Vickie Faber
Vickie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Associate in Administration of Justice with an additional Certification from Phoenix College in Aviation and Aeronautics. Vickie has worked for the Gilbert Police Department for more than 20 years, assigned to the Crime Prevention and Community Affairs Unit. Working in this position, Vickie has spearheaded such programs as; the Blue Line Holiday Drive, which has helped thousands of underprivileged families by delivering gifts over the holiday season. Prior to Gilbert, Vickie began her service work as a volunteer City Commissioner, City Council Candidate, and Police Volunteer in Scottsdale. Ms. Faber has authored two major police programs that have been implemented in police agencies nationwide.
Vickie has served as a Governor-appointed Director for the State’s Citizen Corps Council as well as her current service as President-elect for the Arizona Crime Prevention Association since 2007, a non-profit group that provides law enforcement, business owners, and citizens resources, training, and network opportunities focused at reducing crime in the state. Vickie has had several of her authored articles published nationally, been a guest speaker at both local and national engagements, and was even in an episode of Animal Planet/Phoenix Cops in April 2017.
For ten years, Ms. Faber served as an animal foster for Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and, during that time, re-homed more than 150 abused, neglected, or abandoned animals. When not working, Vickie is a professional Sprint Car driver together with her partner, Ben Cluff, and enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Porter and Leo.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. Well here we are. We've got another great episode today and I can't wait for you to introduce this person. I know this guest is a significant thread in the fabric of our community. For more than 20 years. She has served the community to meet the needs of the underprivileged while also developing programs to reduce crime through prevention, two of which have changed police agencies nationwide.
This guest has a heart for serving and has fostered and re-homed more than 100 and 50 animals over the past decade. She is the mom of two well-accomplished adult daughters and a professional sprint car driver. Please welcome Vicki Faber. Hey Vicki, Hey welcome you so much. We're so glad you're here today. Yeah, thank you. I am happy to be here. Thanks you guys. I'm excited to have you here. So let's get started. We always start with rapid fire. Would you rather sing in public or dance in public?
Sing in public. What is one of your nicknames? Dexter? Dexter. Dexter. Would your 12 year old self think you were cool. Probably not. Mm hmm. Have you ever won a contest? Yes, I have. Okay. Would you ever skydive? Yes, I would Vicki. What is your favorite breakfast I love. Well I'm in law enforcement so I have to say donuts. I love it. What is one thing you wish you enjoyed more um flying in a large plane. Okay, are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? Oh extrovert.
Do you have a favorite book? I don't have time to read. I'm taking care of people. I hear you on that one. Yeah. Okay. Last question. Glass half full or glass half empty? Half full of it. Get a lot of half fools don't we? I love that about this. We've got a lot of great people out. There may be the sign of a good leader I guess. So do you ever feel like your business is stuck? It's time to get traction and move it forward. Call chris spear your business coach and certified US implementer will help you use the entrepreneurial operating system to get traction and achieve your vision call chris today at 4808483037.
That's 48 oh 8483037. Alright, so lots lots of good information today to talk about and um, I sort of want to start back with small town roots and I mean when you say small town, small town, 500 people, right? You talk a little bit about that and interestingly how a coin flip determined your fate of moving to Arizona. Well um lived in a really small town where literally my uncle was the mayor and there were only 500 people there. It was a very farming community is what it was Jefferson, South Dakota, which is on the border of Iowa and Nebraska.
So I could ride my bike either way and get into a whole different states. So it was a lot of fun, great place to grow up, not a great economy as you can imagine, farmers have it rough and my childhood jobs for my school clothes consist of pulling weeds and bean fields. One year, I actually was the only one left the bean field and I remember getting to almost the end and I looked at the other side and saw that the weeds were taller than me. Anyway, it was a tough, it was a tough job and um, a different kind of life but a great life, you know, we could be outside playing and you know, we, everybody knew everybody and took care of kids and we all took care of each other and it was a great place to grow up now with that being said, my father was a mechanic in the town and he also drove like the, because we had a lot of snow, the bulldozer in town and would scoop and you know, all the snow and throw me in it so that we could get to school and throw the kids in there.
