About Noble

A veteran of the US Marine Corps, Ellis retired from the Michigan Department of State Police after 25 years of service at the rank of Inspector/Assistant Division Commander.

During his time with the Michigan State Police, Ellis held many positions including Commander of the Gaming Section, Assistant Division Commander of the agency’s Southeast Criminal Investigation Division, and the Special Operations Division. As the assistant SECID commander for eight years, Ellis was responsible for the day-to-operation of the division itself and six multi-jurisdictional task forces.

As the Assistant Division Commander for the Special Operations Division. His responsibilities included day-to-day administration of the agency’s specialty teams and programs. This included the division’s budget which was upwards of $50 million dollars. Units under his command were the Aviation Unit, Bomb Squad, Canine Unit, Underwater Recovery Team, Emergency Support Team (SWAT), Meth Team, Field Training Unit, Technical Services, Major Case Unit, and Capitol Security. In addition, the agency’s Digital Evidence Section (DES), which included the ICAC Task Force (Internet Crimes Against Children), and the Forensic Artist’s Programs were later added to his portfolio.

Upon retirement, Ellis assumed the position of Deputy Director for the Detroit Crime Commission (DCC). A non-profit he helped found in 2011. The DCC’s mission was to create a safe community for southeast Michigan residents by working in partnership with citizens, private businesses, and public entities. Ellis brought forward initiatives in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties that were the direct result of public safety requests. Specifically, initiatives public safety entities (Police, Fire/EMS, and the community) cannot do for themselves due to lack of funding, expertise, or inflexible bureaucracies. Initiatives brought forward by Ellis included: witness protection at the local level, citizen’s blight abatement, educating Michigan youth about Driving While Black, and acting as the fiduciary for local governments to address immediate needs, such as rape kit testing, anti-human trafficking, funding for new units, and direct spending via private donations.

In 2012, Ellis joined the Metro Detroit Chapter of NOBLE. During his time with the Detroit Chapter, Ellis held many positions to include chaplain, secretary, sergeant-at-arms and finally, chapter president. As president, he hosted an extremely successful regional conference and assisted the West Michigan Chapter of NOBLE present a National Conference. While part of Metro Detroit Chapter pioneered and created the Justice in Action Committee. The first of its kind for NOBLE, the committee engaged law makers at every level of government about policing in Michigan communities. At its first committee chair, Ellis and members of the JIC personally met with the state’s attorney general, secretary of state, lieutenant governor, members of congress, and testified before sub-committees in the Michigan Legislature.

In 2022, Ellis left the DCC and moved to the Houston Area. Later that same year, he was offered and accepted the position as Safety & Security Director for NRG Park. A position he currently holds. That same year, he joined the Houston Chapter of NOBLE.

Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Eastern Michigan University and is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. He and his wife Darlyn have been married for 31 years, and together they have two adult daughters.

James E. Hayes has served as the NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Vice President since January 2022.

James E. Hayes is currently employed as a Police Sergeant and serves as the Training Coordinator for the Houston Independent School District Police Department. Sergeant Hayes has over ten (10) years of law enforcement experience beginning as a Reserve Deputy Constable with Waller County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office in Waller, TX. While employed with the Houston Independent School District Police Department, Sergeant Hayes has served as an Officer in the Campus Operations Division and an Investigator in the Criminal Investigations Division.

Sergeant Hayes currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership from the University of Houston Downtown. Sergeant Hayes has completed the FBI – Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Development Association trilogy of courses and has completed the NOBLE Supervisory Professional Development Program hosted at Cedarville University in Cedarville Ohio. Sergeant Hayes is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as Vice President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) – Houston Chapter. Sergeant Hayes was previously employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice / Correctional Institutions Division and served as a Correctional Officer, Sergeant, and Lieutenant at multiple regions throughout Region III.

Sergeant Hayes is married and has one (1) daughter. It is his desire to continue his professional and community efforts to make Houston and the surrounding area a better place to live while positively impacting the law enforcement / criminal justice community.

Dana L. Carter currently serves as NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Treasurer since January 2022.

Dana L. Carter is a law enforcement sector leader contributing 25 years of experience in investigations and forward-thinking methods of managing risk, prevention strategies, and law enforcement techniques. Beginning his career with the Chicago Police Department, Dana matriculated through the ranks, and currently serves as the Assistant Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, US Postal Inspection Service. Characterized an ambitious self-starter who supports collaborative efforts achieving quality & impactful results, in his current leadership position he oversees; the strategic management of federal agents conducting criminal/civil investigations, internal employee workplace violence investigations, physical security assessments, risk management/security plan implementation, and a variety of other investigations, along with a staff of professional and technical employees. Dana’s experience also includes having oversight of a uniformed Postal Police Security Force operating in Houston TX and New Orleans LA.

Roy L. Ferguson currently serves as NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Parliamentarian.
Captain Roy L. Ferguson currently serves as the Operations Commander for the Reserve Division of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. He was sworn into that position on April 23, 2021. He oversees all assignments of members within that Division.
He began his career with the Houston Police Department in 1974. As an officer he worked in the Patrol, Narcotics and Community Service Divisions. After promoting to Detective, he was assigned to the Homicide Division where he worked for 12 years. He went on to serve as a supervisor in the Recruiting and Personnel Divisions before retiring in 2008. He received numerous departmental awards, recognitions, and letters of commendation from citizens, supervisors, and community leaders.
After retiring from the Houston Police Dept., Captain Ferguson joined the Fort Bend Precinct 2 Constables as a Reserve. He continued to serve his community and assist the administrative staff within the Constables office. He worked for 12 years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant.
Captain Ferguson served concurrently within the Security Department of the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency throughout his law enforcement career and recently retired in March 2022 after 33 years of service.

