Dear Members and Friends,

Fall is here — and with it comes that wonderful mix of football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and even ice hockey filling our weekends. The holidays are fast approaching, and there’s a sense of excitement in the air! Amid all that’s happening in our nation and our state, your FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Chapter has been hard at work. 

We’re planning another FBI Redstone Arsenal Campus Tour later this month (pending the end of the Shutdown), our Annual Members Meeting in Cullman on December 4th, and we’re finalizing our Memorandum of Agreement with the FBI for 2026 — a key step toward strengthening our partnership and programs.

I’m especially proud of how our Chapter continues to grow in outreach and impact. Our Fraud Prevention Team is expanding, with new public speaking engagements throughout the Birmingham Division and a community initiative to distribute Elder Fraud Awareness brochures at senior centers, churches, assisted living facilities, and neighborhood gatherings.

Our Speakers Bureau is active and growing, and we’re introducing a Child Protection Team dedicated to educating families about the many evolving threats facing our children today. We’re also forming specialized groups focused on Human Trafficking and Crimes Against Children, each with its own speakers to support and complement presentations by our FBI Agents and Analysts at community events.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce plans for a 2026 Tour to Washington, D.C., featuring visits to The FBI Experience and the FBI Laboratory at Quantico — always a highlight for our members!

We’ll continue to support the FBI Birmingham Division’s Teen Academy, Collegiate Academy, and National Night Out programs, along with our own Annual Members Meeting. In addition, we’re organizing more in-person social gatherings featuring law enforcement professionals and security experts offering practical insights on situational awareness, self-defense, and personal safety.

These programs succeed because of you. We need each of our members — your time, your energy, and your unique talents — to help us educate the public and strengthen the communities we serve. When you’re invited to join a team or lend a hand at an event, I hope you’ll say “yes” and be part of making a real difference.

Please make plans to join us December 4th in Cullman for our Annual Meeting. Along with our FBI Leadership Team, we’ll hear from former FBI ASAC Jeff Brown, who will share powerful insights on how to protect ourselves, our families, homes, workplaces, and places of worship. Details on registration are included below — it promises to be a great event.

Wishing each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving season filled with gratitude for the men and women who protect and serve this great nation we’re privileged to call home.

With appreciation,

Rish