So we, you know, could all make it to school. Um, but he was also the town mechanic and it was him and his best friend Dave and um, they started having hard times. Uh, and they decided that for them to be able to survive for one family, be able to survive. They were going to do a coin toss and I was 13 years old. I was just getting ready to go to high school at that point, the coin toss and dad lost and what the coin toss was was whomever lost the coin toss had to just pack their stuff up and go from the business, from their home, from everything so that the other one, the other family could survive.
So my dad literally lost the coin toss, came home and said we're moving and of course I was devastated because it was the start of high school. Um, but he, in the next week we packed up a van and we drove all the way across country. It's me and my little brother and my, my parents and uh made it here and lived in downtown phoenix with his brother owned a home there. So it was an interesting start and as terrible as it sounds, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.
Um I was petrified when I started high school of course because my high school was west 1200 people, it was bigger than my whole town, you know, by four times. But um it was a great experience. I had a wonderful opportunity. Um and the education of course back home because I was in a private Catholic school was so much greater. So I, you know, smooth through. I graduated a year early out of high school and had honors. Um, I went to pilot school, I got my pilot's license, I was in college.
I, I just had a blast. It was fun. It was a great, you know, a terrible thing for me at the time, but turned into a wonderful, wonderful thing. And I've been so lucky, curious like how do you as two best friends who own a business come to the determination that one literally has to leave town and at least two out of three or something. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So that was, that was the story of me coming here, wow. Yeah, I spent some time in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
I lived there and then I use the coin flip a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of decisions, people know me to like hire people from a coin flip. It's crazy. I know. So I have a lot more respect for him and now coming out, did you know that could have been me why I'm here too. That's funny. But yeah, South Dakota is a great place if you've never been there. It's funny because a lot of people that travel the, all of the States say the oddest state that I loved was South Dakota.
People don't realize what a a great place it is in black hills and Deadwood. The Mount Rushmore Rapid City area. It's awesome. I've never been there. It's a great place to go when they also have what I call the small Grand Canyon, the Badlands. So South Dakota is a really fun place. It is a good road trip. Okay, So you went into aviation and then found yourself in law. Right? How does this happen? Um, well actually, it's funny because when I was in college and through high school, I was also a cheerleader.
So when I went to college, I was a cheerleader as well, but getting my pilot's license and I got a really bad car accident. And so at that point, and my dad always laughed at me and said, you know, when people say, what is you, what are you trying to get in in college? And he would raise his hand and say she's trying to be a cheerleader, you know? But yeah, but ultimately, um, the accident um kind of made me change a little bit and um, after I had Children, uh, the insurance writers for pilots are, if you die in a plane, they're not gonna cover you.
And at that point I had, you know, a baby, um, you know, in college. So it was a decision to, you know, step back a little, do it later, maybe after I get them all reared up and, and in their own lives and go back to flying again. So where does that fascination and passion for aviation come from? Was there my grandfather was an airplane mechanic. Yeah, and I've just always loved, I've always loved aviation. Um So I did, I got my degree at phoenix college at the time in aviation and aeronautics and um got to fly quite a bit and uh yeah, it's great someday I'll go back to it.
Did your grandfather fly as well? So that's kind of yeah, yeah, so I really love uh the small planes are great because you can pretty much lose your engines and you're fine, you'll still be a way make it down, so that's uh you know, great. So I know you like to work with your hands, is that really, I mean a result of working alongside your grandfather? I feel like that maybe maybe you know, I think I just, I love being outside, I love creating things and I found this whole new passion for construction.
So I do a lot of construction, I remodeled several homes and um I love real estate, I buy and sell real estate on my, you know, side time and um I love doing tile. Um so, and and I don't know where that comes from. I don't know uh I appreciate the fact that you are an individual who doesn't just um think about these things is cool or just pin them on Pinterest, you actually jump in and do it. I mean you have done real estate and I mean race car driving and all these things that other people might think that's, that's really neat, but not something I could do and you just take the risk and go for it.
Absolutely could do it. You know, it's funny because that's that's the thing and I think I really enjoy helping women do those things too. Um I had a secretary at work and she wanted to redo the bathroom. So I um I said you know, just get the supplies, let's go, I'll teach you how to do it, we'll do it together. And I love doing that because these are things that women really need to know. Um you might be in a position where um you need things, you need to do things, you know, whether it be electrical or plumbing or even changing your car tires or taking maintaining your car.
