Former Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman to speak at Benedictine University Nov. 9
Kristen Ziman, a 30-year veteran and former Aurora police chief, will be the next featured guest in Benedictine University's "Journeys in Leadership" speaker series on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
Ziman will appear in person at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Hall of Business, Room 411, 5700 College Road.
The event is open to the public and free. It can also be seen via Zoom by clicking bit.ly/3DVhcRs to register.
Ziman joined the Aurora Police force in 1991 as a police cadet and became a sworn officer in 1994. She worked in patrol, field training, community policing and investigations as a domestic violence detective before being promoted to sergeant in 2003.
During a 30-year career in law enforcement, Ziman was a trailblazer - the first woman lieutenant in 2008, first woman commander in 2010, and the first woman chief in her department's history in January of 2016. Ziman was also the police chief on watch during an Aurora mass shooting.
"I'm honored to share my journey of successes and failures with the students and faculty of Benedictine University and engage in a dialogue about the current state of law enforcement," says Ziman.
According to Phillip Hardy, professor of political science at Benedictine University: "Kristen's career managing the most demanding, sensitive and often dangerous leadership challenges make her a perfect 'Journeys' speaker. We are honored to have her appear here at Benedictine."
Since retiring from the department, Ziman's work focuses on leadership strategies, women empowerment, positive psychology, and mass shooting prevention. She is the author of "Reimagining Blue: Thoughts on Life, Leadership, and a New Way Forward in Policing," a personal memoir of a misunderstood profession through the vantage point of a female police chief.
Established in 2020 by Benedictine University's College of Liberal Arts "Forward" task force, Journeys in Leadership is a nonpartisan, non-political speaker series generously supported by the Becker Endowment fund. Stressing the importance of a liberal arts education, the common thread of the Journeys in Leadership speakers is their commitment to community discourse and living active, healthy lives.