Critical Incident Leadership and Decision-Making Program

Dr. Stuart Meyers, Ed.D is the CEO of OpTac International, Inc., and has been the Director of SWAT Operations and Training in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Program Director and Assistant Professor of Public Protection & Safety at Louisiana State University, Eunice. Stuart is the author of the books, High-Threat Decisions: When It’s a Matter of Life and Death, SWAT Operations and Critical Incidents: Why People Die, SWAT Fitness, A Guide To Police Sniping, and Police Sniper Administrative Policy & Training with sales worldwide. He continues developing elite SWAT teams, writing policy and protocols, conducting tactical team evaluations, and teaching a wide range of public safety, criminal justice, homeland security, and emergency management courses throughout the globe. Agencies he has trained include foreign counter-terrorist teams, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Special Forces, and federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel representing Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East. 

Stuart has a Doctor of Education degree in Adult Learning and Leadership (AEGIS) from Teachers College, Columbia University where he completed his dissertation titled, “Identifying Learning Strategies that Impact Tactical and Incident Command Decision-Making in a High-Threat Situation.” He has a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University, where he received the Dean’s List for Academic Achievement Award and Dean’s Prize for Outstanding ALM Thesis in the Social Sciences for his extensive research on critical incident management. Stuart has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, received counter-terrorism training at Georgetown University, and chemical and biological terrorism training at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He has taught leadership seminars at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and was an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement at Trinity Washington University. Stuart speaks fluent Spanish and intermediate conversational Arabic. 

He was a member of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police for over 16 years with most of his career in Special Operations. Stuart was initially assigned to the Decentralized SWAT team and then promoted to the elite full-time Centralized SWAT team. He competed in the H&K Invitational Counter-Sniper Team Competition at Fort Meade, Maryland, winning the overall individual championship and the team championship with his partner. In addition, Stuart was the honor graduate and top shooter at both the United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Instructor School Enhancement Course, in Quantico, VA, and the Baltimore County Counter-Sniper School, in Ft. Meade, MD. He has participated in over 1,000 high-risk tactical operations and critical incidents throughout his law enforcement career.

Stuart was featured on the Discovery Channel and Sportsman Channel and has provided expert commentary on other television programs to include: the Nancy Grace Show, Larry King Live, O’Reilly Factor, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, MTV News, Tru/Court TV, BBC, and local news networks throughout the country. His extensive executive problem-solving and special operations experience have made him a sought-after special consultant for domestic and foreign governments.