Winter Training Conference

2026 WS&DSA Winter Training Conference
February 8-11, 2026
Oneida Casino Hotel

Registration opening soon!

Sunday, February 8

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm :: Registration

5:00 pm :: NFL Super Bowl Party

All attendees and registered vendors are invited to attend. Enjoy dinner while watching the Super Bowl!

Monday, February 9

7:00 am – 4:00 pm :: Registration

8:00 am – 8:30 am :: Opening Ceremony

• Presentation of Colors
• Welcome & Announcements

8:30 am – 10:30 am :: The Kayaker Who Lied to Live a Secret Life – The Ryan Borgwardt Case
Sheriff Mark Podoll, Chief Deputy Matthew Vande Kolk, Detective Sergeant Josh Ward, and Detective Jeremiah Hanson, Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office

Ryan Borgwardt led a secret life and found a female in another country he desperately wanted to be with. Ryan also wanted his wife, kids, and community to remember him as a loving husband and father. Instead of getting divorced, Ryan decided to stage his own death. He meticulously planned his “death” and on one August night, he carried out his plan. Ryan staged his drowning and left the country; the community mourned his death for nearly 3 months when the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed he was not in the lake. A week later it was confirmed he was alive and in a foreign country. After a month of email communication he returned home and was arrested for obstruction.

This course will focus on investigative tools and techniques used to uncover what really happened to Ryan and ultimately lead to him coming back to America.

10:30 am – 12:00 pm :: May the Fourth (Amendment) Be With You
Tara Jenswold, Assistant Attorney General & Emily Thompson, Assistant Attorney General, Wisconsin Department of Justice

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Fourth Amendment was born. AAGs Tara Jenswold and Emily Thompson will discuss key cases implicating the Fourth Amendment, including recent cases.

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm :: Vendor Show (lunch included)

TuesDay, February 10

7:30 am – 4:00 pm :: Registration

8:00 am – 10:00 am :: Ignite Your Leadership Potential
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch has 40 + years of leadership experience, in Combat, Peacekeeping Operations, Disaster Relief and in the Boardroom. This session is based on McCulloch's wealth of knowledge and lessons learned during his career as a leader. McCulloch highlights leadership principles that will benefit today’s leaders and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. There is NO discussion of theory in this talk. We will discuss what every leader can do every day to improve their leadership skills and abilities. We will examine what it takes to become the leader you were meant to be a Servant Leader.

In this talk we will cover the following topics for leaders:

• What it means to be a servant leader
• How to establish a winning culture
• How to build effective and efficient teams
• How to avoid the evils of micromanagement
• What is and how to build 360-degree trust
• How to become a better and decisive decision maker
• The importance of a professional and leadership development program
• The importance of getting results

10:00 am – 11:00 am :: Arm Yourself for Success
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch

This session is based on McCulloch's wealth of knowledge and lessons learned in coaching, teaching, and mentoring people during years as a leader. McCulloch highlights principles that will help you be a more successful person at work and in your personal life.

In this talk we will cover the following areas to help you reach your potential:

• How to establish and achieve your goals
• How to establish good habits, motivation and self-discipline
• The importance of and how to develop a winning attitude
• How to overcome your fears
• The importance of and how to make good decisions
• How to get results

11:00 am – 12:00 pm :: Building Effective & Efficient Teams
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch

This session is based on McCulloch's wealth of knowledge and lessons learned during his career as a leader. McCulloch highlights team building principles that will allow leaders in any profession or at any level can use to build effective and efficient teams in their organization. There is NO discussion of theory in this talk. We will discuss what every leader can do every day to improve their team’s effectiveness and efficiency.

