#82 - Put Your Mask on First: Wellness Starts at the Top

Dr. Wes Blair, Chief of Police at Memphis International Airport, joins The Clear Voice to talk about his career across multiple states, the move from traditional municipal policing into airport law enforcement, and why wellness has to start at the top.

Wes shares how airport policing is still police work, but in a very different environment with travelers, tenants, airlines, federal regulations, security expectations, and customer service all layered together.

The conversation also turns to officer health and wellness, the old law enforcement culture that kept many people from talking about what they were carrying, and why leaders must model the same care and support they expect from their teams.

Read Wes’s article for Clear Career Professionals: https://clearcareerpro.com/clear-news/authentic-leadership-taking-care-of-ourselves

Learn more about Wes and Blair Advisor Group: https://blairadvisorgroup.com/

Connect with Wes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-blair/

Chapters:

00:00 Why Wellness Became Personal 03:09 Wes Blair’s Law Enforcement Background 06:19 Federal Air Marshal Experience 08:08 Returning to Community Policing 11:09 Knowing When It Is Time to Leave 12:40 Moving Across States and Organizations 16:11 Leadership, Uniforms, and Culture 19:33 Municipal Policing vs. Airport Policing 22:12 Airport Reporting Structure and Leadership 24:49 Relationships Across the Organization 28:18 Officer Health and Wellness 36:45 Annual Mental Health Check-Ins 41:22 Put Your Mask On First 46:36 Blair Advisor Group and Leadership Training 48:07 Advice for Public Sector Leaders

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Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders. In addition to executive search services, Clear provides local government leadership training, organizational assessments, executive coaching, interim leadership placements, and strategic consulting designed to strengthen city organizations and support effective public service leadership.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes.

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