Sheriff John Whetsel (ret.)
John Whetsel retired in 2017 after a 50-year law enforcement career, including 21 years and six terms as Sheriff of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Over the course of his career, he served as Chief of Police in both Jones and Choctaw, Oklahoma, and held positions with the Oklahoma Office of the Commissioner of Drugs.
Whetsel remains active in traffic safety as a consultant and speaker, working with local governments and national organizations to improve roadway safety. He is a member of Lyft’s National Safety Advisory Committee, Co-Chair of the MADD National Law Enforcement Committee, and Chair of the MADD Oklahoma Law Enforcement Recognition Program. He also served for 26 years on the National Sheriffs’ Traffic Safety Committee, including 18 years as chair.
He is a past president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Oklahoma Chiefs of Police Association, and the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association. His honors include the Governors Highway Safety Association Trailblazer Award, the J. Stannard Baker Award for Excellence in Traffic Safety, and induction into the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame.
Judge Thomas Fowler
Judge Fowler currently serves as a District Judge for the 19th Judicial District in Craighead County, Arkansas, and has been elected to serve as Circuit Judge for the Second Judicial Circuit. During his judicial career, he has also served as a Special Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. Prior to taking the bench, he worked for more than 15 years as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney while maintaining a private law practice, bringing over three decades of experience to the legal profession.
Judge Fowler has held numerous leadership roles within the Arkansas judiciary, including chairing the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, and has presided over both the Craighead County Sobriety Court and Juvenile Drug Court. He is also a faculty member of the National Judicial College, where he teaches judges from across the country.
His work in judicial education and reform has earned national recognition, including being named Judicial Educator of the Year by the American Bar Association and one of the National Judicial College’s Courageous Judges. He holds degrees from Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Chief Cherie Harris (ret.)
Cherie Harris retired in September 2025 after more than 32 years in law enforcement, including serving as Chief of Police for the Kirkland Police Department from 2016 to 2025. Prior to her appointment as Chief, she served as a Captain with Kirkland Police and previously as Deputy Chief with the Monroe Police Department.
Chief Harris has been an active leader in the law enforcement community, serving as Past President of the Washington Chapter of the FBI National Academy Alumni Association and as a member of the Behind the Badge Line of Duty Death Response Team. She was honored with lifetime membership in the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and has completed executive-level training through the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
Carla Weaver
Carla Weaver is the Law and Justice Liaison for the Department of Licensing (DOL), a role she has held since 2006. With 38 years at DOL, she brings extensive experience across multiple program areas.
Carla oversees statewide strategic business programs and leads the interpretation and implementation of laws, rules, and policies impacting traffic safety, driver and vehicle records, and licensing. She guides program staff through ongoing changes driven by legislation and court decisions, and develops plans and performance standards to support agency goals.
She is also actively involved in training court staff, law enforcement, and defense counsel, and is known for sharing her deep knowledge with both internal and external partners.
Her true passion in life are her daughters Ashlie and Shaelyn, grandchildren Mason, Sophia, Declan and Charlotte who live in Japan and Ryker who lives in Olympia and another granddaughter (recently born this past August). She adopted a cat named Annie that was found in a hoarder’s house with 15 other cats. Carla loves to go to the beach to relax, crabbing, digging razor and streamer clams, picking and shucking oysters and fishing.
Dale W. Willits, PhD
Dale W. Willits, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. His research focuses on policing, drug policy, and traffic safety, including studies on the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program, cannabis and fatal crashes, and procedural justice in traffic stops.
He currently serves as the principal investigator on a project evaluating the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) program.
Bradley Lane
Bradley is a Special Prosecutor and state subject matter expert with experience across all stages of litigation. He serves as a State Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor for Washington, handling felony and misdemeanor traffic crimes. He has tried approximately 100 cases, including serious offenses such as homicide, sexual assault, Arson in the First Degree, and complex traffic crimes like Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, and Felony DUI.
He has supervised felony trial teams, trained police academy cadets, taught advanced trial techniques, argued before appellate courts, and served on legislative workgroups.
Bradley earned a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of California, Davis, and a Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law. He has completed specialized training in impaired driving and digital evidence litigation, and is admitted to practice in Colorado, Washington, and Washington, D.C.
Outside of work, he is a sponsored international trail runner and partial owner of a brewery in Seattle’s marina district.
Michelle Rutherford
Michelle Rutherford has served as a prosecutor in Washington State since 2012. She began her career in Seattle Municipal Court, where she developed a lasting passion for impaired driving enforcement.
For the past twelve years, Michelle has been a Deputy Prosecutor in Snohomish County, handling cases ranging from misdemeanors to Class A felonies, with a continued focus on traffic safety. From July 2022 to November 2024, she served as District Court Lead, supervising deputy prosecutors in the District Court Unit.
As of December 2024, Michelle serves as a Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, providing training and litigation support to prosecutors across Washington State.
Brittany Solensten
Brittany Solensten is a PhD student in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. Her work focuses on traffic enforcement research, data management, and statistical analysis.
She is currently conducting her dissertation on police officer turnover and retention in Washington State.
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Washington Traffic Safety Commission
621 8th Avenue SE – Suite 409
Olympia, WA 98501
Phone: (360) 725-9860