Events

March 18, 2025 | 6:30pm Eastern

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In 1974, the National Policing Institute published a pivotal report titled “Women in Policing: A Manual,” which continues to resonate today. Over the past 50 years, extensive research has demonstrated the significant positive impact that women officers have on the field of law enforcement. Despite this, women still comprise only 12% of the overall police force in the United States. This Women’s History Month, the National Law Enforcement Museum will examine the findings from these studies and explore the importance of the recruitment and retention of women in law enforcement agencies during a virtually broadcast program. The panel discussion will also explore the progress of the 30×30 initiative, which aims to increase the representation of women in policing.

Sponsored by Target

MODERATOR

Gina Hawkins, President, NAWLEE

PANELISTS:

• Catrina Bonus, President, WIFLE 
• Jenn Rineer, Director & Research Psychologist, Workforce Wellbeing & Effectiveness Program, Center for Public Safety & Resilience, RTI
• Tanya Meisenholder, 30×30 Leader and Director of Policy Research for NYU Policing Project

MODERATOR

Gina Hawkins, President, NAWLEE

Gina V. Hawkins is the Assistant Chief Deputy for Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to this position, she retired as the Chief of Police of Fayetteville, North Carolina after 5 ½ years. With more than 36 years of law enforcement experience, she started her career with the City of Atlanta Police Department. She also served as a Commander with the City of Sandy Springs Georgia, Police Department and the Clayton County Georgia Police Department as their Deputy Chief.
Chief Hawkins has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a Masters in Management from Johns Hopkins University. Chief Hawkins is a graduate of the 252nd Session of the FBI National Academy and a 2010 graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police. She traveled to Israel in the prestigious 23rd Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange. She is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education Program and earned an executive certificate in public leadership.
In 2019, Chief Hawkins was awarded the North Carolina Dogwood Award by Attorney General Joshua H. Stein. In January 2020, she was sworn in by the attorney general to serve as a commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. She served on the Executive Board of NOBLE from 2017 to 2021. In 2020 she was chosen as the Women Law Enforcement Executive of the Year by NAWLEE. She currently serves as the President of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, NAWLEE.

PANELISTS:

Catrina Bonus, President, WIFLE

Catrina M. Bonus is a retired United States Secret Service (USSS) executive with over 26 years of federal law enforcement experience. She began her Secret Service career in 1996, steadily advancing through the ranks and holding leadership roles across multiple divisions. Catrina made history as the first female Deputy Chief in the 100-year history of the Uniformed Division, where she led over 700 law enforcement professionals and managed security operations and policies for the White House Complex.

In her final role, Catrina oversaw the daily administrative and operational functions of the Secret Service training facility, providing strategic oversight of all basic and advanced training programs that supported the agency’s protective and investigative missions. She managed a $51 million annual budget, driving critical improvements in staffing, technology, infrastructure, and strategic planning.

In 2023, Catrina was appointed President of Women in Federal Law Enforcement, Inc. (WIFLE) and the WIFLE Foundation, Inc., where she leads efforts to advance the recruitment, retention, and professional development of women in federal law enforcement. Through training, mentoring, scholarships, awards, research, and partnerships, WIFLE fosters a culture rooted in equal opportunity, fairness, and respect at all levels.

Catrina holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling: Criminal Justice from Liberty University. She also earned a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University, with a concentration in Ethics, and completed the Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program at American University as a part of the Secret Service Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development Program.

Jenn Rineer, Director & Research Psychologist, Workforce Wellbeing & Effectiveness Program, Center for Public Safety & Resilience, RTI

Dr. Jenn Rineer is a research psychologist and director of the Workforce Wellbeing & Effectiveness Program in RTI International’s Center for Public Safety & Resilience. In this work, she applies her expertise in industrial and organizational psychology and occupational health to workforce surveys, employee trainings, evaluations, and experimental research in policing and other criminal legal professions. Dr. Rineer’s research focuses on worker health, job-related stress, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

She is currently the principal investigator on the National Institute of Justice-funded (NIJ) project, Real-World Engagement and Turnover Analysis to Inform New Solutions (RETAINS): An Evidence-Based Policing Workforce Study. She also leads the Advancing Service-Oriented Policing through Inclusion, Relationship-building, & Engagement (ASPIRE) project, a training and technical assistance initiative funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Dr. Rineer received her MS and PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from Portland State University and her BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in the Boston, MA area with her husband and two children.

Tanya Meisenholder, 30×30 Leader and Director of Policy Research for NYU Policing Project

Dr. Tanya Meisenholder is the Director of Policy Research for the NYU Policing Project, leading the 30×30 Initiative to advance and support women in policing. With over 20 years in law enforcement, primarily with the NYPD, she has held senior leadership roles, including Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion, Assistant Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives, and Chief of Staff to the First Deputy Commissioner.

Tanya has driven organizational change, fostering transparency, collaboration, and accountability in public safety.

She is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police and holds certifications as a Modern Chief Diversity Officer and in EEO investigations from Cornell University. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. Tanya earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Albany.