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The Outstanding Young Alumni Award, established in 1986, is given for outstanding professional performance, achievements and leadership to those who have graduated in the last 25 years. While a student at Mansfield University, Stafford played on the women’s basketball team and was an active member of Alpha Sigma Tau.
After graduating with her BA in Criminal Justice Administration in 1987, she went on to complete the coursework toward a Master’s Degree in Education from Bucknell University. Chief Stafford has been a member of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) since 1990, and served on its Board of Directors from 2000 through 2005.
During the spring of 1999, Stafford was selected to represent IACLEA during the Negotiated Rule Making process, sponsored by the Department of Education, regarding the development of final rules for the implementation of the Clery Act. She is nationally recognized as an expert on compliance with the Clery Act and has served as the Chair of the IACLEA Accreditation Commission since 2005.
From 2003-2004, she served as the first female President of the IACLEA. Stafford is currently the Chief of Police at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C, and in her 16 years there she has succeeded in transforming her department’s personnel, mission and level of service. From accreditation to recruitment, escort services to smart fiscal management, these and other initiatives have led to a decrease in crime, improved detection of behavioral incidents, as well as increased community participation in the University’s Police Department safety and security efforts.
As one of the nations few women police chiefs, Stafford has won numerous accolades for her 24 years of service in the law enforcement field. She won the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” award in 2002, in honor of her ongoing contributions to improving the law enforcement profession. In 2004, she was honored by the European Association for Campus Security for her expertise and achievements in campus security. In 2006, the Campus Safety Magazine developed a prestigious Campus Safety Director of the Year Award, and Chief Stafford was named the first recipient in March, 2007.
Stafford resides in Washington, D.C.