Title: Founder and President
Company: Menser Security and Detective Training Agency Inc.
Location: Markham, Illinois, United States
James D. Menser Sr., PhD, Founder and President at Menser Security and Detective Training Agency Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Private Security and Investigations.
Dr. Menser has established a distinguished career spanning five decades in the security and investigative services industry. As the founder and president of Menser Security and Detective Training Agency Inc. since 2006, he has overseen the agency’s growth and diversification into four specialized divisions: security officer, security patrol, detective and training. Under Dr. Menser’s leadership, the agency provides armed and unarmed security officers, motor vehicle and foot patrols for industrial sites and outdoor malls, and funeral escorts and parades.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Dr. Menser has served as a private detective instructor since 1990, imparting knowledge in criminal investigations, insurance surveillance, background checks, skip tracing and bodyguard services. He is also a firearms training instructor. Dr. Menser’s expertise extends to alarm security training and concealed carry license instruction for Illinois, Florida and Utah.
Dr. Mensers’s dedication to self-defense education is underscored by his status as a second-degree black-belt instructor at Typhoon Martial Arts Academy. He believes strongly that security professionals should possess hand-to-hand combat skills to protect themselves without resorting to deadly force. Through the agency’s training division, Dr. Menser offers state-certified 50-hour armed training courses and 30-hour unarmed programs for individuals under 21, as well as investigation training for those pursuing investigative careers.
Before founding his agency, Dr. Menser was a personal bodyguard for David Horowitz at Northwestern University in 2005. He also owned Menser Gun Shop in Gary, Indiana, in 1995, where he provided firearms expertise to clients. In 1990, Dr. Menser contributed as a firearm and security training instructor at M&M Enterprises Inc. in Chicago. Earlier roles included serving as a correctional officer at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, and working as a store detective for A&P in Chicago. Dr. Menser also taught at Malcolm X City Colleges of Chicago.
Dr. Menser’s academic achievements have played a pivotal role in shaping his professional journey. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science in criminal justice from Trinity Southern University, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in criminal justice, summa cum laude, from Suffield University. Additionally, Dr. Menser earned a diploma from the Law Enforcement Academy.
Among numerous other professional credentials, Dr. Menser holds a licensed firearm instructor designation from the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, the Illinois State Police and the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, and concealed-carry firearm instructor certifications from both the Illinois State Police and the Utah Department of Public Safety. He also holds licensed security contractor/private detective status from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, FEMA Emergency Management Institute certification, a federal firearm license from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and basic firearms education instructor certification from the National Rifle Association of America. Additionally, his qualifications extend to second-degree black-belt status from the Typhoon Martial Arts Academy, a teacher’s license from the state of Illinois, and notary public commissions in both Illinois and Indiana.
Throughout his career, Dr. Menser has been recognized for his expertise in security operations, detective work, self-defense instruction and firearm training. He has been an active member of the National Rifle Association of America since 1974. Additionally, Dr. Menser’s commitment to professional development is evident through his authorship of “The Professional Private Investigator Training Manual.” Securing this book deal fulfilled his lifelong ambition to write while advancing his mission to educate future generations of security professionals.
Notably, Dr. Menser helped secure a major parade for New Life Covenant Church in Chicago, collaborating with the Chicago Police Department to ensure public safety. This contribution helped the agency earn recognition in the Business Hall of Fame for seven consecutive years for excellence in security guard and patrol service.
Dr. Menser’s other contributions have been acknowledged through numerous awards, including recognition by County Clerk David D. Orr in 2005 and Carrie M. Austin of Ward 34 in 2005, Achievement Awards for Best Security Guard and Patrol Services every year between 2012 and 2019, and annual recognition from the City of Chicago and Chicago Police Department every year from 2013 to 2019. Dr. Menser attributes his success to maintaining a positive attitude and being personable, qualities that have enabled him to connect with trainees and clients alike. Inspired by childhood dreams to help others, he has dedicated his life to empowering individuals through education and mentorship.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Dr. Menser values family influences, crediting his mother, stepfather and father-in-law as significant positive forces in his life. His enduring legacy is reflected in the many individuals he has trained since 1990 who have advanced to careers as police officers or border patrol agents, many of whom have returned with gratitude for the guidance that shaped their professional paths in security and law enforcement. As he prepares for the future, Dr. Menser looks forward to entrusting the leadership of Menser Security and Detective Training Agency Inc. to his daughters so they may build upon his foundation of service excellence.
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