About Paul D. Laney

Paul D. Laney served as Sheriff in Cass County, ND from 2007-2018. He worked for the Fargo Police Department from 1989-2007. He is a Marine Corps veteran. Sheriff Laney is co-owner/CEO of PDL Connect Consulting LLC., Paul has been an instructor for several organizations as well as instructed for the National Staff and Command College and the National Sheriff’s Association. 

 Sheriff Laney has over 2,000 hours of law enforcement training in his career. Sheriff Laney is a graduate of Class 137 of the School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) and graduated from the FBI National Academy (FBINA) Class 255 in 2014. He has taught courses for Rasmussen College and the University of Mary.  

Sheriff Laney has served on the Board of Directors for the Dakota Territory Sheriff’s Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the North Dakota Sheriff’s and Deputies Association. He also served on the Board of Directors for the North Dakota Association of Counties (NDACo) and the Board of Trustees for the United Way of Cass Clay. Sheriff Laney served on the Board of Directors for the National Sheriff’s Association for 6 years and still serves on three national committees, the Drug Enforcement Committee, the Awards Committee and the Homeland Security Committee for the National Sheriff’s Association.  Sheriff Laney hosted a weekly radio show called Law Talk with Sheriff Laney on KFGO Radio from 2010- 2012. Sheriff Laney was named the E911 Institutes “Government Leader of the Year” for 2011 and was the National Sheriff’s Association’s 2012 Ferris E. Lucas “National Sheriff of the Year.” On August 13, 2015, during the North Dakota Peace Officers Association Annual Conference, Sheriff Laney was presented the Lone Eagle Award in recognition of his, “Outstanding and Dedicated Law Enforcement in the State of North Dakota.” He was also presented the National Sheriff’s Associations 2017 “President’s Award” for his leadership and service during the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests. 

Mary Phillippi is the Director of the Red River Regional Dispatch Center (RRRDC) located in the heart of the  Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. This consolidated Center has been recognized as the first of its kind  as it serves Public Safety agencies in two separate states. The Center, which began in 2002, employs fifty full time employees and serves fifty-seven Public Safety agencies in North Dakota and Minnesota.  

Ms. Phillippi has over 35 years of Public Safety Communications experience. She started her career in  Moorhead/ Clay County, MN in 1988 as a Communications Operator. In 2002, when the Fargo/Cass, ND  and Moorhead/Clay, MN dispatch centers consolidated she was promoted to Shift Supervisor. She was  promoted to Assistant Director in 2010. Ms. Phillippi has served as Director since April 2015.  

Ms. Phillippi is a member of the Association of Public-Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and National  Emergency Number Associations (NENA). She was the recipient of the ND Chapter of APCO  Supervisor/Manager of the year in 2004 for her exceptional leadership and demonstrated professionalism  in contributing to public safety in North Dakota. She received the designation of Emergency Number  Professional (ENP) from the National Emergency Number Association. Ms. Phillippi holds a Bachelor of  University Studies with a Management Concentration from the University of Mary, Fargo. Ms. Phillippi is  co-owner/CFO of PDL Connect Consulting, L.L.C