OUR TEAM
Richard M. Smith, Jr.
CEO & Chief Consultant
Richard Smith is a former United States Marine who joined the San Antonio Police Department in September of 1989. He has been assigned to the Patrol Division, Training Academy, and the Tactical Response Unit, and the Special Operations Unit, where he was assigned as a full time Hostage Negotiator and as the San Antonio Police Department Tactical Medic Program’s Coordinator. Richard has participated in hundreds of critical incidents, and has been the Primary Negotiator in many of those incidents.
He is also a national and international media consultant.
Katherine Pankratz
President
As President of Con10gency, Katherine is responsible for planning, development, and implementation of the company’s strategic direction in close concert with Con10gency CEO, Richard M. Smith, Jr.
Katherine also works closely with the Con10gency sales team to drive business development, growth, and improvement in accordance with overall corporate strategy while ensuring the organization achieves strategic goals at the optimum pace.
Norm Voshall
National Director of Sales
Norm Voshall is responsible for business development and strategic partnerships, and has extensive experience helping organizations strengthen preparedness, safety, and operational resilience. As the Director of Sales for Con10gency Consulting, he works closely with corporate, government, healthcare, education, and public safety clients to identify training, equipment, and consulting solutions that support mission readiness and risk reduction.
Known for his collaborative approach and customer-focused mindset, Norm specializes in building long-term relationships, aligning solutions with organizational objectives, and helping clients navigate complex operational challenges. He is committed to delivering practical, results-driven strategies that enhance safety, performance, and organizational effectiveness.
Norm is a former United States Marine, firearms instructor, and commercial helicopter pilot.
Justin Smith
Training Lead
Justin has served as a Firefighter and Paramedic since 2009, when he joined the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD). He spent three years at the department’s busiest dedicated Advanced Life Support station before transitioning into the EMS Division.
During his time with SAFD, Justin served as a member of the Medical Special Operations Unit, where he specialized in tactical medicine and worked under an advanced scope of practice. He is a Rescue Task Force instructor for SAFD and was heavily involved in the development of SAFD’s MedCat program, a first-of-its-kind program in the nation.
Justin has also served as a Medical Training Officer and as a member of the Medical Strike Team, deploying to critical incidents across the region and throughout Texas. In addition to his work with SAFD, he has experience in suburban and rural EMS through the City of Schertz EMS, as well as inter-facility and critical-care transport.
Justin currently serves at the SAFD Training Academy as the Professional Development Lieutenant.
Dr. Orlando Beckum, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Orlando Beckum, M.D., attended undergraduate school at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX and attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas (UTMB). He continued his education through residency in General Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Later, he returned to UTMB and matriculated through the Burn Surgery Intensive Care Fellowship in conjunction with the Block Burn Unit and Shriner’s Hospital for Children. He was also granted a fellowship with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also served as Research Fellow with the Anesthesiology Department of UTMB at Galveston.
Following the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Beckum began working in Emergency Medicine in the State of Mississippi to assist affected areas during hurricane recovery. He then continued working in Emergency Medicine in the State of Texas where he served as Trauma Medical Director in Sweeny Community Hospital and Memorial Medical Center in Port Lavaca, TX.
Currently, Dr. Beckum serves multiple communities in the State of Texas as an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician as well as the Director for Peer Review at Texas A&M Rural Community Health Institute.
INSTRUCTORS
Our instructors are certified law enforcement, fire, or EMS personnel who have all completed NAEMT TCCC instructor training. They're also seasoned professionals with decades of experience, and most are active first responders within their local communities. It's a safe bet that one or more of our instructors are teaching a Con10gency class somewhere in the U.S. on any given day.
Benito Juarez
Lead Instructor
Benito Juarez has served with the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for the past 19 years as a patrol officer and has a total of 27 years of law enforcement experience. He is also a retired member of the United States Air Force Reserves, where he served for 22 years and completed multiple overseas deployments.
Benito is currently assigned to the Emergency Operations Center and serves as the Tactical Medic Coordinator for SAPD. He was previously a member of the department’s Special Operations Unit as a negotiator from 2016 to 2022 and served in the South Patrol Division from 2006 to 2017. He has been a Field Training Officer (FTO) since 2014 and has been part of the Tactical Medic Unit since 2010.
Brandon Reck
Lead Instructor
Brandon Reck is originally from Fontana, California. He began his career in emergency medical services after earning his EMT certification from Mt. San Antonio College in Los Angeles County. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in active-duty military service as a Navy Corpsman in 2007.
After completing Naval Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes, Illinois, Brandon transferred to Camp Pendleton, California, where he attended Field Medical Training Battalion-West. He was then assigned to School of Infantry-West in support of Marine Corps combat training. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Brandon later transferred to 1st Marine Division, where he served as a field Corpsman attached to various infantry battalions.
During his time with 1st Marine Division, Brandon deployed with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable. In this role, he participated in multinational training exercises, humanitarian assistance efforts, and combat trauma training alongside host-nation military forces throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
IN MEMORIAM
Our mission continues in honor of our founding medical director, Dr. Craig Manifold, who passed away suddenly in September 2020.
Dr. Craig A. Manifold
Dr. Craig A. Manifold served as the EMS Medical Director for ground, helicopter, critical care, tactical, fire based, third service, hospital based, private and not for profit agencies in Bexar County and South Texas, including San Antonio Police Department Tactical Medical team and Bulverde Spring Branch EMS.. He also served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
His career in emergency medicine started as a volunteer EMT Firefighter in his hometown of Stewartstown, PA. He enlisted as a medic in the US Air Force and transitioned to aeromedical evacuation instructor duties. He attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and continued his training in Emergency Medicine with his Internship at Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas and his Residency with the Joint Military Medical Centers Emergency Medicine Residency in San Antonio, Texas. After service with the US Air Force and deployments including OPERATIONS Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, and Enduring Freedom, he transitioned to civilian emergency medicine in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Manifold is most recently served as EMS Committee Chair; American College of Emergency Physicians, EMS Medical Directors Committee, Governors EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee (GETAC) and on several committees with the South Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC). Dr Manifold was also a board member of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Colonel Manifold continued his military service as Joint Surgeon (Senior Physician) for the Texas National Guard until his unexpected passing in September 2020.
Dr. Manifold was board certified in emergency medicine and emergency medical services. He presented at many national and international conferences and has several publications.