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Angelina College Law Enforcement Academy Graduates New Officers

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Twelve Cadets Complete Rigorous Program

Angelina College’s Law Enforcement Academy on Thursday recognized Class 112’s successes, as Class 112’s members walked the stage in a ceremony held inside AC’s Hudgins Hall.

As testament to the rigors of the academy, academy director and AC Chief of Police Doug Conn informed the audience that the 12 graduates were the “survivors” of a class that began with 24 cadets.

“We put these men and women through some of the hardest academic and physical training imaginable,” Conn said. “That they’re here tonight shows their level of determination.”

 Speaker Steve Roper

Steve Roper, a retired chief deputy and 40-plus year veteran of law enforcement, served as the keynote speaker. Roper served as Conn’s training officer years ago, and he related a story regarding the chief. Roper told of Conn’s first official arrest, in which Conn had to “high step into a swamp” to retrieve a perpetrator.

“Not even a half-hour into his new job, and Doug had already been in a pursuit and made a felony arrest,” Roper said. “But after overcoming the shock of the chase and the mess, a huge grin came over his face, and that night, Chief Conn confirmed his life calling.

“I believe men and women are called to law enforcement the way others are called into the ministry. It’s absolutely a calling.”

Jared Archer graduated as the class valedictorian, while Royce Luckey earned the Top Gun award and Lauren Oliver earned the Best Driver award.

Speaker Steve Roper, a 40-plus veteran of law enforcement, address newly graduating cadets during Thursday’s ceremony. 

The Class 112 graduates and their hometowns of record are as follows:

Denise Amador (Lufkin), Jared Archer (Groveton), Grace Baggett (Nacogdoches), Wesley Bates (Houston), Cody Brooks (Cuero), Erik Cebrian (Lufkin), Jasmine Flores (Lufkin), Ryan Kiec (Round Rock), Royce Luckey (Cleveland), Lauren Oliver (Zavalla), Zachary Oxener (Jasper) and Angel Pineda (Center).

Angelina College was issued a license to operate a police academy in 12 East Texas counties in September of 1993 by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The

academy offers basic and in-service training courses at sites throughout Deep East Texas with the assistance of an advisory board, which assists in directing the academy.

Academy staff members include Doug Conn, Chief of Police; Lt. Randy Holland, Training Manager; Officer Jack Stephenson, Training Manager; and Kim Capps, Administrative Assistant. For information on the AC Police Academy, email policeacademy@angelina.edu.

Gary Stallard
Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as a Liberal Arts Instructor, begins his eleventh season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association’s first-place award for column writing in 2007 and in 2014. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and live streaming play-by- play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate. Currently Stallard serves as play-by-play broadcaster for AC basketball, baseball and softball games. Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years. He currently teaches Developmental Writing classes at AC. He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.

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