Cassandra “Cassi” Chandler is currently CEO of the Chandler Consulting Group, LLC as well as a member of the Federal Monitor’s team for the New York Police Department. Cassi spent nearly 24 years at the FBI where she was the Assistant Director of the FBI Academy at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, and Section Chief of Criminal and Domestic Terrorism Intelligence. She served as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, was Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office, and the FBI’s first female national spokesperson and Assistant Director of Public Affairs. Before joining the FBI, Cassi was an attorney with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and a reporter and anchorwoman for an NBC affiliate. Cassi is a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the SES Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Award, the National Center for Women and Policing’s “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” award and the Norfolk NAACP “Trail Blazer” award.
Presentation Topics
Two Pairs of Flats and One Pair of High Heels: Advice from the Public Face of the FBI
FBI Headquarters is about 2.8 million square feet in size, and Cassi Chandler needed good shoes to effectively be the face of every inch of that agency. After 9/11 there was talk of splitting the FBI in half. As Assistant Director of the Office of Public Affairs and the National Spokesperson for the FBI, Chandler was charged with keeping the agency intact. Learn how Cassi navigated this crisis and how you can use imagination and the right dose of transparency to improve your organization.
The Oklahoma City Bombing: Can Local and Federal Law Enforcement Work Together?
At the time of the attack, the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people was the worst act of homegrown terrorism in the nation’s history. Local, state, and national agencies converged on the scene to make sense of the tragedy and to find the perpetrators responsible. Cassi Chandler joined the (mostly) men on the ground as part of the inspection team. Come hear the story of this historic moment and how Chandler helped wrangle different groups (including the media) toward a common purpose. It’s a story of resiliency, teamwork, and a strong American bond.
Servant Leadership
Cassi Chandler pursued a career at the FBI after helping them arrest a fugitive who called her wanting to confess on TV while she was an anchor at NBC. She came away believing her service was helping protect her family, her neighborhood, and America. This attitude – along with her impressive work ethic – led her to lead at the agency for 23 years. Let Cassi inspire you to lead by serving and embrace the value of forming connections among different age groups, races, ethnicities, and diverse backgrounds toward common goals.
You Don’t Need A White Collar to Commit Fraud
Cassi Chandler’s background in white collar crime at the FBI came in handy when she became the Senior Vice President for Business Operations at Bank of America. Hear stories from her time as the leader responsible for building an integrated framework to identify, evaluate, and assess emerging risks and the operational effectiveness of enterprise coverage areas. Learn tools to protect yourself from risk through analytic processes identifying emerging cybercrimes, fraud trends, and consumer risks. Practice coherent and effective strategies supported by positive innovation from an expert who developed a prevention-focused global fraud investigations program that detected and prevented fraud, cybercrimes, and other emerging security risks with a focus on value return to the business.
Welcome Recruits, to the National Citizens Academy
Cassi Chandler believes that it’s a privilege to work with the individuals who strengthen our diverse society. That’s why she helped created the FBI’s National Citizens Academy, which supports local, state, and federal law enforcement through community engagement, education, and outreach. Opening those doors of communication helps the community feel comfortable with the FBI and makes them willing to give the FBI information and tips. Learn more about the National Citizens Academy’s origins, goals, and strategies on how to approach complex problems to drive progress forward and improve impact metrics.
PTSD: Not Just for Those on the Front Lines
Let’s be blunt. Working in the intelligence field is hard. Even if you are not fighting America’s enemies abroad, or risking your life for a source, you are part of a large network of people dealing with big consequential decisions. For former FBI Special Agent Cassi Chandler this was true during 9/11, the War on Terror, and throughout cases that came across her desk daily. Come participate in a frank discussion on PTSD, what drives people to do bad things, and how leaders who are not on the front lines can become blind toward their own trauma.
Champions for Diversity and Inclusion
Your organization can be diverse without being inclusive, so what does it mean to truly create equity in your workplace and in your life? Growing up in a predominately white Louisiana town, Cassi Chandler was used to being the “first black woman” to do a lot of things. She even became the first black woman special-agent-in-charge at the FBI’s Norfolk office. Now she advocates on behalf of others who have been left out, overlooked, or passed over. In this session Chandler speaks of her passion to live a purpose-filled life, the power of staying hopeful, her fights to change the narrative, and what it means to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. As she inspires you, she shares stories of those who have inspired her in her career.
Agony of the Working Mom
All 41 of her predecessors were middle-aged white men. As the first black female special-agent-in-charge at the FBI’s Norfolk office, Cassi Chandler had a specific set of professional challenges to overcome as well as a teen-ager at home and a partner also working at the FBI. But it wasn't the first time she found herself asking, “am I a good mom?” How does a career in the FBI impact family life, impact your children, and impact you? Join Cassi for an intimate and honest look into the career of an American intelligence professional and working mom....and the anxiety that comes along with it.
Cassi Chandler is available to speak at your event virtually or in-person. Contact our sales team for more information.
