P.O. Box 772

Burlington, MA 01803

2026 President’s Message

Welcome you, my Family, to the New England Crisis Negotiators Association’s 25th annual Conference at the Cape!

This year brought many challenges and changes to our Conference.  In late December, we were notified that the Emerald Resort and Conference Center had been sold and would no longer be a venue that could host our Conference.  VPs Wayne Cole & Tim Wilk, with the help of Cezanne Macary of Helms Briscoe, dug in and went through the exhaustive process of traveling to hotels throughout New England that were willing to entertain our group. They worked through the logistics of which property could provide us with a top-quality conference experience, but was also suitable for our needs and budget. 

During the process, Margaritaville Cape Cod was toured, and the group found out that they had recently completed a $40 million upgrade to the entire hotel, including common areas, guest rooms, meeting spaces, and even the indoor water park.  The keystone to the decision-making was when the Margaritaville agreed to graciously honor our 2026 contract from the Emerald!  After a line-by-line contract comparison with other properties, the Margaritaville Cape Cod Resort was selected, and a contract was signed for 2026 and 2027. I thank Wayne, Tim, and Cezanne for their hours and hours of work in finding us a new venue!!  I also want to thank the management at Margaritaville Cape Cod for working with us to make our Conference a reality!!  As you can imagine, even with the best planning, we may encounter some growing pains in our new location, but we ask everyone to be understanding and to please find a NECNA Board member with any insights on how we can improve your conference experience in any way. 

Twenty-Six years ago (we’re one Conference short due to the COVID year cancellation), our founding Board of Directors saw a need to bring together federal, state, local, corrections, and mental health professionals together for a disciplined continuing education program in the field of crisis negotiations. A tremendous amount of planning, organizing, coordinating, and budgeting occurred years before 2000.  In 2000, the dream was put into action by Bob Laprel, our first President, VP1 Courtney Matthews, VP2 Stephen Galvin, Treasurer Tracy Coscia, and F.B.I. Special Agent Liane McCarthy, when they incorporated the New England Crisis Negotiators Association and hosted the First Annual NECNA Conference!!!!! It was their hard work, along with countless others, that forged a true environment of learning, blended with a networking flair!  Unlike some organizations, the fiscal responsibility of the Members' money has been the cornerstone of the Board of Directors since its founding.  During my time on the Board, I have witnessed three associations go bankrupt due to the lack of fiscal management.   I tip my hat to all of those who worked so hard to make NECNA a reality, and to those who have served on the Board of Directors for the last twenty-six years.  Our fiscally responsible, members-first mindset throughout the years has allowed us to provide you with high-caliber training and networking opportunities while maintaining our position as a successful, thriving organization.  I personally want to thank past Presidents Courtney Matthews and Dr. John Colautti for taking me under their wing, drilling into me/us that for the Organization to survive, it must be fiscally responsible.  These two men also led by example with the utmost integrity and maintained the mantra that the “NECNA Membership always comes first!!” which we continue to this day.  I will forever be in debt to my mentors.

I am proud to announce that we are also hosting the National Council of Negotiation Association’s (NCNA) annual meeting at our Conference this year!! NCNA meets once a year for its annual meeting, which will take place this year on the Sunday before our Conference. “The mission of NCNA is to provide a collective voice on a national level regarding all aspects of crisis negotiations; to provide suggested negotiation guidelines and policies; and to encourage and support the general advancement of the discipline of crisis negotiators.” NCNA is comprised of over twenty associations throughout the United States, as well as FBI-Quantico. NCNA is the national voice for crisis negotiations.  The associations represented within NCNA (including NECNA) speak for a combined total membership of over 7,000 crisis negotiators and play a key role in providing operational guidance and training practitioners nationwide.  Please introduce yourselves to the dignitaries from other associations and take advantage of this year’s unique networking opportunities!!!

This year, we have an incredible speaker lineup.  For each conference, the Board listens to your survey feedback from prior years and vets each presentation for its content, learning points, and the speaker’s ability to convey their message.  This year, we are lucky to have presenters from across the United States and some from right here in New England.  We hope you will find the presentations to be diverse in content and style, and that you will be able to take away valuable points that you can use in your own work, out in the field, and in your personal lives.

It has been my honor to serve you, the Members of NECNA, as your President for the last eight years.  I am proud of our accomplishments and the consistent increase in yearly training opportunities on different platforms.  Please be sure to complete the daily surveys and/or see any Board member with feedback we can use to improve in the future.  We are dedicated to your needs as negotiators and individuals, and appreciate you joining us for Conference 2026.  Have a great time this week!

God bless you all, and I look forward to seeing my Negotiator Family in years to come. 

Be safe and take care of each other!!!

Phil Hadden

NECNA President