In this talk we will cover the following topics for leaders:

• What it takes to build 360-degree trust in your organization
• Ways to get to know the people in your organization
• Ways to show your appreciation to the people on your team
• How to establish a winning culture in your team
• How to build accountability and take responsibility in your organization
• How to implement team building activities

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm:: Lunch & Business Meeting

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm :: The Importance of Preparing for, Mitigating, Responding to, and Recovering from an Active Threat in your Community
Josalyn Longley, Dane County Sheriff’s Office; Cindy Holmes, Dane County Sheriff’s Office & Carrie Meier, Dane County Emergency Management

Nationwide and local critical events serve as a reminder for all citizens to be aware of their environment. Mass attacks across our nation have become all too commonplace and, as a result, have prompted our law enforcement personnel to take a leading role in preparing our communities for Active Assailant incidents. Over the past eight years, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office has trained over 34,000 citizens on how to respond to these incidents. This seminar will discuss the implementation of Dane County’s civilian response to active assailant program and the importance of “Left of the Bang” collaboration with Emergency Management and other Stakeholders. We will also discuss Emergency Management’s role in facilitating a process of evaluating our public safety partners’ current policies and training, including their involvement in After Action Reviews. The goal is to develop a consistent plan for response that is flexible but allows for this response across jurisdictions. This “consistent plan” manifested as a Public Safety Critical Incident Guidance Document and has been adopted by our County LE, Fire, and EMS Chiefs Associations. We will also discuss the steps taken to collaborate with the Dane County DA’s office Crime Response unit for a more comprehensive approach to responding for those involved in an active assailant incident in order to provide timely support and assistance. We will discuss the importance of expanding training initiatives to include emergency medical training for civilians (Stop The Bleed) and verbal de-escalation. Lastly, the importance of getting “buy-in” from stakeholders in the community and the benefits of creating public/private partnerships. Our ability to bring in an ASIM Train The Trainer course and train 20 local instructors was made possible through these partnerships. Finally, we will reflect on key lessons learned from our recent events.  

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm :: The Long Road to Justice: The 50-year Investigation of the Murder of Mary Schlais
Cairenn Binder, Assistant Director of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center and Founding Partner, Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Service; Investigator Dan Westlund & Jason Stalker, Dunn County Sheriff's Office

On November 5, 2024, 84-year-old-Jon K. Miller was arrested and charged with murder in relation to the 1974 homicide of 26-year-old Mary Schlais. Schlais was murdered while hitchhiking from Minneapolis, MN to Chicago, IL to attend an art show. Despite Dunn County Sheriff’s Office receiving numerous tips and leads over 50 years, it was the collaboration with Ramapo College that led to the arrest of Jon K. Miller. This case was challenged by difficulties in the investigative genetic genealogy process due to multiple adoptions over the years, however Dunn County Investigators were able to bring this case to a resolution with a confession from Jon K. Miller in the brutal murder of Mary Schlais. This case highlights the growing role of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, as well as the power of collaboration between law enforcement and academic institutions in pursuit of justice.

5:30 pm :: Awards Dinner

All attendees are invited to attend! Awards ceremony, raffle, dinner and guest speaker, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch!

Wednesday, February 11

8:00 am – 12:00 pm :: Beyond the Thin Blue Line: Career Strategies for Law Enforcement Officers
Colin Whittington, Recruiting Heroes LLC

In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, law enforcement officers often find themselves contemplating their career trajectories within or beyond the law enforcement profession. “Beyond the Thin Blue Line: Career Strategies for Law Enforcement Officers” is a comprehensive four hour 60-90 minute lecture designed to equip law enforcement professionals with the necessary skills and strategies to transition effectively into new career opportunities, whether within or outside the law enforcement sector.

Colin Whittington, a former deputy sheriff, 2019 Deputy Sheriff of the Year for the entire State of Virginia, Founder and CEO of Recruiting Heroes LLC, and author of Beyond the Thin Blue Line, shares his expertise developed throughout a career in law enforcement and the recruiting industry. Colin will draw from his own successes and failures during his transition to the private sector as well as hundreds of conversations with local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have transitioned to the civilian workforce.

Participants will learn the current best practices for resume writing, optimizing their LinkedIn profiles, the power of networking, and career opportunities in the civilian sector. Law enforcement leaders will also learn of the importance and benefit of providing this information to their officers early in their career.

**Schedule is subject to change.