Michael L. Donahue

Michael L. Donahue is a veteran public safety professional with over forty-five years of experience, gained from various positions held in both the private and public sectors. He honorably served Montgomery County and Rockville, Maryland, as a firefighter and police officer. His career also includes holding a variety of investigative and management positions across several federal government agencies, including the United States Department of the Treasury, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Transportation. His roles include special agent-criminal investigator, chief security officer, chief enforcement officer, director of training and workforce development, law enforcement training manager, and investigator within the federal government’s Inspector General community.

During his distinguished career, Mike held diverse roles in law enforcement and public safety, gaining a unique perspective and valuable insights on leadership and policing practices. His expertise encompasses a wide range of areas, including compliance audits, data analysis, efficiency studies, performance measurement, planning and research, police administration, policy development, quality assurance, staffing and workload analysis, and use of force. Mike’s exceptional dedication, invaluable contributions, and relentless pursuit of transformative change earned him numerous accolades and awards honoring his efforts to advance the success of public safety organizations. By consistently leveraging best practices, data-driven solutions, evidence-based strategies, research, and twenty-first century policing principles, he guided these organizations toward excellence.

In the decade leading up to his retirement, Mike served as a police planner with the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police Management Services Bureau-Policy and Planning Division and the United States Park Police Office of Professional Responsibility-Planning and Policy Unit in Washington, D.C. In these roles, he was a subject matter expert in crime and data analysis, policing practices, policy development, strategic planning, use of force, and workload assessments.

In his free time, Mike was an active member of the City of Rockville, Maryland, Community Policing Advisory Board and the Montgomery County, Maryland, Advisory Commission on Policing. In these roles, he advised police leadership and elected officials on various policing matters, including best practices, legislation, and policies aimed at improving policing and community engagement. Additionally, Mike is a technical consultant with the Maryland State Police Planning and Research Division, where he supports various initiatives involving planning, policy development, and research. He continues to be actively engaged in researching and writing on topics related to law enforcement administration, leadership, and management.