As the Associate Dean of Public Services at College of DuPage, Tom Ross has more than 35 years of experience in law enforcement, holding progressively responsible supervisory, command and executive leadership positions.
As the Associate Dean of Public Services at College of DuPage, Tom Ross has more than
35 years of experience in law enforcement, holding progressively responsible supervisory,
command and executive leadership positions.Ross oversees the state-of-the-art Homeland Security Education Center and the Homeland Security Training Center, which house the College's Fire Science, Emergency Medical Services and Aviation Management programs, as well as the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) and Fire Academy. Additionally, he oversees Continuing Education In-Service Training and the Real Estate program.
Ross, who joined the College in 2019 as the Deputy Director of SLEA, said that his vision moving forward is simple.
“If you focus on what's best for the student, you're going to go right every single time,” he said.
Ross earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Administration from Western Illinois University.
During his 30-year policing career, he worked his way up through the ranks in the Bolingbrook Police Department, eventually becoming the police chief and retiring in 2017 as the public safety director. Throughout his storied career, Ross has completed training with the FBI, Northwestern University School of Police Staff Command, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and Harvard University.
With a deep passion for training the next generation of first responders, Ross has taught at Northwestern University since 2006 while also serving as an adjunct faculty member at Lewis University, Western Illinois University and COD. Additionally, he is a Public Safety Consultant for the Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies.
Contact Ross at rosst154@cod.edu or (630) 942-2939.
Areas of Expertise
- Homeland Security
- Law Enforcement
- Public Safety
- Hardening Soft Targets