LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College Director of Public Safety Dustin Guenthner has been selected by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators to receive the 2026 IACLEA Award for Administrative Excellence.
The award will be presented during the IACLEA Annual Conference Leadership Awards & Installation Gala on June 27 at the Caribe Royale Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Guenthner serves as LC State’s Title IX and Clery Act coordinator, emergency manager, and he is one of the primary members of the school’s behavioral threat assessment and management team.
He joined LC State in 2021 as the Public Safety Department coordinator, at a time when the Security, Title IX, and Emergency Management departments were first being consolidated. Guenthner worked with the rest of the Public Safety staff to standardize operations, train staff, and overhaul policies and procedures. This work continued after he was promoted to director in 2023.
“Since his promotion to director, Dustin has emphasized community relations and engagement across the LCSC campus community,” Elliot Cox, higher education safety analyst with the Idaho State Board of Education, wrote in his endorsement letter for Guenthner. “Dustin credits the success of these efforts to his officers and staff, who have embraced Dustin’s drive towards community involvement by participating in campus events and engaging with students.”
As a result of his community-oriented endeavors, Guenthner is credited with increasing the use of campus safety walks and escorts by 160%, increasing mental health-related reports by 40%, and the implementation of the See Tell Now tip line to provide a free resource for the campus population to report community concerns.
Guenthner also secured funding for an additional full-time officer on campus, as well as increased funding for student officers while implementing cost-saving measures in the department.
He also worked to gain approval for LC State Public Safety officers to carry duty firearms while on patrol, and he obtained funding for related training and equipment.
“Dustin has consistently demonstrated exemplary professionalism, competence, and care for the LCSC campus community,” Cox said. “He has been able to achieve incredible progress toward a multitude of campus safety initiatives, strengthened partnerships across campus, and has built a culture of trust toward his department. Accordingly, I was thrilled – but not at all surprised – that Dustin was selected for this award.”
In his nomination letter, LC State Public Safety senior state officer John C. Lansing applauded Guenthner’s emphasis on continued training, communication, and leading by example.
“We didn’t need just another patrol person,” Lansing wrote. “We needed someone who has a vision, became a staunch advocate for staff, this agency, and ultimately our campus. … He is inclusive of staff input. He welcomes suggestions and ideas. This has been a great boost in the morale of our staff.”
LC State Public Safety senior officer Dylan Moore, who studies criminal justice at LC State, spoke to Guenthner’s personal impact on his career, noting that Guenthner has taken special care to help Moore get the training he needs to be prepared for a career in law enforcement.
“Dustin has gone to the moon and beyond for me, trying to help me accomplish my goals of becoming a police officer and getting me equipped with the tools I'd need early to prepare me ahead of time,” Moore said. “I wouldn't be where I'm at today without him.”
The IACLEA Award for Administrative Excellence is presented for outstanding service in areas such as policy, investigations, and crime prevention, with consideration for cost savings, enhanced administrative techniques, management ideas and more. Public safety, police, or security department employees at IACLEA member institutions are eligible for the award.
The IACLEA is the largest professional association devoted to campus public safety and law enforcement excellence.