The Vermilion Police Department announced that Sgt. Steve Kopniske has officially graduated from the Police Executive Leadership College, a statewide program designed to develop the next generation of Ohio law enforcement leaders.
The Police Executive Leadership College, known as PELC, is administered by the Ohio Law Enforcement Foundation. The program was created in 1986 to strengthen leadership skills among police supervisors across the state. Each year, the foundation graduates two classes and now has more than 2,600 alumni working in agencies throughout Ohio.
PELC is a three-week executive training program delivered over three months. It focuses on practical leadership development for officers preparing to take on larger supervisory, administrative, and community-focused roles. The curriculum is built around the idea that leadership can be learned through feedback, reflection, and hands-on application.
During the program, attendees complete 20 required readings, 15 journal entries, four research papers, five community interviews, and more than 100 hours of instruction on 20 leadership topics. Officers also participate in two team projects, deliver two speeches, and finish the program with a capstone presentation.
The Vermilion Police Department congratulated Kopniske on completing the rigorous program. He is pictured with Chief Páez of the Dublin Police Department, who chairs the PELC committee, and Chief Butler of the Independence Police Department, who serves as president of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.
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