On March 4, One Book, Many Communities kicked off the community read at Urbana University with a Women in Law Enforcement Panel Discussion.
Women account for a small but growing percentage of law enforcement professionals. Lori Hall, lead faculty of the Urbana University Criminal Justice Department, moderated a panel discussion with women who spoke about what drew them to their chosen profession, the challenges they face, and the rewards of being community leaders.
Panel members were Cassidy Cantrell, a Springfield City Police Division uniform patrol sergeant; Angie Hart, a Greene County Sheriff’s Office correctional officer; Mallory Lash, a Piqua police officer and certified Ohio Peace Officer instructor; Rita Monaghan, Champaign County Court of Common Pleas director of Pretrial Services; and Melany Ward, a Champaign County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
The panelists admit to challenges in their chosen field due to their gender, but said their strengths of empathy, strong communication skills and being positive team players helped to bridge most differences, eventually earning them the respect of their teams.
Participating libraries include Arcanum Public Library, Bradford Public Library, Brown Memorial Public Library, Cardington-Lincoln Public Library, Champaign County Library, Clark County Public Library, J.R. Clark Public Library, Edison State Community College, Greenville Public Library, Marvin Memorial Library, Milton-Union Public Library, New Carlisle Public Library, New Madison Public Library, Piqua Public Library, Selover Public Library, St. Paris Public Library, Tipp City Public Library, Tri-County North School District, Troy-Miami County Public Library, Urbana University, Worch Memorial Public Library and Wornstaff Memorial Public Library.
