With more than 40 years’ experience, Judy Pal has served in management and public relations positions for public safety, government, and the professional sports and entertainment industry in both Canada and the United States. A former broadcast journalist and news anchor, Judy has served in management and executive staff positions with law enforcement across North America. She has extensive experience dealing with sensitive, image‐threatening issues including criminal conduct of police officers, international scandal, and acts of terrorism.

Prior to embarking on a full-time teaching and consulting career, she served as an Assistant Commissioner with the NYPD, Director of Operations for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA) Chief of Staff with the Baltimore and Milwaukee Police Departments, and was a member of the command staff of the Atlanta, Savannah and Halifax (Canada) police departments.

In the private sector she worked with former NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton on international law enforcement projects with the Government of Chile and the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service. She has spoken at events across North America, as well as Australia, Uruguay, and the Philippines. She is a regular instructor for FBI Regional Command Colleges across the country, the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Texas, and is proud to have conducted training for thousands of law enforcement professionals, including commanders with the NYPD and Philadelphia Police Department, and members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Pal is a past president of the National Information Officers Association and is a former columnist with The Insighter magazine of FBI-LEEDA. She authored the guide Strategic Communications for Law Enforcement Executives (2023) for the COPS Office, Preparing for Crisis: A First Responder’s Guide to Messaging When it Really Matters (2021), a chapter on media relations in the Air Medical Physician’s Association Principals and Directions of Air Medical Transport (2012, 2007) and served as a subject matter expert editor for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors publication, Response to a High-Profile Tragic Event Involving a Person with a Severe Mental Illness (2010). Most recently, she was a contributing author to the Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network (London) publication Mis- and Disinformation: Extremism in the Digital Age.

Pal began her career in professional sports, working with the Stanley Cup winning Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League before joining the Edmonton-based Canadian affiliate of Ogilvy-Mather as a public relations consultant. She moved to the east coast to pursue broadcast journalism with Global Television, serving as a program host, anchor, producer, and reporter before moving to law enforcement.

Upon moving to the U.S., Pal worked with Madison Square Garden as the Public Relations Director for the Hartford Civic Center, Rentschler Field and the minor league affiliate of the New York Rangers before returning to law enforcement.

Pal holds a Master of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University and earned her Certificate in Police Leadership from Dalhousie University, both in Canada.

Preparing for Crisis: A First-Responder's Guide to Preparing a Crisis Communications Manual
by Judy Pal (author)
This simple guide will help you prepare a crisis communications manual for your agency. It includes numerous tips and strategies for public safety and templates for crisis identification and prioritization along with foundational messaging templates to help you get started.
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