2007 Honorees

James Botting

James Botting earned his Masters degree in Police Administration and is retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a team leader for Hostage Negotiation, MGM Studios as Vice-President of Corporate Security and Chief of Police for Ventura County Community College District. After returning from three years of active duty as a First Lieutenant combat platoon leader in the US Army in Vietnam, he started his law enforcement career with the Internal Security Division of the Internal Revenue Service of the Treasury Department in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After serving with the Treasury Department, he transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and served as an Assistant Team Leader of the FBI Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in Los Angeles. During his tenure with the FBI, he worked in the capacity as a Team Leader for the Hostage Negotiation Team and Supervisory member of the International Crisis Incident Negotiation Team. As a member of the Hostage Negotiation Team, James Botting responded to incidents that included the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco Texas, Randy Weaver barricade in Idaho, Robert Mathews/Aryan Nation incident on Whidbey Island, Washington and the Cuban prison riots in Louisiana and Georgia.

Ellen Cokinos

Ellen Cokinos earned her bachelors degree from the School of Criminal Justice with a double major in Psychology. Since her graduation from Michigan State University, Ms. Ellen Cokinos has devoted her career to child advocacy.

Ellen Cokinos began her career as a social worker for Children’s Protective Services, Houston, Texas. As a social worker, Ms. Ellen Cokinos worked her way through the ranks of the organization to become Program Director, where she administered supervision and strategic planning within the division and worked with other organizations to create an innovative model for reducing and treating child sexual abuse. This progressive model led to her appointment to Executive Director and recognized Founder of the Children’s Assessment Center, The John M. O’Quinn Campus, Houston, Texas. The Children’s Assessment Center is the largest child advocacy center in the world, serving over 5000 children annually.

Ellen Cokinos has also become a national voice for children of sexual abuse serving as Founder and National Director of the Institute for Child Advocacy and received the Woman in Leadership Award, Certificate of Recognition by the Child Welfare League of America.

Robin Haarr

Robin Haarr earned her Masters and Ph.D. from the School of Criminal Justice and is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice & Police Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Haarr is a dynamic scholar who has committed her expertise, enthusiasm and energies to promoting gender equality, women’s human rights, and reduction of violence against women and children throughout Asia. Her dedication and leadership to reduce the social, cultural and institutional aspects of such violence has brought change to the benefit of women and children.

Robin Haarr was a 2001-2002 US Fulbright Scholar in China. She has addressed violence against women for the U.S. Embassy’s in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan. She has engaged in research in Tajikistan, and has been a consultant to UNICEF, ILO, OSCE, and the Swiss Cooperation. In 2005, she was an IREX IARO Scholar in Tajikistan.

Robin Haarr has been recognized for her research and activism in Asia. She received the 2004 Outstanding Achievement & Contribution Award toward Advancing the Status of Women from the Arizona State University Commission on the Status of Women. In 2006, she received the CoraMae Richie Mann “Inconvenient Woman of the Year” Award from the ASC, Division on Women & Crime. In 2007, she was recognized by the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Jonathan White

Jonathan White earned his Ph.d. from the School of Criminal Justice and became a member of the staff at Grand Rapids Junior College, Grand Rapids. MI, as Director of Criminal Justice training and Continuing Education. As Director, he provided valuable training to public and private criminal justice agencies across West Michigan. Dr. White’s attention to academics, administration and research resulted in his appointment as the Dean of Social Science at Grand Valley State University.

Jonathan White is the Director of the School of Criminal Justice at Grand Valley State University and a leader in Homeland Security. serving as Executive Director of the Homeland Defense Initiative. Dr. White is a national expert on the topic of terrorism and Middle Eastern Extremism and served as Director for State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training with the Institute of Intergovernmental, Research. As Director, he managed a nation-wide counterterorist information gathering. analysis and dissemination program in conjunction with the FBI. Furthermore, Dr. White has worked as an Adjunct Instructor with the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) Program.

Jonathan White has received many awards including Special Recognition; Federal Bureau of Investigation. and the Outstanding Service Recognition Award; US Department of Justice.