April 26, 2024

Chief Ray Cordell Receives Chief of the Year Award

The Police Chief of the Year Award is presented by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) to the chief of police who excels in his or her own department and provides extraordinary service to the association. The Board of Officers reviews the nominees and makes the selection of the chief who has best exemplified these characteristics over the past year. This year, the Board of Officers chose Chief Ray Cordell as the winner of the Chief of the Year Award.

Chief Ray Cordell has spent nearly four decades in law enforcement perfecting quality policing. He is a 38-year veteran who started his career in South Barrington where he rose to the rank of Deputy Chief before retiring to enter the private sector. He also served as the Director of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy before being appointed as the Chief of Police for the Village of Oakwood Hills in 2020.

Chief Cordell is a Life Member of the ILACP and has been a lifelong learner and a strong advocate for officer education. He possesses a master’s degree in public administration and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. He is also an ILACP Certified Police Chief and currently sits on the advisory board of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). 

Since 2011, Chief Cordell has served as the Chair of the Education and Programs Committee. This important role has led him to assist staff with procuring trainers and speakers for both the ILACP Annual Training Conference as well as the Midwest Security and Police Conference/Expo along with other training events. Organizing these events takes countless hours, emails, phone calls, reviewing documents, proposals, contracts, and logistics. There also has to be coordination with ILACP Staff and ILETSB for credit to be awarded for each course. This is no easy task and takes significant time and effort.

“Chief Cordell has elevated the training provided by ILACP since becoming the chair of the educational and program committee by bringing in relevant and quality instruction for members, that help meet mandated training requirements,” stated ILACP President Marc Maton. 

“He was instrumental in creating ILACP’s partnership with ILETSB's Executive Institute to create the eTraining Center which has provided an avenue for officers and chiefs to acquire several hours of FREE training without having to leave their homes,” added former ILACP President Jim Kruger. 

Chief Cordell has served as an ILACP assessor on numerous assessment centers the Association has provided to member communities. These assessments included chief executives as well as subordinate supervisors. His insight into the qualifications of the candidates has served numerous communities well and provided the association with an increase in credibility with our membership.

Chief Cordell was appointed chief of Oakwood Hills at a pivotal time for their department and community. There had been a leadership vacuum when the former chief left, causing village leadership to appoint an emergency interim chief from the rank and file. As a result, there were many administrative issues and duties left unaccomplished that Chief Cordell took personal responsibility for and ensured were completed. This included implementing Lexipol’s policy management software and updating the department’s policies and procedures; evaluating and replacing the department’s aging vehicle fleet; implementing a new in-car camera system; and preparing the organization for the acquisition of body-worn cameras. He has also revamped staff scheduling to maximize coverage, and prioritized training and development of staff while focusing on providing quality service to the community.

In 2022 Chief Cordell partnered with the McHenry County Sheriff's Office along with other local law enforcement leaders in McHenry County to develop and establish the McHenry County Police Social Work Program. The program is designed to support police officers with full-time police social workers to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the county’s network of social service providers. 

ILACP Executive Director Kenny Winslow says, “Chief Cordell has been an invaluable resource during my transition to Executive Director. His dedication to member education and knowledge of event and conference planning has been a huge help. Ray is passionate about the ILACP, and his work ethic, knowledge, and experience serve as an asset to the organization. He is well respected and held in high regard by his peers from around the state. His servant leadership style and magnetic personality are contagious.” 

For these reasons and others, Chief Cordell was chosen as this year’s ILACP Chief of the Year.