Officer Safety in Community Corrections: Are We Doing Enough?

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Gene Cotter serves as the State Probation Administrator for the State of Nebraska, where he leads the statewide delivery of juvenile and adult probation services. With more than 37 years of experience in community corrections, he has served in roles ranging from probation officer and Chief Probation Officer to Deputy Administrator for Operations, helping shape Nebraska's nationally recognized, evidence-based probation system. Throughout his career, Gene has led initiatives in organizational leadership, performance management, technology, research, and program development, with a focus on improving public safety and supporting successful outcomes for individuals under community supervision. Gene is an active leader within the profession, serving as the Region 4 Representative on the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Board of Directors and as the Midwest Regional Representative for the National Association of Probation Executives. He is a graduate of the APPA Leadership Institute and the Executive Leadership Training Program offered through the National Association of Probation Executives. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska.

Marcus Hodges serves as President of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and as Associate Director at the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) in Washington, DC. In this role, he oversees community supervision operations and supports initiatives that enhance public safety, improve outcomes for justice-involved individuals, and strengthen agency performance. With more than 30 years of experience in community corrections, Mr. Hodges began his career with the Virginia Department of Corrections, where he advanced through multiple leadership roles, including Chief Probation and Parole Officer and Regional Administrator. Throughout his career, he has led large, complex operations and driven efforts focused on officer safety, organizational effectiveness, and evidence-based practices. Mr. Hodges is widely recognized as a leader in the field and has served as President of the National Association of Probation Executives. He is a strong advocate for innovation in community corrections, with a particular focus on improving safety, supporting staff, and advancing practices that respond to the evolving challenges faced by agencies today.

Serese Selanders is the Founder and CEO of SolusGuard, a safety technology company focused on protecting workers in high-risk and remote environments. She founded SolusGuard from a personal need to protect a loved one, leading to the development of a simple, practical solution that enhances real-time visibility and emergency response. With nearly a decade of experience working with public safety, healthcare, and industrial organizations, Serese has helped agencies implement scalable approaches to improve both physical and psychological safety for frontline staff. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between policy and practice by introducing tools and strategies that are easy to adopt and effective in real-world conditions. Serese is a recognized leader in safety innovation and has been named a Top Woman in Safety by Canadian Occupational Safety and a recipient of the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Innovation and Research. She is a sought-after speaker, known for her practical, human-centered approach to improving safety outcomes and supporting organizations in protecting their people.

Cobi Tittle is the Director of the Tarrant County Adult Probation Department in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior to her appointment, she served the department as the assistant director. As the assistant director, she managed the department’s Human Resources Unit, served as the media contact for the CSCD, and conducted all internal investigations. She is a graduate of Texas Christian University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and a minor in political science. Cobi holds a master’s degree in public administration from Tarleton State University. Cobi serves on the Board for the Texas Probation Association, as well as the Finance committee, and is co-chair of the association’s Legislative Committee. At the national level, she is the former president of the National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE) and is an active member of APPA where she serves as the elected representative for the State of Texas, and on the Program Scoring Committee. She is the 2025 recipient of APPA’s Carmen Rodriguez Member of the Year award.