Staff –

This PRLEA outshines the rest!

Since 1998, the Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy has graduated over 1,000 students. It has an excellent reputation among law enforcement hiring officials for producing outstanding candidates. This is a result of our extensive and highly-relevant curriculum and the relationships built over the years with surrounding law enforcement agencies who instruct and assist in the classroom and in reality-based training scenarios. These agencies include the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Flagstaff PD, Queen Creek PD, Arizona Game & Fish Department, Phoenix PD, our University PD, and the local U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our instructor cadre offers our students close to 1,000 years of collective experience!

Meet the staff

Director Michael O’Connor

20 years of commissioned law enforcement experience and began his career at the PRLEA at NAU in 2001 as a student. Since then he has worked for the National Park Service at Sequoia National Park, Lake Mead Recreation Area, and Denali National Park and Preserve and completed his Field Training Evaluation Program (FTEP) at Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park. In 2009 Michael became a Special Agent (1811) with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Anchorage Alaska and attended the Criminal Investigator Training Program. Michael then went on to work for the Anchorage Police Department as a patrol officer, Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit officer, a Detective with the Crimes Against Children Unit and then became assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. Michael received his Bachelor’s in Parks and Recreation Management at Northern Arizona University and his Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. Michael is also a certified Force Analyst from the Force Science Institute.

Mike O’Neil

Fire Arms instructor Mike O’Neil retired from the United States Forest Service before joining the PRLEA at NAU. Mike began his federal law enforcement career in 1995 working for the National Park Service as a law enforcement ranger and promoted to the position of supervisor ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. Mike has been a firearms instructor for 15 years and instructed at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at the Drug Enforcement Training Program for the National Academy for the National Forest Service

Alyssa Payne

With over a decade of experience in law enforcement, Alyssa has served in various roles, including Detention Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Crime Scene Investigator, and Corporal. Throughout her career with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, she gained extensive expertise in criminal investigations, evidence collection, emergency management, training, and leadership. Her diverse skill set includes defensive tactics, program coordination, investigation, leadership development, communication, and critical thinking.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies – Justice Studies with an emphasis in Criminal Justice Administration from Northern Arizona University and an Associate of Arts in Administration of Justice from Coconino Community College.
Passionate about education, mentorship, and public service, Alyssa is dedicated to preparing future law enforcement professionals through effective training, guidance, and program development.