He holds a Master Peace Officer Certification through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Captain Ferguson is married to his wife, retired HPD sergeant, Renita, for 40+ years. He is a valued member of his church and community and the revered patriarch of his family.

Captain Ferguson joined the NOBLE family in 1990 after the national convention was held in Houston. He has served faithfully at the local, regional, and national levels and is a lifetime member.

Jocelyn Ballard currently services as the NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Local Associate Member Representative

Jocelyn Ballard is an experienced law enforcement Police Officer and Police Instructor. She graduated from the University of Houston – Clear Lake with a Master’s Degree in Criminology and is currently completing her Doctoral Studies in the Administration of Justice at Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. Throughout Jocelyn’s career at various law enforcement agencies, she has served in various roles, including a police officer, field training officer, criminal intelligence analyst, training police instructor, and crisis intervention officer. She is a certified trainer in many State-endorsed subject areas, but her favorites include crisis management and community policing. She holds a Master Peace Certification, Advanced Instruction Certification, former Drug Recognition Expert, and former adjunct Professor.

Jocelyn is distinguished for her ability to forge traditional policing methods and community outreach programs. Jocelyn takes great pride in being entrusted with the honor and responsibility that comes with being a part of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office patrol team. Jocelyn continues to seek and embrace changes that resolve our community’s problems in a forthright and effective manner. This is accomplished through various means, including enforcement of state and local laws, crime prevention, relational policing, and education strategies. As a strong proponent of community policing, Jocelyn believes in establishing partnerships with the community in which she serves to improve neighborhood quality of life through professional police practices and services.

Dr. Trina Burkes-Jones currently serves as the NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Sergeant at Arms.

Dr. Trina Burkes-Jones is a 34-year veteran law enforcement officer whose motto is “A lifetime commitment to academic excellence fosters the professionalism necessary in Law Enforcement.”

Dr. Burkes-Jones is a proud native Houstonian. She left a four-year career in education and entered law enforcement in January 1990, where she worked 19 years as a Deputy Sheriff in various capacities for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Dr. Burkes-Jones has worked for 15 years at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (HCDAO), where she is currently the first Black female Executive Assistant Chief Investigator. She serves at the Bureau Chief level and as an executive leadership team member for the Office. She manages all the Administrative Operational Services of the Investigations Bureau. She works as the Chief Investigator in his absence. Executive Assistant Chief, she manages the overall operations of the Civil Rights Bureau, Public Corruption Bureau, Special Crimes Bureau, Mental Health and Special Victims Bureau, Vehicular Crimes, and Digital Forensic Investigation. Dr. Burkes-Jones is also responsible for overseeing and coordinating the supervision of 109 District Attorney Investigators. She engages with 87 law enforcement agencies in Harris County and a wide array of diverse communities that partner with the District Attorney’s Office to pursue justice for our residents collaboratively.

Before this promotion, she was the Lieutenant Investigator of the Mental Health Bureau, where she supervised the Investigators assigned to Mental Health, Child Fatality, Juvenile, Violent Sexual Predators, and Victim Services. Dr. Burkes-Jones used her former Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and became the content expert testifying on Animal Cruelty, Mental Health, Adult Living Facilities, and threat/violence risk cases.

Since coming to work for the HCDAO, Dr. Burkes-Jones has received various honors, awards, and commendations. The most impactful was in 2010 when she received a Service Award for working on the Haverstock Hills Apartments Gang Injunction. In 2016, she implemented the Officer Safety Initiative by identifying a flaw in the NCIC/TCIC system and created a new code (302 – Acquitted/ Insane) by the District Clerk’s Office (DCO) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The code updates and makes available all Not Guilty by Insanity (NGRI) dispositions in the CJIS system. Additionally, in 2018, she received the Investigator of the Year – Chuck Dennis Award from the Texas District and County Attorney’s Association (TDCAA). Finally, in 2020, Dr. Burkes-Jones received the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award for completing the Supervisor Leadership Institute (SLI), Command Leadership Institute (CLI), and Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) courses.

Dr. Burkes-Jones has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Texas Southern University, where she is a Lifetime Member, a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Prairie View A& M University, and a Doctorate of Management Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. She is a Leadership Command College (LCC) Alumni, graduating in the #67 Class of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT). Dr. Burkes-Jones was the Class President and Keynote Speaker in that class at their graduation ceremony. She is also a graduate of the LCC Leadership Inventory for Female Executives (LIFE) – Class #11. Dr. Burkes-Jones has completed her Certified Public Manager’s (CPM) Course and is awaiting graduation.

Dr. Burkes-Jones serves as vice chair of the TDCAA Investigators Board and is an at-large member. She is also on the board of the Houston Area Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) as the Sergeant at Arm and One Delta Plaza Educational Center. She is a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs (APC), the Texas Police Chief’s Association (TXPCA), the Houston Area Police Chief’s Association (HAPCA), and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP).

Dr. Burkes Jones is a 39-year committed member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (Delta Gamma Chapter) – Houston Alumnae Chapter. She also an active member of the Top Ladies of Distinction (TLOD), National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) – Legacy Life Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Poor People’s Campaign, where she volunteers with the Voter’s Registration.

Rhonda Young currently serves as the NOBLE Houston Chapter’s Interim Correspondence Secretary, since January 2024.

Rhonda Young, a Registered Nurse, received her ADN from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, her BSN from the University of Texas Arlington, and her MBA-MHA from American Intercontinental University, Schaumburg, IL. Rhonda’s specialty is Leadership in Surgical Services. Regardless of the position, Manager to Interim Chief Nursing Officer, she prides herself on providing her patients with the highest level of compassionate care. In 2018, Rhonda was nominated as one of Houston’s Top 150 Nurses. Rhonda works as a private duty Concierge Nurse and I.V. Hydration specialist.