Leadership and trust, shaped by a career in public safety.
From criminal investigations to campus leadership, Tim Jacobs brings a practical perspective on responsibility, community trust, and developing people. Explore conversations for leadership teams, educators, and public safety audiences.
Retired law enforcement leader · Former Acting Chief of Police · Big Rapids, Michigan
Former Acting Chief of Police · Ferris State University
Criminal investigations & campus safety
Special Olympics track and field coach · 2012–2021
01 / About Tim
A perspective built on experience.
Tim Jacobs is a retired law enforcement leader based in Big Rapids, Michigan. His career includes serving as Acting Chief of Police, Assistant Chief, and Detective Sergeant at Ferris State University, following earlier service with the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office. His perspective connects the daily work of investigations and campus safety with the responsibilities of leading people. Community engagement, transparency, and trust are central to his leadership philosophy. Beyond policing, years of Special Olympics coaching and endurance running give him another way to explore preparation, persistence, and supporting others.
Find the right conversation for your audience. Proposed topics drawn from Tim’s professional experience.
01
Proposed speaking topic
Trust Is Part of the Job
A conversation about making community trust a daily leadership responsibility.
Drawing on Tim’s work in law enforcement leadership and his emphasis on transparency and community engagement, this proposed talk explores the relationship between operational decisions, team culture, and public confidence.
Recognize the connection between everyday decisions and community trust.
Identify opportunities to make communication more transparent.
Choose one practical step to support and develop people on your team.
Ideal audiences: Public safety leaders, municipal teams, associations, and organizational leadership groups.
Formats: Proposed keynote, panel conversation, or podcast; availability to be confirmed.
02
Proposed speaking topic
Campus Safety Beyond the Equipment
Connect risk assessment, people, and technology in a coherent approach to campus safety.
Tim’s background includes university vulnerability assessments and the integration of camera and access control systems. This proposed session examines how leaders can connect those tools with operational priorities, collaboration, and the needs of a campus community.
Frame safety technology decisions around identified operational needs.
Recognize the roles of assessment, coordination, and personnel development.
Prepare better questions for conversations between safety teams and campus leadership.
Formats: Proposed keynote, facilitated workshop, panel, or podcast; scope to be agreed.
03
Proposed speaking topic
The Discipline to Keep Going
Use the experience of distance running to examine preparation, persistence, and setbacks.
Tim has completed more than 25 marathons, including three Boston Marathons, and multiple ultramarathons. Paired with his public service and coaching background, that experience provides a starting point for a grounded conversation about sustained effort.
Break a demanding goal into manageable preparation steps.
Reflect on how setbacks can inform the next decision.
Identify a sustainable commitment to carry into work or daily life.
Ideal audiences: Leadership groups, student programs, community organizations, and teams navigating demanding goals.
Formats: Proposed keynote, student conversation, or podcast; availability to be confirmed.
Talk availability and format are agreed individually.
For your audience
Beyond the talk.
Examine how everyday leadership choices affect trust within a team and its community.
Connect campus safety priorities with the people, assessments, and systems needed to act on them.
Leave with questions and practical next steps to apply to a leadership challenge or demanding goal.
03 / In his own words
Get a feel for the conversation.
A space for Tim’s speaking reel, featured presentation, and transcript.
Speaking reel coming soon
A real conversation. Tim’s own voice.
Transcript will accompany the published video.
04 / Experience
The work behind the perspective.
Appointed November 2025 · Now retired
Acting Chief of Police
Ferris State University
Served in the university’s Department of Public Safety. The supplied profile headline identifies Tim as retired; a retirement date has not been supplied.
April 2022 – November 2025
Assistant Chief of Police
Ferris State University
University police leadership, with a professional background in organizational management, strategic planning, and public safety operations.
February 2006 – April 2022
Detective Sergeant
Ferris State University
Criminal investigations and personnel development, drawing on 16 years in the detective sergeant role.
August 2000 – April 2007
Police Officer
Ferris State Police Department
Police duties and investigations. The profile’s dates overlap with the detective sergeant entry.
September 1994 – August 2000
Deputy Sheriff
Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office
Road patrol duties in Big Rapids, Michigan.
August 1992 – August 1993
Associate of Science
West Shore Community College
Criminal Justice and Corrections.
May 1988 – August 1992
Business administration and management studies
Ferris State University
Field of study listed in the supplied profile; no degree is specified.
January 2012 – January 2021
Volunteer track and field coach
Special Olympics Area 5
Coached Special Olympics track and field athletes.
05 / For event organizers
A little less planning. A little more possibility.
Speaker materials, all in one place. Biographies are ready to copy. Media resources are coming soon.
Conference introduction50 words · Source-based biography+
Please welcome Tim Jacobs, a retired law enforcement leader whose career includes serving as Acting Chief of Police at Ferris State University. Drawing on investigations, campus safety, team development, and endurance running, Tim brings a practical perspective on leadership, community trust, and the discipline to keep moving through difficult challenges.
Short biography100 words · Source-based biography+
Tim Jacobs is a retired law enforcement leader and former Acting Chief of Police at Ferris State University. His background spans criminal investigations, campus safety, strategic planning, and personnel development. He previously served as Assistant Chief of Police, Detective Sergeant, and a deputy sheriff in Mecosta County, Michigan. His LinkedIn profile describes keynote addresses for high school programs focused on leadership, safety, and community engagement. Away from policing, Tim has coached Special Olympics track and field and completed more than 25 marathons, including three Boston Marathons. His proposed speaking topics explore trust, public safety leadership, and resilience through sustained effort.
Full biography200 words · Source-based biography+
Tim Jacobs is a retired law enforcement leader whose career includes serving as Acting Chief of Police at Ferris State University. Based in Big Rapids, Michigan, he brings experience in criminal investigations, organizational management, strategic planning, and campus public safety.
Before becoming Acting Chief, Tim served as Assistant Chief of Police and spent 16 years as a Detective Sergeant. His earlier work included university policing and road patrol as a deputy sheriff with the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office. His campus safety experience includes university vulnerability assessments and security technology integration, including camera and access control systems.
Tim’s leadership philosophy emphasizes community engagement, transparency, trust, and developing people. His LinkedIn profile describes keynote addresses at high school programs on leadership, safety, and community engagement. His proposed talks draw on that professional background to explore how leaders build trust, connect safety strategy with daily operations, and support the people doing the work.
Outside his policing career, Tim coached track and field with Special Olympics Area 5 from 2012 to 2021. He has completed more than 25 marathons, including three Boston Marathons, as well as multiple ultramarathons. That experience offers another lens on preparation, persistence, and responding to setbacks over the long term.
