Today’s Supervisor Spotlight introduces us to someone who supervises more than 100 people. Gizette Disher was selected to become ACC’s new district police chief, a role that puts her in charge of about 90 officers and 20 staff members.
Chief Disher brings 29 years of public safety experience to ACC. She comes to ACC from the Austin Police Department (APD), where she led numerous divisions, including the Special Victims Bureau, patrol, recruiting, training, emergency management, and major crimes. The committee that selected Chief Disher was impressed with her strong community ties.
We asked her to help us get to know her.
Why ACC? Why now? I know right now is the right time to join the ACC team. I was prepping for my retirement at the Austin Police Department, and saw all the great things ACC and the new Chancellor is doing and I want to be part of the amazing team.
What is the role of a community college police chief? How does it differ from your work at APD? I believe the role of a community college police chief is to make the students, faculty, staff, and visitors feel safe. That means having officers be visible and making everyone feel that their respective campust is safe. It’s my role to enusre, myself included, that we build relationships with everyone at all of the campuses to let them know that officers are there to assit them if needed. This role differs than APD, because APD is a municipal police department receiving 911 calls on a daily basis from the community. If time permits at APD we try and build impactful and lasting relationships, but sometimes the call load dictates how long we interact with the community.
Tell us about a great leader you’ve had, and what made them exceptional. One of the best leaders I ever worked for was when I was a district reprsentative (DR) at APD. My Sergeant at the time was very supportive about me going back to school and obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree. He allowed me to change my work schedule for two semesters so I could travel all the way to Texas State to take a biology class. He also provided helpful advice when I promoted to detective and advised me to get some experience as a detective before going to Internal Affairs. He had years of experience and always made it a point to share his knowledge with me. He was a true servant leader who always put the needs of his suborindates before his own needs.
What are some ways the ACCDPD can support ACC’s Theory of Change? ACCPD can support the Theory of Change by encouraging all students we come into contact with to continue their education and ensuring they have a sense of belonging and connection. Its every employees responsibility to ensure all students have their basic needs met, and we (ACC employees) provide the necessary support and resources for all the students to be successful. I believe if you touch one person you come into contact with, then you have made a difference. All it takes is one success story.
What ideas do you have for making PD openings more attractive to job seekers? My goal is to highlight the great things ACCPD has to offer and why applicants should apply. Also, highlighting the family atmosphere at a community college and how everyone is valued and their voices are heard is very important. Salary plays a role in attracting job seekers but it’s not everything. Job seekers want to find a sense of belonging and puporse and I know ACC can fill that need.
Do you ever get to leave work at work? What do you do for fun? Yes I am able to leave work at work. LOL I have learned how to have a work/life balance. I enjoy spending time with my husband, Jason, and my family. My husband and I like to travel and see different states, so we make it a point every year to find a state and visit their attractions. Additionally, my husband is a Harley motorcycle rider, so I like to get on the back and enjoy the scenery. I also, enjoy shopping and spending time with my nieces and nephew.
Welcome back to ACC, Chief Disher!
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