James E. Copple has a long and distinguished career in youth work, education, substance abuse, and crime and violence prevention. A nationally recognized speaker and writer in this field, Mr. Copple has served as the Founding President of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Crime Prevention Council in Washington, D.C., President of the International Institute for Alcohol Awareness, and Senior Policy Analyst for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. He is a Founding Partner of Strategic Applications International, LLC and President of Servant Forge, an international non-profit focused on leadership development in the non-profit and government sector.

In 2015, Copple facilitated President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and was the principal writer for the Implementation Guide for the Department of Justice. Over the past ten years, Mr. Copple facilitated 22 statewide summits on Methamphetamine Prevention and Enforcement, numerous summits on violence prevention, gun prevention, and comprehensive planning on alcohol prevention among underage youth. Mr. Copple specializes in designing and implementing comprehensive system responses across local, state, and federal governments to address the major social issues of our day. Recently, on behalf of SAI, Mr. Copple has worked in International Development working with governments and communities to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Mr. Copple has authored two major pieces of legislation, the Drug Free Communities Act and the Crime Free Rural State and Communities Act in the Department of Justice Reauthorization Bill. He regularly consults with states and communities on model state statutes and local ordinances related to drug abuse, gang violence, and underage drinking. While at NCPC, he played a major role in the design and implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Mr. Copple has done doctoral work in education at the University of Kansas, History at Boston College and The Johns Hopkins University. He taught history at Eastern Nazarene College, and Boston College. He served as an adjunct professor of education at the Wichita State University and Special Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools in Wichita, Kansas. He loves sailing, reading, and spending time with his eight children and 19 grandchildren.