I mean if you are um basically don't have a lot of money to be able to pay for those things, you want to have the ability to be able to do them anyway. So self sufficiency I think is really important and I love, I love bringing girls in and making them realize that you know what you can do this. Yeah. And you set an example that you're not held back by stereotypes. I mean you really just jump right in and empower others to do the same. I've got six daughters, I'm gonna send them your way because they will not help me do anything.
Exactly send them this way. Yes we need, especially women need to be more involved in trades. You know that's an important place for employment and and it's girls will find passion there too And breaking stereotypes. Let's talk a little bit about your role in Gilbert. Um first badge and uniform civilian staff member of the Gilbert Police Department worked 16 years to provide training and development programs to decrease crime and increase community canoe Activity. And I know firsthand, I mean you've you've been part of that even through some programs that the chamber supported as well.
So a little bit about that and that experience. Yeah I've actually it's 23 years. I was with Kim Kelly and I she was another my number two at Gilbert and she was from North Dakota. So it was always fun. We were the Dakota team, you know North and South Dakota girls And um it was a wonderful opportunity. Gilbert was a small town then. So we were able to spread our wings and do so many things. And it's interesting because they're really nowadays law enforcement is not allowing civilian staff to really be apart as much as I have been throughout my career.
And it's been such a wonderful opportunity and we've had great leaders there that have let me bring in a lot of programs. Things like the bait vehicle program that started in Gilbert. I worked with an I. C. B. To bring that over there and that was a great thing and just so many other things that I've been able to do with with the Gilbert community is awesome And thank God that um I was able to do this in the time that I was because like I said things have really changed in in policing and um you know as I entered the twilight of my career um yesterday we just had a seminar in regards to retirement and planning for retirement financially and all of that.
And one of the statistics is that once people in law enforcement reached their mid fifties they need to go because their suicide rate starts to really increase. So it's an interesting um scenario but it's also a good one because I'm I'm getting excited for the next part of my my turning of the page. So but I Gilbert has a wonderful you know I I work with your mom at the chamber for many many years and I have just all of these friendships that I have been able to create and these business partnerships has been wonderful and um I have a great job I really do.
That's the best thing when you can have something. It's not even really a job. It's just just like you're passionate about it. It's a lot of fun. Exactly. So the days fly by. I mean I I think oh my gosh where did all this time? Oh I'm not done yet. I was still wanting to do more, you know, so in the, in the twilight of, I'll be a free agent soon. So anyone listening to this, well, when you are a free agent and you look back at this career, what are some of the highlights for you?
Um, the Toy Drive? I love the Toy Drive 23 years. I have my kids coming and participating in that and I've been able to build it up to such a great opportunity to help so many families and it spread, not just to gilbert, it spread to other cities, Mesa, uh, started doing it and some other state organizations picked up on it. And uh, so they're doing it as well. But I've had such a great opportunity to help folks in a different way, in a way that helps them see police in a different light as well.
You know, a lot of times families, especially kids see officers that take their parents away to take them to jail or you know, their legal disputes going on or what have you. Well, this is an opportunity to actually have an officer that comes to your home and it's able to bring gifts right to those kids home and show them that this is a good profession and there are good people here. So it's, I'm very passionate about it. Um, it's the stories, the moving stories, man. It's been incredible.
There's been, um, individuals and I can tell you one case that just is really difficult. But um, I know that there was an individual in high school and he had faced deformities and one of his parents had died and the other had cancer and he was trying to be able to afford his electricity bill and I have this great opportunity to be that person that says, hey, you know what, this is what we have going on and to be able to help that person. So I used that and um, we were able to give that that family that was suffering so much.
Um, the opportunity to have their power turned back on and their water turned back on and just things like that. Nobody really thinks about the simple things that we take for granted, right? It could be such a struggle for people. That's amazing. And so in the downturn of why this is happening with me right now is I've decided this year that I'm not doing any more toy drive, I'm trying to give it over to the town. So that's been very difficult for me giving away your baby right there Exactly, giving away the baby and you know, the feeling of changing over.
