Steve Gillikin

Steve Gillikin has extensive experience in law enforcement and education, currently serving as the Loss Prevention Manager at Direct Distributors since March 2011, overseeing loss-related issues across multiple retail locations. As an instructor with the University of Phoenix since July 2003, Gillikin teaches courses in the Criminal Justice curriculum. Previous leadership roles include Chief of Police at the Smithfield Police Department from 1997 to 2009, where oversight of departmental operations was a key responsibility, and Lieutenant at the Cary Police Department, focusing on criminal investigations and crisis negotiations. Early career experience includes positions as a Deputy Sheriff at the Carteret County Sheriff's Department and as a Patrol Officer with the Atlantic Beach Police. Educational credentials include a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a focus on Organizational Theory from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.