Meet Our Team

Meet our Directors, a group of passionate professionals from across Colorado who share a commitment to improving how we respond to individuals in crisis. With backgrounds in law enforcement, healthcare, and public safety, they work together to strengthen partnerships, support training, and expand the reach of CIT programs statewide.

Stephanie Dorrell

President

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Sergeant Stephanie Dorrell has 14 years of experience at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and has taken on various roles in both civilian and commissioned capacities. Her professional background includes working in the Jail, Patrol, and Investigations Divisions. For 6 years, Stephanie worked as a Detective in the Special Victims Unit (SVU), focusing on crimes against children and further collaborating with the Department of Human Services as an assigned Detective based in their building. Stephanie was promoted to Sergeant and is now overseeing the Crisis Response Team (CRT) and the Homeless Engagement Assistance and Resource Team (HEART) programs for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. For the past 13 years, she has served as one of the Directors of the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, training 100’s of law enforcement personnel and civilians across the State of Colorado.

Jeremy Herko

Vice President

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

Lt. Jeremy Herko, Ph.D., serves as Vice President of CITAC, drawing on a career spanning elite Army units, large-scale security leadership, and a deep commitment to law enforcement. After serving honorably in the United States military, he led a large security workforce across Colorado before entering policing—a decision shaped by a family tragedy and a family legacy of public service. His law enforcement experience includes working patrol, the jail, and court services, and he previously commanded his agency’s Special Operations Response Team. Dr. Herko holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, along with two master’s degrees - one in Criminal Justice and another in Emergency and Disaster Management. He is certified as a Drug Recognition Expert and continues to contribute to the field through his teaching at three major universities and as an active police lieutenant.

Annerly Cooper

Secretary

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

Josie

Buffo

Treasurer

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Dispatcher Josie Buffo has over 24 years of dispatch experience, beginning with the California Highway Patrol in Orange County for 4.5 years. For the last 20 years Josie has been with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Josie became a CIT coach in 2007 and is the facilitator for the Dispatch CIT course. Josie was an integral part of the DCSO CIT program and was a CIT Director from 2019 – 2025.

 

Dana Gryniewicz

Director at Large

Angela

Blake

Director at Large

Sean Heidman

Director at Large

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

Sergeant Dana Gryniewicz has 17 years of law enforcement experience with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, where she has served in a variety of assignments supporting detention operations, patrol operations and training. She currently serves as the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) Coordinator. Prior to her law enforcement career, Dana worked as a case manager in a halfway house and as a victim advocate, experiences that provided early exposure to working with individuals in crisis and continue to shape her approach to communication and service. She became CIT certified earlier in her career, which sparked an ongoing interest in crisis response and the role of law enforcement in supporting individuals experiencing mental health challenges. As a Director at Large for the Crisis Intervention Team Association of Colorado, Dana supports the organization through administrative and technical contributions, and is committed to supporting the continued growth and accessibility of CIT resources across Colorado.

Angela is a Registered Nurse on an Inpatient Behavioral Health unit and active member of her hospital's Peer Support Team, an Emergency Medical Technician, and Mental Health First Aid Instructor, who has been involved with the Crisis Intervention Team trainings (CIT) since 2003. Angela has a commitment to mental health advocacy, has a passion for helping people, and educating others on mental health, de-escalation, and communication skills. Over the past two decades, Angela has become an integral part of CIT locally and nationally, serving as an instructor, certified CIT coach, certified CIT coordinator, actor coordinator, role-player trainer, and role-player. She has completed the POST Train the Trainer class, CIT Coordinator Training, Peer Support Training for Responders, and authored numerous CIT role-play scenarios, and supported training operations across the country. Angela has served on the Board of the Crisis Intervention Team Association of Colorado as a Director at Large since 2019, one of the few healthcare professionals on a board predominantly composed of law enforcement, bridging the gap between healthcare and law enforcement perspectives in crisis response.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Deputy Sean Heidman has been commissioned with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office since 2014. With Bachelor's and Master's degrees in psychology, he recognizes the value of mental health training and appreciates the bridge that CIT provides between law enforcement and mental health agencies. Deputy Heidman became involved with CIT early in his law enforcement career and has been honored to serve as a CIT Director for the Sheriff's Office since 2018. Deputy Heidman is currently an SRO and was an instructor with the Youth Education and Safety in Schools (Y.E.S.S.) programs.