory directors; however, our early leaders knew that ASCLD had the responsibility to grow, mentor and coach future crime lab leaders.  This progressive and forward-thinking vision of our early leaders solidified into our current mission, “dedicated to providing excellence in forensic science through leadership and innovation”.  As a result, our membership now includes any crime laboratory director, manager, and supervisor.  Early in our history, crime lab leaders were mostly law enforcement.  Now, our membership consists of biologists, chemists, physicists, toxicologists, firearms examiners, latent print examiners, document examiners, digital examiners, crime scene investigators and law enforcement officers, who provide leadership in a crime laboratory, as well as educators and instructors in forensic science.  Since those early days, we have grown into a nonprofit professional society of crime laboratory directors and forensic science leaders with over 700 members representing local, state, federal and international crime laboratories.  To learn more about ASCLD membership go to https://www.ascld.org/membership/

As part of the “growing, coaching and mentoring future crime laboratory leaders,” our Board of Directors began to sense the need for leadership and management training tailored to forensic laboratories.  To that end, ASCLD Leaders began to develop the ASCLD Leadership Academy®  The history of the ASCLD Leadership Academy spans several years but finally culminated with the first class held in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 4 and 5, 2014.  Since that first class, instruction has expanded to include two levels of instruction and over 500 students from 35 states and 5 countries have completed the courses.  You do not have to be a member of ASCLD to attend.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for both the Level 1 and Level 2 ASCLD Leadership Academy to be held in Spring 2022. Twelve weekly, online webinars will be offered from January to April and will cover a wide range of essential leadership topics for forensic science supervisors and managers. Each Academy will finish with two intensive days of on-site, hands-on instruction at the ASCLD symposium in Reno, Nevada.  Registration will close January 7, 2021.

To learn more about the ASCLD Leadership Academy ® go to https://www.ascld.org/ascld-leadership-academy/

Thank you, John, for fillling in for me while I am on a vacation cruise.

Membership in ASCLD is more than paying dues to be a part of a group. Jean Stover, by chance, is on the same cruise that I am. Sitting poolside we chatted about how long ago we met and all of our years of friendship. Jean said that being a member has brought her valuable friendships along with having a vast resource of peers to reach out to for help and advice. Once I became a member, there was never a thought to not continue my membership. ASCLD is a great group and we appreciate all of you!

On a personal note, I appreciate all of the offers for assistance following the horrific tornadoes Friday night/Saturday morning in Kentucky. We are still assessing the damage and watching the death toll rise. Please pray for those families and businesses whose lives have been upturned and shattered.

Laura and Jean