email: prodefense-mi.com

The staff at Professional Defense Consultants comes from a variety of backgrounds in mental health, education, personal safety and defense, and the martial arts. With over 60 years of combined experience in crisis intervention and mental health, and more than 100 years in several martial arts disciplines, as well as innovative, team-taught self-defense programs. Our staff has the experience and expertise to tailor a seminar or other program to meet the needs of any business or organization, no matter how large or small. We have provided seminars for school employees, courthouse employees and staff, probation officers, magistrates, mental health workers, social workers, emergency room staff, hospital security officers, County Health Inspectors, and social services staff.

Art Lauren, BA, MA, CSMI
President
Licensed Social Worker

Mr. Lauren is licensed to practice social work in the state of Michigan and has worked for 22 years at a four-county mental health authority located in Northern Michigan, including ten years as an Emergency Services Clinician. He also serves as a special deputy with the Marquette County Sheriff's Department as Community Corrections Coordinator. In addition to setting up his own initial crisis response plan in 1993, while with the mental health agency, he was instrumental in assisting other agencies by providing educational programs in workplace violence and handling potentially dangerous individuals.

Mr. Lauren has presented workplace violence prevention programs for the Michigan Recipient Rights Officers at their annual conference, the Michigan Family Independence Agency, and the FBI Indian Country Program for law enforcement and first responders. He has worked closely with law enforcement agencies in his community, providing workshops on traumatic stress, and serves as a guest instructor at the Northern Michigan University Regional Police Academy. In addition to the above, Mr. Lauren has been professionally involved with the community in the following capacities:

·   Group facilitator for a men's domestic violence program

·   Served on the Marquette County Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault Coalition and Executive Committee

·   Served on the county Jail Services Committee

·   Served as mental health liaison to the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base
mental health office prior to base closure

·   Member of the county critical incident stress debriefing group

·   High school special education teacher

·   Guest lecturer at Northern Michigan University social work
and health education classes

Mr. Lauren is a co-founder of Professional Defense Consultants and a member of the American Society for Industrial Security.

Richard Place, BSEd, MS, CSMI
Vice-President
Training Director

Richard Place is an educator and consultant, specializing in violence prevention, management of assaultive behavior, self-defense, team development, outdoor adventure education and experience-based training and development. He has been a student and instructor in the martial arts since 1957 and is presently:

·   Co-founder and Certified Senior Master Instructor, PDC/GNSC
·   Head Instructor, Northern Lights Martial Arts Center
·   Program Director, Northern Lights Women's Self-Defense (since 1992)
·   Founder/Grandmaster, Matsukaze-Ryu Goshin-Do (Jujitsu)
·   5th Degree Black Belt, Cuong-Nhu (Vietnamese karate)
·   3rd Degree Black Belt, Certified Coach/Instructor, Judo
·   2nd Degree Black Belt, USJA Jujitsu

Mr. Place is also co-author of:

·   Awareness...Women's Self-Defense Instructor and Student Manuals

·   PDC/GNSC Workplace Violence Series Manuals

Member:

·   American Society for Industrial Security

·   Association for Experiential Education

·   Cuong-Nhu Oriental Martial Arts Association

·   United States Judo Association

Mr. Place has also been a member of "KYDS III" (Kellogg Youth Development Seminars); a high school biology and music teacher; a university instructor (biology, rock-climbing), and served in the US Marine Corps. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of two adventure education organizations in the capacities of Chief Instructor and Executive Director.

Jeffrey Scott, BS, CSMI
Program Development and Instruction

Prior to the inception of Professional Defense Consultants, Jeffrey Scott was a teacher and tutor of physics and mathematics at the high school and university levels. Since then, he has taken his analytical expertise in physics and mathematics and applied it to the study of personal violence. This has included extensive research and development into self-defense and the management of assaultive behavior. Mr. Scott has been a student and instructor in the martial arts since 1991 and is presently:

·   Co-founder of Professional Defense Consultants
·   Judo Instructor, Northern Lights Judo Club and Northern Michigan University
·   Instructor of Northern Lights Cuong-Nhu (since 1996)
·   Member of Awareness: Women's Self-Defense Team (since 1994)
·   3rd Degree Black Belt, Matsukaze-Ryu Goshin-Do
·   2nd Degree Black Belt, Cuong-Nhu
·   1st Degree Black Belt, Certified Coach/Instructor, Judo

Jeffrey Scott is also a co-author of:

  ·   GNSC Workplace Violence Series Manuals

Member:

·   American Society for Industrial Security
·   Cuong-Nhu Oriental Martial Arts Association
·   United States Judo Association
·   National Eagle Scout Association

Michael Holman, BS, CSMI
Program Development and Instruction

Mr. Holman, a co-founder of Professional Defense Consultants, has developed a variety of physical management techniques for both women's self-defense and the PDC non-violent physical management programs in schools and in clinical and hospital settings. He was employed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as a Forest Fire Officer for 12 years.

Mr. Holman has been teaching martial arts classes since 1991 and has achieved:

·   4th Degree Black Belt in Matsukaze-Ryu
·   2nd Degree Black Belt in Cuong-Nhu
·   Instructor, Michigan Concealed Pistol License Certification Course

He has also assisted in the development of the women's self-defense program and currently serves as an instructor in the program.

Mr. Holman has a diverse background, having traveled extensively around the world while in the US Navy nuclear power program. He has worked as a supporting consultant for trauma victims, personnel consultant, electrician, freelance botanist, carpenter, heavy equipment operator, and has operated his own logging company. 

Shelley Simula, CDI
Administrative Assistant and Certified Instructor

Before joining Professional Defense Consultants, Shelley and her husband owned and operated a Building and Home Supply store in central Upper Michigan and also owned an Excavating and Trucking Company.

Shelley is currently employed with the Marquette County Sheriff's Department as a Deputy of Corrections, and has had training in pressure point control tactics. She is an Instructor on the Northern Lights Women's Self-Defense Team and she also holds a Third Class Rank of Sankyu (Brown Belt) in Jujitsu. Shelley brings her business and defense skills to Professional Defense Consultants and is a fellow Certified Instructor.

Janice F. Place, RN, BS, BSN, CSMI
Healthcare and Mental Health Advisor 

Janice Place is a Registered Nurse and Certified Teacher. She has been a Psychiatric Nurse and Nurse Manager since 1986. She has also been a student and instructor in the martial arts since 1994 and is presently:

·   Nurse Manager, Inpatient Behavioral Health, Marquette General Health System - Adult & Youth Psychiatric Units and the Center for Intensive Addiction Services

·   Certified Senior Master Instructor, PDC/GNSC

·   Certified Senior Master Instructor, Northern Lights Women's Self-Defense (since 1995)

·   Kids' Class Head Instructor, Northern Lights Martial Arts Center

·   1st-Degree Black Belt, Cuong-Nhu (Vietnamese karate)

·   1st-Degree Black Belt, Matsukaze-Ryu Goshin-Do

          Member:

·   Cuong-Nhu Oriental Martial Arts Association

Mrs. Place has also been a 4-H and Girl Scout leader, a university instructor (Nursing, Biology), and a middle school teacher. She has held research positions in Chemistry and Dairy Science.