Tom L’Esperance

Senior Vice President

Chief Operating Officer

Tom L’Esperance is the chief operating officer and a senior vice president of the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR). His responsibilities provide him the opportunity to support the implementation, administration, and oversight of IIR’s new and continuing projects while building field-based partnerships and assessing current and emerging national issues and trends within the justice community. He has an extensive background in project management, development, and implementation related to information and intelligence sharing projects and programs at the federal, state, and local levels. In various capacities, Mr. L’Esperance has participated in the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (CICC), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Partners Board, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State and Local Intelligence Council (SLIC). He served on the executive boards at the New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN) and the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). He now serves as a lead coordinator for program engagements while developing project plans and overseeing task teams on both short- and long-term projects.

Mr. L’Esperance is an experienced law enforcement officer and executive, having served 28 years with the Vermont State Police, the last 6 as director/colonel, and retiring in 2015. While serving as director, he had executive-level oversight of the Vermont Fusion Center and was the chairman of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) State and Provincial North Atlantic Region, working closely with state and local leadership to enhance terrorism information sharing initiatives across the northeast region of the country—including supporting both strategic and tactical enforcement efforts with federal and Canadian law enforcement partners focusing on border safety. He implemented best practices related to highway safety, including enforcement of seat belt, driving-under-the-influence, and texting-while-driving initiatives, resulting in 2014’s lowest statewide highway fatality rate since World War II. He instituted the Drug Overdose Reversal Naloxone Program and statewide training components in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health and was the recipient of the University of Vermont Civilian Service Award for cooperation and collaboration with University Police Services in 2014.

Mr. L’Esperance’s background includes 4 years of service with the federal government. As a deputy program manager in the Senior National Intelligence Service at ODNI, he led division staff members in information sharing and safeguarding projects, strategic planning, governance, and ongoing development of key mission partner relationships. While at DHS, he was the law enforcement advisor for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

Mr. L’Esperance holds a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Champlain College.