The St. Charles Police Department and Lindenwood University hosted guest speaker Nick Lavery, whose presentation was attended by over 500 first responders. Attendees included Lindenwood Department of Public Safety and Security staff as well as police, fire, and EMS workers from throughout the region.

A decorated Green Beret, Lavery lost his leg while deployed in Afghanistan. In 2013, Lavery began a long journey of rehabilitation. This journey led to him being the first Green Beret to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee. In his presentation, Lavery shared his perspective and leadership philosophy with the core belief that nothing is impossible.

The two-part event began in the AB Leadership Room where officers from the St. Louis and St. Charles County Police Departments met with Lavery. Following this smaller presentation, Lavery presented in the Lindenwood Theater to a crowd of professionals from across Missouri and Illinois.

The event came to be after St. Charles Police Chief Ray Juengst saw Lavery present at an out-of-town conference. Juengst reached out to Lindenwood about hosting an event together. Director, Public Safety and Security John Kamm said this event is the next step in the working relationship between the University and Police Department. Adding that Chief Juengst was thrilled with the event's success Kamm hopes to see Lindenwood host more events like this in the future. Although the University has a longstanding partnership with the St. Charles Police Department, this is the first large scale event organized by the two.

The event demonstrates Lindenwood's commitment to safety by providing top-level training to staff and strengthening its partnership with the St. Charles Police Department.