Carmen Best has worked in the private sector in a Fortune 100 technology company as a Director of Global Security, overseeing the continuous monitoring, detection response to worldwide, physical security infrastructures.​

Carmen served as Chief of Police for the Seattle Police Department (SPD), where she spent 28 years rising from entry-level patrol officer to become the first African American woman Chief. Leading a team of approximately 2,000 employees, she spearheaded record-breaking diversity hiring, created the Collaborative Police Bureau to strengthen community partnerships, and implemented critical first responder safety protocols during COVID-19.

A Pacific Northwest native and U.S. Army veteran, Carmen has earned numerous accolades, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, “Woman of the Year” by the National Police Defense Foundation (2022), and the FBI National Law Enforcement Ethics Award. She is also an Emmy-nominated public safety advocate and author of Black in Blue: Lessons on Leadership, Breaking Barriers and Racial Reconciliation (2021).

Carmen serves on the United Negro College Fund Leadership Council, the YWCA King County Board, and the Seattle University Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. She is a member of prominent law enforcement and leadership organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and the International Women’s Forum (IWF).

A sought-after public speaker and media contributor for MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC News, Carmen shares her expertise on leadership, public safety, diversity, and police reform. She holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University and has completed advanced leadership programs, including the FBI National Executive Institute and Senior Management Institute for Police.