Felician University and Alums & Friends continued their Virtual Networking Business series with an online presentation focused on law enforcement. The theme of the October 1st online presentation was: “In the Age of Criminal Justice Reform, How Do You Fit In, or How Can You Transition to the Next Career After Law Enforcement?” The virtual presentation featured current and retired law enforcement personnel including Felician University alumni and retired Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire who moderated the virtual event.

Wallington Police Chief, Carmello Imbruglia, told participants one of the best ways to switch gears or move ahead with a criminal justice degree is to not become complacent, but to always keep learning. Chief Imbruglia who studied criminal justice at Felician University says one of the best things he ever did was to get his masters, a decision he believes, “Helped me with every promotional exam I ever took, every policy I ever wrote, and kept me sharper than some of my colleagues.”

John Tomino, V.P. of Sabre Global Services, went to West Point Academy, was commissioned in the Air Defense in Germany, earned several master degrees, and went into business before becoming an FBI agent.

Tomino believes his network was the single most important factor for him as an individual over fifty looking for a new job. “It is the people that I dealt with on a friendly basis, not necessarily on a career basis, but the people I joined associations with whether the American Legion, church, or law enforcement officers that lead me to think outside the box.”

Some of the discussion was provided by Felician University’s own criminal justice professors including Professor Richard Reyes who is a retired Captain with the Paterson Police Department. Prof. Reyes emphasizes to students that police must be part of the community, stressing “The responsibility of the police officer is to engage with the community.” Felician University Criminal Justice professor and retired FBI agent Theresa Fanelli, agreed saying, “The perception of the community is what will make the success between the police departments and all law enforcement work or not work with the community.” Professor Fanelli began her career as a Behavioral Psychologist specializing in the treatment of children with autism and other learning disabilities before joining the FBI as a special agent.

Felician Alumni Board member and former Teaneck Police officer Nicholas Loizzi currently serves as Substance Abuse Services Coordinator with the Sussex County Division of Community & Youth Services. He stressed the importance of keeping your options open saying, “You have to go with what your strengths are, and my strengths led me into the career I’m in now.”

The goal of the Office of Alumni Engagement networking events is for Alumni and current students to connect with special guests, fellow Alums and Felician faculty to discuss timely topics and share ideas in a virtual forum during this time of remote operations.

Diane Sedlmeir, Director of Alumni Engagement, welcomes alumni participation and ideas for the networking series at Sedlmeird@felician.edu.

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About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com in 2018.