Rock Valley College

Chief Tom YehlTom Yehl, Chief of Police

Our Chief of Police, Tom Yehl, has served with the Rock Valley College Police Department since April of 2020. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and a Master’s degree in Criminal and Social Justice Administration from Lewis University. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. Chief Yehl worked for a municipal department in DuPage County for 27 years and held several positions. He was also a member of Felony Investigation Action Team as an investigator as well as investigator with the DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force. He began his policing career in higher education at a community college in Cook County as an Administrative Sergeant.  His certifications include; certified field training officer, certified firearms instructor, certified use of force options instructor, certificate in managing an investigative unit, and certificate in property and evidence unit manager. Chief Yehl is the State of Illinois Chapter President for the National Association of Safety and Campus Administrators (NASCA).

Chief Yehl assumed his new role on October 1, 2021 while continuing his Deputy Chief responsibilities including policy and procedure development and accreditation, emergency preparedness, and community policing.

Michael Schoening
Deputy Chief Michael Schoening 

Deputy Chief Schoening graduated from Loras College in 2006 with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Sergeant Schoening began his career in Law Enforcement as a police officer for the Rock Valley College Police Department in 2009. He was promoted to sergeant on June 1, 2020. Sergeant Schoening is a Firearms Instructor, Bike Officer, Certified Glock Armorer, and a member of the ILEAS Mobile Field Force.

John Hoshaw
Sergeant John Hoshaw

Sergeant Hoshaw's family moved to the Rockford area in 1965 when his father, Lloyd Hoshaw, took a teaching position with Rock Valley College. He is an RVC alumnus with an AAS Degree In Police Science, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University.

He was hired by the Rockford Police Department in 1981 where he worked in many different areas over the next 32 years. He has been a firearms instructor and armorer, a member of the SWAT team, an accident investigator, a member of the PBPA union board, Patrol Sergeant and Field Force supervisor. Sergeant Hoshaw retired from the Rockford Police Department as a Sergeant in 2012 and took a position as a Patrol Officer with the Rock Valley College Police Department. He was promoted to RVC PD Sergeant in 2014.

His hobbies include outdoor sports, hunting, fishing, and target shooting. As a police Master Firearms Instructor, he has had opportunities, to study at a number of marksmanship academies including The University of Illinois PTI, Gunsite academy, Smith and Wesson Academy, and Sigarms Academy. He is an avid competition shooter, and has shot in a number of rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines at the local, state, and national level.

Marc Rubert
Officer Marc Rubert

Officer Rubert has worked at Rock Valley College since 2008 and has worked in law enforcement since 1998. Officer Rubert is a Field Training Officer (FTO), Fraternal Order Police (FOP) Labor Council Negotiations Team member (2012-2016) CBA, C-Cert instructor, and a First Responder D.

Officer Rubert grew up in Rockford and attended Rock Valley College (1989-1991) and graduated in 1991.

Sarah Smith
Officer Sarah Smith

Officer Smith graduated from Rock Valley College with an Associate’s degree in Applied Science in Criminal Justice. She started her career in law enforcement in 2003, and has been with the Rock Valley College Police Department since 2005. Officer Smith is a Certified Juvenile Officer and a R.A.D. Instructor. She has additional training in Practical Lie Detection & Field Interviewing, Critical Incident Management and Serving & Protecting a Multi-Cultural Community. Officer Smith is also a Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P.) Union Steward.

RVCPD Officer John HoeksemaOfficer John Hoeksema

Officer Hoeksema joined the Rock Valley College Police Department in May of 2021. He began his law enforcement career in January of 1993 with the Rockford Police Department. He is a graduate of Western Illinois University and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

 

 

Theresa James, Emergency & Risk Management Coordinator
Theresa James, Emergency & Risk Management Coordinator

Theresa James is an accomplished emergency manager with extensive experience spanning almost 20 years of Incident Command and Emergency Response. In an emergency management capacity, Theresa has either coordinated response and recovery or participated in a myriad of emergencies, disasters, and exercises to include severe weather, floods, tornadoes, public health outbreaks, hazardous materials-radiation, mass fatalities, and air crash incidents.
 
In addition to her current emergency and risk management responsibilities, Theresa volunteers her time between Loves Park Fire Department as a Planning Chief and as a board member for the Greg Lindmark Foundation.
 
Theresa holds many certifications related to Emergency Management including the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD; Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) in College Station, TX; Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) in Champaign, IL; and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) in Oak Ridge, TN. She has also been a presenter for the CDC as well as the national conference for the National Association for County & City Health Officials on the Integration of Emergency Management with Daily Operations. She has authored numerous table-top, functional, and full-scale exercises to train, rehearse, and evaluate the effectiveness of response by local, regional, and state jurisdictions. Prior to joining our department, Theresa co-authored the 2019 Full Scale Active Shooter exercise at Rock Valley College with Chief Rick Jenks.
 
Theresa comes from a background in corrections through the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department, completing her training at the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois. She has also been trained in the health care industry where she was responsible for designing policies governing work-place safety, health and environmental services, and accreditation. She has developed management training programs that included the understanding of basic emergency management and processes, establishment of procedures for the receipt; distribution; and consumption of the Strategic National Stockpile, and disposal of hazardous waste. She has implemented procedures for oversight of safety, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. Theresa has also served as President of the Winnebago County LEPC (Local Emergency Preparedness Committee) local-level emergency management organization and as a member of an Advisory Panel for an Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).

Julie Boggie, Administrative Assistant III
Julie Boggie, Administrative Assistant III

Julie began her career at Rock Valley College in 1997, joining the Police Department in 1999. She was promoted to her current Administrative Assistant III position in early 2020. Julie's responsibilities include Law Enforcement Systems Administrator, Campus Security & Access Support, Compliance & Reporting, and Assistant to the Chief of Police. She also holds certificates from the National Incident Management Systems and assists with Emergency Preparedness efforts. Among her other duties, Julie works with eleven other law enforcement agencies and other emergency responders on a county-wide integrated computer-aided dispatch and records management system.
 
During her personal time, Julie most enjoys spending time with her family. She runs her own DJ business and is an accredited complementary therapist who teaches personal enrichment classes, including some for the Rock Valley College Community Education program.