Speakers Page

Kym Laube is the Executive Director of Human Understanding Growth Services, Inc., HUGS, Inc., located in Westhampton Beach, NY. In this position she brings over 33 years of substance use prevention knowledge and expertise, leading the organization to provide a full array of multidimensional prevention services and recovery supports. Kym is a national trainer and speaker, working with notable leaders in prevention including CADCA.

Having participated in the HUGS, Inc. Teen Institute program in 1986 as a high school student, Kym understands firsthand, the profound impact, lifelong influence and workforce development the Teen Institute program provides to young people. From student leader to Executive Director in 2002, Kym’s mission has been to empower others to seek their full potential and become agents of change in the world. Kym offers dynamic, passionate and interactive keynotes, trainings and workshops for large and small groups with an uncanny ability to talk with and not at people.  Annually, Kym presents to over 25,000 individuals, young and old across our great country.

Kym’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of young people extends beyond her executive office and can be seen in the many leadership roles she holds. She is active on various local, state and national boards and task forces and served on the NYS Governor Opiate Task Force. Most notable is her personal recovery and commitment to push individuals to make the space better wherever they are. Her greatest joy is watching her two adult sons creating live a life of choice and forge their own course. She lives in Westhampton Beach with her husband, and way too many dogs.

Rebecca Chiasson is the Chemistry Manager at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab which includes both seized drug analysis and forensic toxicology analysis. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Nicholls State University and a Master of Science from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has almost 20 years’ experience in forensics, specifically drug chemistry, toxicology and crime scene processing. In 2011, she was promoted to drug chemistry unit supervisor then chemistry manager in 2013. She has been qualified as an expert 20+ times in forensic drug chemistry in state and/or federal court. She has membership in the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, and the Louisiana Association of Forensic Scientists. She has been appointed to the State Epidemiology Workgroup, the Prevention Systems Committee, the Governor’s DWI-Vehicular homicide taskforce, the Governor’s Drug Policy Board, and Louisiana’s Impaired Drivers Emphasis Team. She co-chairs the Statewide and Capital Region’s Impaired Drivers Emphasis Teams. She assists in the identification, banning, and education of new synthetic drugs that are a public health hazard along with Louisiana Poison Center and DHH. She is also part of the team assembled for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan to identify the severity of drug impaired driving in Louisiana.

Officer Galloway, a Texan, known nationally as the Tall Cop, has worked in substance abuse prevention and education for over 20 years.  After playing Division I basketball and receiving his BA in Sociology from the University of San Francisco, he worked as a law enforcement officer for 18 years.

His various assignments included:

• Alcohol compliance and enforcement
• Crime scene investigation
• DUI task force
• Officer mentoring
• Field training officer

In 2007, Jermaine started the company known as “Tall Cop Says Stop™”. The Tall Cop has conducted trainings in every US state and Canada, and currently devotes thousands of hours each year to training professionals and communities on drug and alcohol prevention, education, and enforcement.

The Tall Cop is unique in that he spends hundreds of hours with “boots on the ground” highlighting drug culture in various communities. To date, the Tall Cop has trained more than1,000,000 professional and community members. The Tall Cop has conducted more than 9,700 community scans, identifying the drug culture and climate. He has trained across the U.S. and in other countries such as Canada and the Bermuda Islands.

His program, “High in Plain Sight”, is a nationally recognized program, that provides training, education, and enforcement strategies for community substance abuse issues. Additionally, Jermaine Galloway has published articles, been referenced in books, and has been highlighted in many media interviews.

The Tall Cop’s fast-paced and high-energy class provides attendees with an unparalleled learning experience!

The Tall Cop’s Professional Achievements

To date, Officer Jermaine Galloway has organized, coordinated and led:

• 60+ alcohol retail compliance checks, which have resulted in more than 1,800 checks of alcohol retailers
• 90+ underage drinking party and kegger patrols
• 40+ alcohol adult provider and minor decoy operations (“Shoulder Taps”)
• 60 fake ID trainings for bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and other alcohol retailers
• 70 large and special event alcohol enforcement projects

Officer Galloway is an Idaho POST certified instructor in:

• Alcohol Beverage laws
• Drug Identification

He has trained fellow officers, judges, educators, community leaders, and many others in issues relating to drug and alcohol abuse. These issues include:

• Alcohol laws
• Drug/alcohol trends
• Drug identifiers, logos and clothing
• Drug legalization
• Party patrols
• Party drugs
• Synthetic drugs
• Inhalants

• Drug concentrates
• Cough medicine abuse
• Drug concealment
• Fake IDs
• Non-traditional alcohol consumption methods
• Drugs/alcohol and popular music

Assisting his wife, Officer Galloway created the National Emerging Drug Trends Conference. This conference is one of the nation's leading conferences, highlighting street and community level emerging drug and alcohol trends. Officer Galloway has created several other community-based drug/alcohol prevention programs, as well.

Jermaine Galloway has published articles in American Police Beat Magazine and various newspapers. In 2015, his program You Can’t Stop What You Don’t Know™ was highlighted in the book Clearing the Haze by Dr. Christian Thurstone and Christine Tatum. He has also been highlighted in numerous news stories on such topics as:

• Marijuana
• E-cigarettes
• Party patrols
• Underage drinking
• Drug trends and stash compartments

Awards and National Recognition

Officer Jermaine Galloway has received such prestigious honors as:

• 2009: National Law Enforcement Partner of the Year award from Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• 2010: National Mickey Sadoff Underage Drinking Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
• 2014: National Liquor Law Enforcement Association’s (NLLEA) innovative project award (given to Boise Police Department for Galloway-led 10-10 Zone initiative)
• 2015: National and international award for American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for work and training on fake IDs and underage drinking
• 2017: National Enrique Camarena Drug Awareness Award from the National Elks Drug Awareness program
• 2018: Law Enforcement Partner Award from the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation for his statewide efforts to prevent and educate law enforcement on drug-impaired drivers
• 2023: International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) Certification