Mitch Cunningham

Chief Law Enforcement Advisor - National Sheriffs' Association

Deputy Chief Mitch Cunningham (ret.) served 39 years in law enforcement, retiring in 2019 from the Wilmington, NC Police Department, where he remains an auxiliary officer. Previously, he spent 27 years with Montgomery County Police in Maryland, pioneering initiatives like the Career Criminal Unit, regional auto theft task force, and the NCR LInX data-sharing system. In Wilmington, he led efforts to reduce gang violence, launched the first Peer Support team, and implemented opioid response programs including naloxone distribution, the LEAD diversion program, and the Quick Response Team. Cunningham has presented nationally and internationally on community policing and multijurisdictional investigations, taught at FBI training academies, and contributed to various law enforcement advisory groups. A certified instructor, he’s taught at several colleges and currently serves as Chief Law Enforcement Advisor for the National Sheriffs Association, focusing on opioid response. He is also Vice Chairman of Soaring as Eagles, a nonprofit supporting families in Title 1 schools.

Sessions