Deanna Cantrell has almost 30 years of municipal government passion and experience. Deanna is recognized as a prominent driver of public safety leadership, innovative and evidence-based problem solving, advancing trust and community building, organizational culture change and developing leaders. She has a proven record for exceptional communication, talented public speaking, forward-thinking policing, strategic planning, staff development, mentoring and coaching.

Deanna is a retired Police Chief from both Fairfield, California and San Luis Obispo (SLO) California. Deanna started her career in 1994 with the Mesa Arizona Police Department where she served for over 21 years and moved through the ranks from Officer to Assistant Chief.

Deanna recently assisted the Redlands, CA Police Department for 4 months with leadership development, strategic planning and recruiting/retention and wellness. Deanna served for 4 years as the Co-Chair for the California Women Leaders in Law Enforcement (WLLE) and was the first WLLE Foundation Board President and chair of the mentoring committee. She was a founding member and first president of the Arizona Women’s Initiative Network (AZ-WIN), is a member of the IACP Professional Standards Ethics and Image Committee, is a board member for Police2Peace and Gun Leash and is an executive Fellow for the National Policing Institute. Deanna has a BS in Education and a MA in Administration and is an Adjunct Professor for Northwestern University and Cal State Long Beach.

Deanna is the co-owner of Leadership Learner, providing engaging Keynotes, leadership and organizational development, full-day classes, strategic planning and executive coaching.

Deanna enjoys making lives better, the arts, playing the guitar, fly-fishing, golfing and growing future leaders. In 2019, while serving as the Chief of Police in San Luis Obispo and after carrying a firearm for 25 years, Deanna left her firearm in a public restroom. Deanna’s firearm was stolen, and thankfully, quickly recovered. Having Gun Leash would have expedited the recovery of her firearm.