Stephanie Hanner

Stephanie Hanner is a distinguished career law enforcement officer now in her 27th year of service. She currently holds the rank of Sergeant and works alongside multiple local and federal agencies as part of an active drug task force. With over 13 years in investigations following 12 years on patrol—and more than two years as a dispatcher before attending the police academy—Stephanie has built an impressive and multifaceted career rooted in her lifelong commitment to public safety.

That commitment was forged early. Stephanie grew up watching her mother serve as a law enforcement officer at a time when wellness programs didn’t exist—and admitting the emotional toll of the job could be career-ending. She witnessed firsthand the accumulation of critical incidents and the silence that surrounded them. It was this legacy that fueled her determination not only to wear the badge, but to become part of the solution for those who carry the weight of the work.

For more than seven years, Stephanie has served as a dedicated member of her department’s peer support team, responding to critical incidents across the state of Ohio. Her passion for officer wellness and healing led her to attend the Post Critical Incident Seminar in 2019 and several advanced mental health trainings, including the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and the First Responder Mental Health and Wellness conference, where she first connected with wellness advocate Larry Turner.

A powerful voice in women’s wellness spaces, Stephanie is a Red X lead performer in the SAW (Strong As a Warrior) program and has participated in every female SAW cohort since March 2024. Her own turning point came during her first SAW experience in October 2023, which profoundly reshaped her perspective on trauma and healing. It was during one of these events that she also met Cinnamon Reiheld, sparking a shared commitment to first responder mental health.

Stephanie knew she wanted to become a police officer since she was just three years old. What she couldn’t have known then was the weight of the emotional toll that would come with it—and the strength it would take to survive it.