Our Team

Kathryn Hamel, Ph. D., is a seasoned executive with over 28 years of experience in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. 

She previously worked as a Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer for two non-profit mental health organizations. 

Before transitioning into nonprofit leadership, she served as the Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Organizational Development for a private, accredited international university.

She also served her community for nearly 25 years as a law-enforcement professional for two mid-sized municipal police departments and retired as a police lieutenant in 2019.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Hamel is chairperson of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Engagement and Education Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Human and Civil Rights Committee. She was recognized as the Advocate of the Year from the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce in 2023 and the Mental Health Professional of the Year from the Mental Health Association of Orange County in 2022. 

Dr. Hamel also has over two decades of teaching and training experience in the areas of sexual assault investigation, criminal justice, and trauma and resiliency.

She is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, projected to be completed in late 2024. In addition, she holds a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Public Safety Leadership & Criminal Justice from Capella University, a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Vocational Education and Occupational Studies from California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Hamel also holds two professional certifications in trauma and resilience and a third professional certification in the prevention of human trafficking from Florida State University.

She is the author of Body, Mind, and Badge: Strategies for Navigating Law Enforcement Trauma and Resilience and co-author of A Trauma-Informed Approach to Labor & Sex Trafficking, published in Police Chief magazine in 2023.

She has almost thirty years of experience guiding nonprofit and charitable organizations as a committed community volunteer. She is currently a Board Member of How 2 Love Our Cops and KinderVision, a nonprofit co-founded by her late mother, Ashby Sebastian, dedicated to addressing the exploitation of children.

Chief Hamel (ret.) has over three decades of public safety experience, skilled in fostering safe communities through collaboration and problem solving. 

He currently serves as the Executive Director and Chief Security Operations Officer at Hoag Health System. He oversees physical security for the enterprise, inclusive of three acute care hospitals, 10 Health Centers, 15 urgent care centers, and over 8000 employees. His responsibilities include oversight of security personnel assigned to Hoag facilities, internal investigations, contract management, various security technology systems, site security assessments, threat assessment, training and development, and site plan review. He also chairs the hospital’s Workplace Violence Reduction Committee. Under Chief Hamel’s leadership, in 2024, Hoag Health was the recipient of the prestigious Lindberg Bell Program of Excellence Award from the International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety – an honor bestowed upon one healthcare security program each year.

He is also a 29-year law enforcement veteran, who began his career with the Los Angeles Police Department, before laterally transferring to the Irvine Police Department in 1995. At Irvine PD, he worked his way up the ranks and was appointed as the first "homegrown" Chief in 2015, a role he served in for 6 years, before retiring near the end of 2021. 

Throughout his tenure, Chief Hamel richly invested in his community, implementing several programs to further enhance cooperation and trust, especially with minority communities. He oversaw the design and implementation of the nation’s first Chinese Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program taught entirely in Mandarin, as well as an online hate crime reporting portal. Chief Hamel also served as a member of the Orange County Human Relations Commission and the President of the Orange County Chiefs’ of Police and Sheriff’s Association during his tenure as Chief. He also invested resources in the police department’s emergency management division and implemented a comprehensive city evacuation plan in collaboration with the City’s GIS Department, the Orange County Fire Authority and other City leaders. 

He is also especially proud of his work in promoting health and wellness in the police department. Under his leadership, he has implemented a comprehensive, evidenced-based fitness program designed to enhance overall wellness, while reducing the risks of on-the-job injuries.

Chief Hamel has over two decades of formal teaching and training experience in the areas of leadership, organizational management and criminal justice.

Chief Hamel holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Long Beach, a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of West Georgia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of California, Irvine. He is also a graduate of POST Command College, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations.