Vincent "Nick" Hernandez

V. Nicholas Hernandez is a respected public safety strategist, organizational development consultant, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over 30 years of progressive experience leading complex law enforcement and effective emergency management projects. As a transformative force in municipal governance and police leadership, Mr. Hernandez has earned a reputation for revitalizing operational frameworks, elevating and implementing training ecosystems, coordinating and conducting complex investigations and organizational assessments, and driving measurable improvements through policy-rooted, data-informed solutions.

 

Mr. Hernandez began his career in the United States Marine Corps, where he was meritoriously promoted three times for exceptional leadership and operational innovation and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Following his military service, he spent 25 distinguished years with the Austin Police Department, culminating in his appointment as Director of Emergency Management. In this role, he led a $450M department’s emergency management operations portfolio, overseeing enterprise and intergovernmental coordination, continuity of operations (COOP), and large-scale homeland security planning. He served as the city’s lead representative for a joint counter-terrorism project with DHS and FEMA, and represented Austin in key public safety negotiations with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Capitol Complex. He also served on the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) Homeland Security Task Force contributing to the planning, coordinating, evaluating, and recommending projects for grants received from the State of Texas.

 

Mr. Hernandez’s career is underscored by a passion for institutional excellence, exemplified by his redesign of the APD Vehicular Homicide Unit and his leadership in overhauling the department’s Field Training and Evaluation Program. He co-supervised the department’s Police Academy and authored scenario-based, tiered curricula in leadership development, interpersonal communications, and critical incident response—rooted in adult learning theory, policy compliance, and public trust.

 

Since retiring from public service, Mr. Hernandez has excelled in consultancy work that aims to partner with agencies to identify systemic challenges and implement integrated organizational solutions. He advises leaders across government and private sectors on strategy, change management, infrastructure resilience, and policy and executive development. In addition to his consulting work, he continues to instruct in academic settings, bridging theory and practice to prepare the next generation of public safety leaders.

 

Mr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a minor in Business Foundations from the University of Texas at Austin, where he focused on the intersection of business, government, and society. He is a graduate of the City of Austin Executive Academy and is credentialed with a Master Peace Officer License, Instructor Trainer certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Academic Instructor certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and Social/Behavioral Research certification through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. He recently completed formal training in AI Prompting and Data Analytics through the University of Texas McCombs Executive Skills Program, expanding his capacity to drive innovation and intelligence integration in public safety strategy.

 

Known for his discretion, analytical rigor, and unwavering objectivity, Mr. Hernandez continues to shape public safety outcomes through leadership rooted in integrity, strategy, and operational excellence.