Administration & Instructor Bios
Director/Executive Secretary
Rafael Bello
Rafael “Ralph” Bello is a distinguished law enforcement executive with over 20 years of experience spanning patrol operations, narcotics investigations, crash reconstruction, training, and regulatory oversight. He served as Assistant Director at the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission from 2022-2025. Rafael oversees the instructors, coursework, and training at TLETA. As POST Executive Secretary, he advises members of POST on policy and training decisions, among other tasks. Rafael began his career as a deputy sheriff in North Carolina, where he also served on patrol, as a DARE instructor, and participated in undercover narcotics operations. Rafael then served with the Smyrna Police Department from 2005 to 2020, where he was a patrolman, field training officer, traffic crash reconstructionist, and narcotics detective. Rafael was an adjunct instructor at TLETA for many years and also served as a POST Commissioner from 2019 to 2021.
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Bethel University
Certifications & Specialized Training:
Defensive Tactics & PPCT Instructor
RADAR/LIDAR Instructor
Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor
Traffic Crash Reconstructionist
Basic & Advanced Crash Investigations
Command Spanish Platform Training Instructor
Leadership & FTO Unit Management
Child Passenger Safety Technician
DARE Instructor
Professional Affiliations:
Member, International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST)
Assistant Director
Thad Dorris
Education:
B.S. in Criminal Justice
M.S. - Criminal Justice Administration
Previous Experience:
Springfield Police Department, 1997-2016
Robertson County Sheriff’s Office, 1995-1997
Certifications:
EVO Instructor
Firearms Instructor
Below 100 Instructor
Police Cyclist Instructor
RADAR/LIDAR Instructor
Crash Reconstructionist
Master Instructor
Supervisor of Training
Keith Dunn
Education:
BS- Business Management
MS- Administration of Justice and Security
Previous Experience:
Hendersonville Police Department, 2000-2010
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, 1998-2000
Certifications:
EVO Instructor
Firearms Instructor
General Police Instructor
Police Motor Instructor
Police Radar Instructor
PT Instructor (Cooper Institute)
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor
Instructor per Spec
Scott Wilder
Education:
B.S., Middle Tennessee State University in Criminal Justice, 1995
24 hours post graduate work in Criminal Justice, 1998
J.D., Nashville School of Law, 2004
Tennessee Bar License #24796
Previous Experience:
Metro Nashville Police Officer for 11 years with assignments in SWAT/SRT; K9; Intelligence Division, and East Patrol Sections.
Special Investigator (Civilian) with the Army CID Command in Iraq and Afghanistan investigating improvised explosive devices and post blast scenes in the Global War on Terror. 2 year continuous to deployment.
Private Legal Practice-6 years; Nashville, TN with focus in Criminal and Family Law; numerous jury trials as well as Appellate Court experience.
State of Tennessee- Attorney for Commerce and Insurance-POST/TLETA 2015-2016;
State of Tennessee-Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Attorney 3 Legal Advisor for Criminal and Drug Investigations Divisions and Crime Lab.
