We cover CNA’s Force Design Lab, which helps shape the Navy's future by assessing the platforms, capabilities, and concepts that enable it to perform desired missions.
Guest Biographies
Gordon Jaquith is the Executive Director of CNA’s Department of Navy Relations and the Vice President and Director of CNA’s Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division. Before joining CNA, Gordon served as director of the Strategic, Defensive, and Science/Technology Division at the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Jon Bollinger is a Senior Research Scientist with the Surface Warfare Team in the Systems, Tactics, and Force Development Division. He has been with CNA for four and a half years. His work is focused on the capabilities of long-range and overhead sensors and developing new computational approaches to optimize the employment of Navy surface assets.
Further Reading
One of the most prominent challenges organizations face when planning for the future is grappling with how unknown external factors will impact their organization. STEEP analysis allows planners to examine future Social, technical, economic, ecological, and political factors and plan for the opportunities and threats these factors will create.
In this episode, CNA’s Melissa Gutierrez and Heleana Melendez, Captain Jose Gurule from the Denver Sheriff's Department, and Danielle Rudes from Sam Houston State University join the show to discuss applying this framework to corrections.
Guest Biographies
Melissa Gutierrez is a Senior Research Specialist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. She is an expert in criminal justice research with a focus on gang networks and gun violence, including gun markets. At CNA, her work includes providing training and technical assistance on violent crime reduction programs and researching technology in law enforcement. Before joining CNA, Gutierrez worked at the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, where she participated in projects related to program evaluation, violent death surveillance, and unintentional overdose death surveillance.
Heleana Melendez is an associate research analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. JRI works throughout the justice system, providing training and technical assistance (TTA), conducting research, and supporting nationwide organizational reform in agencies and jurisdictions. Ms. Melendez supports projects at CNA focused on violence prevention, system improvement, and use of force.
Danielle Rudes is a Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at Sam Houston State University in Texas. She is also Deputy Director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!). She is a Fellow with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, focusing on Enhancing Correctional Spaces and Cultures. Dr. Rudes is an expert qualitative researcher with over 20 years of experience working with corrections agencies. She is recognized for her work examining how social control organizations understand, negotiate, and at times, resist change.
Captain Jose Gurule started his career in 2009 with the Conejos County Sheriff's Office. Rising to the rank of Division Commander for the Detention Division. In 2015, he began his tenure with the Denver Sheriff's Department. He has been assigned to direct supervision, intake unit, the field training program, ADA Liaison, LGBTQ+ liaison, and the Peer Support Team. Currently, he is the medical/classification/receiving unit commander. Overseeing the inmate classification/housing of two facilities with a combined housing capacity of 2693 inmates
Future Reading
Register for the Virtual Symposium Futurescape of Justice: Improving Public Safety
Today is the 60th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to the United States’ entry into the Vietnam War. In recognition of this event, we are bringing you a special episode of CNA Talks, featuring a group of historians with uniquely valuable perspectives on the incident. This discussion was originally held on August 5, 2023.