About The Speakers WYDM

Elizabeth Burton Ortiz has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Juris Doctor. After graduating from law school, Ms. Ortiz clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals. Ms. Ortiz then joined the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, in Phoenix, Arizona, where she prosecuted cases for sixteen years. During that time, Ms. Ortiz served as a Bureau Chief in Juvenile, Pretrial, Charging, and Appeals. In 2009, Ms. Ortiz joined the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (“APAAC”) as the Senior Staff Attorney, and was subsequently named Executive Director. In addition to her APAAC duties, Ms. Ortiz is a sworn special prosecutor in several Arizona counties, and continues to carry a criminal caseload. Ms. Ortiz is co-chair of the Arizona Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women, chair of the State Bar of Arizona Public Lawyers Executive Council, and chair of the State Bar of Arizona Criminal Justice Executive Council. She serves as a board member for the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators, the National District Attorney’s Association, the Arizona Forensic Science Academy, the Arizona Supreme Court’s Commission of Victims in Court, the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization, and the State Bar Professionalism Advisory Council. Ms. Ortiz teaches extensively throughout Arizona, the United States, and in Mexico on a wide variety of legal topics, and is a facilitator for the Lessons From the Holocaust: What You Do Matters course.

Todd Larson EdD is the Director of the What You Do Matters (WYDM) Institute focused on training of criminal justice personnel across the United States. Prior to this role he was the Associate Vice President of Workplace and Public Safety for a large Arizona Hospital System and responsible for Security, Emergency Management, Central Communications, Access Control, Military Partnership, Simulations Training Center, Trauma Outreach, Injury Prevention, and the Forensic Nursing Program across six hospitals and over 100 other locations.

Prior to working in Healthcare, Todd retired from the Scottsdale (AZ) Police Department after 22 years of service. He spent the majority of his career investigating felony crimes within the Special Investigations Section, Violent Crimes Unit, Federal DEA Phoenix Task Force, and served over ten years on the Scottsdale Police Department SWAT Team as an operator, sniper, and team leader. Todd has authored numerous court orders and warrants as well as serving as an instructor for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Scottsdale Police Department, and The Arizona Narcotics Officers Association (ANOA) Annual Conferences.

Todd is a graduate of The Advisory Board’s High Performing Leadership Fellowship, The Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, and is a Certified Force Science Specialist. Todd has authored several published articles involving police training, tourniquet research, TBI research, and healthcare technology. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Northern Arizona University, a Master’s Degree in Leadership with Emphasis in Crisis Management and Disaster Preparedness from Grand Canyon University, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University.