Tammy Hooper: Ashville, North Carolina Chief of Police (Ret.)

Chief Tammy Hooper's career spanned over thirty-two years in law enforcement.  Starting as a jail officer in Arlington County, Virginia, when women's role in corrections was limited, she worked in the jail for nearly four years before taking those lessons to the street.  Moving over to the Alexandria VA PD, she worked the road when the crack epidemic raged, and the D.C. metro area was the murder capital of the country.  This environment was thrilling to work in, but it became all-consuming. 

In this episode, Chief Hooper talks about how, over time, this takes a toll physically, emotionally, and mentally.  It can be hard to see this when you are in it. Still, with time and the right opportunities for reflection, we can understand how these challenging work environments can influence our personal and professional lives. 

Tammy worked in several areas of the police department as she progressed through the ranks, ultimately retiring as Deputy Chief in After she retired from the Alexandria PD, she moved to Ashville, NC, where she took on a new challenge as Chief of Police.  Taking the lessons learned from early in her career, Chief Hooper recognized the need to invest in wellness to help with our profession's professional and personal development.

Chief Hooper brings great insights from her personal and professional experiences to this show.  There are some great takeaways and lessons for all of us.  Maybe the most important one is;  You're never too old to start something new, even if that something new is rock climbing!  Okay, perhaps risking life and limb for a bit of flow and solitude is not for everyone, but Chief Hooper shares her journey and how climbing led her to places she never expected! Listen in, and maybe you'll learn it is for you!

You can watch this podcast on our YouTube channel by clicking here.