Forward Janesville - TheReport - First Quarter 2024

We’re better together - TEAM 1 2 3 { LIFE LESSONS } When things are bad, it is an opportunity to reassess and make changes. Embrace failure - pivot - learn and grow. 18 | FORWARD JANESVILLE Family and faith are central to my life. My family gives me strength and is my motivation. I have a wonderful wife and five (5) children. All of my children are musically gifted. I met my wife Kellie while working at the Janesville Police Department. She was a records clerk and a community support specialist. Kellie is an O’Leary. Her family has a history in law enforcement in Janesville, similar to my family history in Illinois. It works! Faith is another pillar in my life. For me, faith provides morals, principles, and guidelines. I did not grow up with a strong faith but found it later in life and was baptized at 35. We are very active in our church. Staying engaged is key for me. I listen to podcasts and read about mindfulness topics. I enjoy listening to all forms of music and doing art projects, especially woodburning. I am very active and have lifted weights since I was 14. I played football from 7th grade through college and had an NFL tryout - Go Bears! I also used to bike race. Now, I spend more time on my motorcycle and am an avid motorcyclist. Every day in law enforcement is different. It’s a career that’s challenging but also very rewarding. The challenges come with the cumulative stress of the job. That stress impacts the of fi cer directly but oftentimes that comes with collateral damage to the family through additional stress, anxiety, and public recognition that sometimes is not positive. But one of the greatest rewards is the connection and relationships developed with people. It can be really rewarding to see how people turn themselves around and how they change, especially if you were a catalyst in that change. It’s also really rewarding to see how a community moves itself forward. Community is fragile. Relationships are built on trust and respect. Community relationships built on trust and respect pay dividends over time. If there is a good relationship between law enforcement and the community, it’s easier to weather challenges and succeed together. The community relationship is really rewarding. HOW DID I GET HERE? s u c c e s s • c h a l l e n g e s • l i f e l e s s o n s • e d u c a t i o n • c a r e e r • f a m i l y • i n s p i r a t i o n s I am a third generation police of fi cer. I am originally from Belvediere, IL and both of my parents had careers in law enforcement there. My father was a detective and my mother was in dispatch. My grandfather was a Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy and Capron Police Chief. Seeing how important my father and grandfather were to the community as law enforcement of fi cers made an impression on me. I knew that I wanted to do something in law, protecting the law, but I wasn’t always focused on being a police of fi cer. Initially, I wanted to be an attorney and thought about careers in the FBI, DEA, and ATF. My grandmother was instrumental in encouraging me to push myself academically and I crossed the stateline for college at UW-Whitewater. There was a position for the Janesville Police Department posted in the sociology department. I applied and was accepted. It was a great fi t and I decided to build my career in Wisconsin. • CHAD PEARSON CHIEF OF POLICE JANESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT • { EDUCATION } 2021 FBI National Law Enforcement Academy University of Virginia 2018 Certi fi ed Public Managers Course UW-Madison Command College 1997 Bachelor of Arts, Sociology UW-Whitewater { WORK EXPERIENCE } 2024-PRESENT Chief of Police Janesville Police Department 2022 - 2024 Deputy Chief of Operations Janesville Police Department 1998 - 2022 Police Lieutenant Janesville Police Department •