Instructor: Joe Dessenberger

Joe Dessenberger
 Biography: Joe A. Dessenberger is Deputy City Manager for the City of Maize, Kansas, where his responsibilities include budget development, capital investment planning, and economic development. His career spans municipal government, law enforcement, public education, and military leadership, including service with the Wichita Police Department, Derby Public Schools, and the Kansas Air National Guard. He has extensive experience developing and managing operational budgets of up to $93 million and led a successful $120 million bond initiative that funded construction or renovation of 19 facilities. Dessenberger holds a Master of Criminal Justice from Wichita State University and is a Certified Public Manager, with additional advanced military leadership and national security education.

Classes by this instructor


Beyond the Numbers: Leading the Law Enforcement Budget

Budgeting is more than balancing numbers-it is a leadership responsibility. In this highly interactive workshop, participants will step into a fictional community and work through an entire law enforcement budget cycle. Through a progressive simulation, they will set priorities, build and defend a budget, respond to unexpected costs and reductions, make strategic tradeoffs, and adjust when circumstances change. Participants leave with practical experience and tools they can apply to budget decisions in their own agencies.
Thursday, January 21, 2027, Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, Learning Center Classrooms 5-8