Certifications:
Tennessee Supreme Court Bar License #24796; Metro Nashville Police Department Adjunct Firearms Instructor (while assigned to SWAT) to Training Academy with certification on multiple weapons systems from Gunsite Academy, Professional Responsibility Inc., Bill Rogers Shooting School, Louis Awerbuck’s Yavapai Shooting Academy, Pat McNamara TAPS Pistol, Red Hawk Defense Systems, Metro Police Advanced Firearms and Tactics Classes, Metro Police Advanced SWAT Certification, Metro Police Certifications in Combat Handgun, Tactical Carbine, Patrol Rifle, HK MP5, Tactical Shotgun. Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Trainer Certification from Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Legal Issues in Law Enforcement
Search and Seizure Law
Juvenile Law
Firearms and Tactics Instructor in Handgun, Shotgun and Carbine
Physical Fitness Instructor
Instructor per Spec
Charles Alexander
Education:
B.S. (Criminal Justice) 2013
Previous Experience:
Murfreesboro Police Department – Crime Suppression Unit and SWAT Team
Certifications:
Defensive Tactics Level 1 and 2 Instructor
Special Weapons and Tactics
Field Training Officer
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Defensive Tactics and Physical Training
Other:
Professional Mixed Martial Artist
Instructor per Spec
Kristy Kelley
Education:
B.S. Middle Tennessee State University
Previous Experience:
Murfreesboro Police Department, January 2004 - November 2017
Certifications:
Child Sex Abuse
Crisis Intervention Team Instructor and Training
Domestic Violence
Emergency Vehicle Operations
Mental Health
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Crisis Intervention and Domestic Violence Tactics
Emergency Vehicle Operations
General Subjects
Instructor per Spec
Korey Cooper
Education:
BS, Southwest University
MS, Southwest University
MPS, Tennessee State University
Previous Experience:
TN Department of Correction-Office of Investigation & Compliance, 2012-2019
Columbia Police Department, 1995-2012
Maury County Sheriff's Department, 1994-1995
Certifications:
Criminal Street Gangs Instructor
Firearms Instructor
General Police Instructor
Investigative Techniques Instructor
Mobile Forensics Instructor
Narcotics Instructor
SWAT Instructor
Traffic Stops Instructor
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Criminal Investigations
Criminal Street Gangs
Building Search Techniques
General Subjects
Traffic Stops
Instructor
Zach Baggett
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Active Attack Response
Patrol Tactics and Techniques
Instructor
Holden Foster
Education:
B.S. in Sports Management from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Previous Experience:
Dickson Police Department (6 years)
Certifications:
Defensive Tactics Instructor
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Defensive Tactics
Physical Training
Instructor
Mark Lankford
Education:
3.5 years of study in Police Science, Austin Peay State University
Previous Experience:
Springfield Police Department 1997-2010
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office 2010- 2020
Springfield Police Department 2020-2025
Certifications:
EVO Instructor
Domestic Violence Instructor
Field Sobriety Instructor
De-escalation Instructor
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Emergency Vehicle Operations
Instructor
Jeff Miller
Previous Experience:
Winchester Police Department
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Firearms
Instructor
Daniel Ray
Previous Experience:
Coffee County Sheriff's Office
Manchester Police Department
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Defensive Tactics
Instructor
Dee Reynolds
Education:
BS Education - University of Tennessee at Martin
MA Instructional Leadership - Tennessee Tech University
EdS Instructional Leadership - Tennessee Tech University
Previous Experience:
Four years Lebanon Police Department- MPO
23 years in Education and Administration
Certifications:
EVO Instructor
Firearms Instructor
PT Instructor
LAP Coordinator
CIT Trainer
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Emergency Vehicle Operations
LAP/DV
Duty to Intervene
Report Writing
Positive Police Interactions with the Public
Instructor
Adam J. Yokley
Education:
M.S. (Criminal Justice), Bethel University
B.S. (Criminal Justice - Graduated Summa Cum Laude), Bethel University
Previous Experience:
Loudon County Sheriff's Office, 2001-2018
Knox County Sheriff's Office, 2000-2001
United States Army (Military Police), 1996-2000
Certifications:
Master Instructor, Advanced Instructor, SSGT Defensive Tactics, EVOC Instructor, Firearms Instructor (FBI), Police Observer/Sniper (FBI), Basic SWAT (FBI), Officer Survival, SFST Instructor, TASER Instructor, S.T.O.P.S. Instructor, PPCT Spontaneous Knife Defense, A.R.I.D.E, Less-than-Lethal, K.O. Combative Instructor
Specialties Taught at TLETA:
Firearms
DUI
First-Aid
Civil Process
Instructor (Part-Time)
Pat Looper
Education:
J.D., Nashville School of Law, Nashville, Tennessee, 2000
B.S., magna cum laude, University of Tennessee, 1996
Previous Experience:
Police Consultant: January 1992 – present
TLETA Instructor: March 1989 – November 2000
Tennessee State Trooper: July 1984 – October 1994
Specialities Taught at TLETA:
Legal