COMBAT STAFF

Director
Stacey Daniels-Young
Upon assuming her duties as COMBAT Director April 6, 2009, Daniels-Young stated she had two immediate goals: raising public awareness about COMBAT's mission, goals and achievements, and developing a strategic plan "to which COMBAT can be held accountable."

Daniels-Young, who earned a PhD in Community Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, had served as Chief Executive Officer of the Black Health Care Coalition of Kansas City since 2005. She spent 14 years working at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, including as Director of Research and Evaluation and finally as Director of Development.

From 1995 through 2003, she served on the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, with two terms as President of the Board. 

Assistant Director of Operations
Vince Ortega
During his 30-year career with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, Ortega rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Police. He served on the department's Executive Committee with executive authority to command and coordinate the operations of the bureaus to which he was assigned. At one point, he supervised the KCPD Drug Enforcement Unit.

From 2007 through to his joining the COMBAT staff in early 2009, Ortega worked as a National Security Specialist for GE Homeland Protection, Inc., a division of General Electric.

He earned a Master's of Public Affairs degree from Park University in Parkville, Missouri.

Planning & Development Administrator
Dave Fleming
Fleming oversaw substance abuse programs in northwest Missouri as a State Department of Mental Health District Administrator based in Kansas City from 2003 to 2008. His career with the Missouri Health Department dates back to 1996 and includes oversight of the Missouri Substance Abuse Traffic Office Program (SATOP).

Fleming received a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri, Columbia. 

Other COMBAT Staff