Presenter Bios
Chief Lissa Gundrum, Kitsap County Sheriff's Office
Chief Lissa Gundrum began her law enforcement career in 1998 as a deputy sheriff with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, where she worked patrol and served on the agency’s gang task force. In 2001, she lateraled to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy, where she also served as a defensive tactics instructor, field training officer, and member of a multidisciplinary gang task force.
In 2009, Chief Gundrum transferred to the detective division and has since served as the lead detective on numerous homicide investigations and officer-involved shootings. She promoted through the ranks of Detective Sergeant and Detective Lieutenant, and currently serves as the Chief of Detectives, Support Services, and the Office of Professional Standards.
Chief Gundrum holds a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego. In 2024, she further advanced her executive leadership training by graduating from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, Session #291.
Chief Chad Birkenfeld, Kitsap County Sheriff's Office
Chief Chad Birkenfeld from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, started his career in the early 1990’s with the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office where he worked as a patrol Deputy. In 1998, he lateraled to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy. From 1998 until 2002, he served as a patrol deputy, FTO, Use of Force Instructor, Firearms Instructor, and Peer Support. Chief Birkenfeld was a member of the Kitsap County SWAT team for 12 years, where he served as a breacher and marksman.
In 2002, Chief Birkenfeld moved to detectives, where he worked until 2025. During his time in detectives, Chad promoted to Detective Sergeant, Detective Lieutenant, and Chief of Detectives and the Office of Professional Standards. Chief Birkenfeld was a part of the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team (IIT) and acted as a Team Commander.
Currently, Chad is the Chief of Patrol for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office overseeing all patrol functions where he plans on finishing his career in December of 2026.
Special Agent (SA) Ted Halla, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Special Agent (SA) Ted Halla is a graduate of Trinity College with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He worked as a research biologist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before entering duty with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2000 as a Special Agent and was assigned to the Seattle Field Division. In 2002 SA Halla was assigned to FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force focusing on Domestic Terrorism. In 2008 he was assigned to the Pouslbo Resident Agency primarily working violent crime on the Olympic Peninsula.
During his more than twenty-five years with the FBI, SA Halla has held several collateral duties to include ten years on FBI’s Evidence Response Team and was Team Leader for their Hazardous Material Response Team. SA Halla served twelve years on the FBI’s SWAT Team with five years as the Sniper Team Leader. SA Halla continues to work out of the Poulsbo Resident Agency and is currently one of the Seattle Division’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) Coordinators and an Assistant Public Affairs Specialist.
