Phil Niedringhaus, our new Regional Safety & Security Initiative director, brings a wealth of experience in law enforcement to JEWISHcolorado, including nearly thirty years as a special agent with the FBI. But as you can see from his pic, he also brings a not-so-secret superpower: [*whispers*] Phil can rope cattle.

The son of a Lutheran pastor and a schoolteacher, Phil grew up in South Dakota and worked on farms and ranches when he was a kid (hence the hat, which is no mere accessory; as this reporter noted, the man can cowboy). He knew early on that he was born with an instinct for protecting people and, presumably, beings of the four-legged variety, and after college in Sioux Falls, he put that skill to use. 

In his decades with the FBI, including ten years as a supervisory special agent and program manager, Phil honed a multitude of skill sets, all of which will make our Jewish community safer. He managed complex criminal investigations; mastered sophisticated investigative, analytical, and behavioral science techniques; built relationships with domestic and international partners, including foreign police and military, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; instructed law enforcement agencies and civic and private groups throughout the United States; ensured compliance with legal, regulatory, and policy requirements; and ensured that resources were effectively and efficiently deployed.

And all that is very well and good. But of particular interest to this nosy reporter is Phil’s experience as… [*whispers*] an undercover agent. He’s been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king… wait, that’s not right. But he has been—for the purposes of catching bad guys—a domestic terrorist, a gun runner, a corrupt land developer, a drug dealer and a drug buyer, the driver for a film crew, and a hitman. (A hitman, people!) As Phil says, he’s been a few places and seen a few things.

Here’s hoping that his time with JEWISHcolorado is a bit less treacherous. And here’s to Jco’s newest staff member—our very own guardian angel—Phil Niedringhaus.