James A. Tanda, MACI,CIPB

James A. Tanda, MACI, CIPBI, is a recently retired full time Criminal Justice Instructor at Waynesburg University in southwester, Pennsylvania where he taught a number ofundergraduate courses including Criminal Investigations, Private Security, Terrorism, and Interview and Interrogation.

Mr. Tanda currently serves as the Director of Security Operations and Emergency Management at WaynesburgUniversity where he leads the University’s response to all critical incidents and coordinates with Public Safety, Student Services, and Senior Executive Staff. He also sits as co-chair of the University’s Risk Management Committee. Mr. Tanda is also the Director of Waynesburg’s Master's in Criminal Investigation Program where he also teaches Advanced Interview and Interrogation, and Intelligence & Homeland Security in this nationally ranked, online graduate program for criminal investigators.

Mr. Tanda retired after 27 years of federal law enforcement, including 24 as a Special Agent with ATF in the U.S. Dept. of Justice in Falls Church, VA, Baltimore, MD, and Bureau HQ in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Tanda served the last ten years of his ATF career as the Resident Agent in Charge of the Pittsburgh and Erie ATF Offices where he supervised federal criminal investigations ranging from bombings and explosives cases to arson for profit and serial arsons, firearms trafficking, gangs, gun and drug, undercover operations, and other cases involving violent crime, domestic terrorism or organized crime.

As a member of ATF’s elite National Response Team, Mr. Tanda served as a Certified Explosives Specialist and Lead Coordinator, during which he responded to and led some of the nation’s largest crime scenes.  Mr. Tanda traveled the world as a subject matter expert teaching explosives and post blast investigative techniques to international law enforcement audiences in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe.  He has been a professional Contractor for the U.S. Dept. of Justice at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research in Huntsville where he teaches terrorist devices to the U.S. militaryand bomb technicians.

Mr. Tanda previously served as Team Leader for the Division Response Team and Special Response Team which is the SWAT Team for ATF and conducts the highest-risk level tactical operations in the agency.

Mr. Tanda is a Nationally Certified Law Enforcement Instructor and has developed training courses at the National Law Enforcement Academy as well as undergraduate and graduate level curriculum at Waynesburg University.  Mr. Tanda has authored Security Operations Plans, business continuity plans, and emergency response protocols as part of his consulting business for the private sector, higher education, and other agencies.

Over his career as a Special Agent, Program Manager, Criminal Justice Instructor, SWAT Commander, or Lead Investigator, Mr. Tanda has demonstrated leadership, coaching, mentoring, and high-level collaboration and teamwork in some of the most demanding environments in both law enforcement, military training, and within institutions of higher education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

For the past forty years, James A. Tanda has grown his leadership style, born out of decades of experience, education, and training which now enables him to assist and mentor others in a wide range of professional growth, personal enhancement, and career development opportunities.