Yeah, well you've done incredible work in this community and made a really big difference. And I think one topic that it highlights is that we sometimes turn our cheek to the actual needs in our community and there is need and the fact that you've worked to identify those and connect resources to need is a really significant effort and the people of God. I mean they don't realize that there are a lot of people in need. The mckinney vento families in our Gilbert public schools, their families that are deemed homeless through the federal government, that doesn't mean that they're walking around the streets, but they're there, they've been displaced and and they are suffering financial difficulties and there's a lot of them and their kids so we have to do what we can to take care of each other.
One of the premises of our show is talking about the journeys that you are on and those that inspired you who comes to mind. Um, my dad actually, and I hear on the podcast, a lot of people say your dad, but my father was somebody who inspired me, you know, who can flip a coin and leave you know everything behind. Well he did, he can. So that's been great. I also my two daughters man, they're awesome And um I always tell them, you know, do good in the world, make the world a better place.
And so one of my daughters, um, she has come through the, you know hard ranks of going through law school and becoming an attorney and now she's a U. S. Attorney um hired during trump Merrick hired her. Uh, so I'm very proud of that. My other daughter is an investment broker. She supervises and blesses that. And I mean, what a great opportunities. And and my oldest daughter, she fights terrorists and gun violence. Um, in a big way, you know, something that you, you know the things that you don't really hear about, but she's there protecting as well.
Well, it's pretty incredible as if they were sitting here, it would be you that they, that they looked up to and that influenced them and and you have to be so proud of them. It's amazing. Yeah, yeah. Alright, let's talk about something fun. Just don't talk about bagpipes and don't talk about the christmas toy drive that would make me do this isn't that funny bagpipes? I got a funny story about bagpipes. Let me just tell you really, really quick. This is funny. So when they started our Honor Guard, they wanted to do bagpipes and I just love, I love bagpipes and I have this, you know, emotional connection to bagpipes.
So I told myself, I am going to play the bagpipes, bought a really expensive pair of bagpipes, put the bagpipe, you know, training cD because I'm like, you know, I want to give it a try at home before I go in with everybody and through that DVD in there and that's how long ago through the DVD in there and started playing and just watching the DVD made me cry, I'm like, oh no, this isn't gonna work. So I'm like, okay, maybe it's just you know, maybe it's just how something that came up because I have been through several, you know, people in my agency friends that have passed away have been killed in the line of duty, that sort of thing.
And bagpipes are a big part of that. So I'm like, maybe that triggered that. Yes, I decided, you know what, I'm gonna go try go down there and the minute that I started hearing Pop music again, balling balling, so I'm like, this might not be the instrument for me. I put it under my bed and I didn't see it for 10 years. I love how connected you are to like, you really know your emotion and your I mean you are connected to your feelings and Sarah's been searching for so long.
I just, anything I want to feel something do I need to make you cry? Okay, let's talk about race car driving. I just think it's the coolest thing every time we see you. Like, that's the first thing I think is like, how cool is she that she's a race car driver. How did this happen? My dad used to take me to races all the time. We go to the drag strip, we go to the circle tracks. We go everywhere. And and I think I had mentioned the story in my bio stuff, but there was actually a mounted police officer at these races that my dad became friends with And he would, this would never happen these days, he would lay his horse down so that I could get on it and he patrol around the racetrack with me on the back.
Never, never. And all of it was just such a great experience for me. I enjoyed racing back then and um have enjoyed it since now to prelude that my my dad died in 2011. So he hasn't been around for a long time and I was never racing then. This would be his dream thing for me, so he didn't get to do it and I have his ashes, so I always bring his ashes with me in the car when I'm driving, so he gets to to come with me.
But it's that's such a fun and interestingly enough, one of those things too that I like to have the girls see because there are things again that I'm the only female sprint car driver in the state of Arizona. Um and now I'm doing a lot of the senior circuit, I've hit that age where I can actually participate in that, which is great because those are people who are more experienced and are usually the ones that have paid for their equipment, so they're much more delicate and and you can crush the competition.
Exactly, so it's a little bit, but it's it's good fun. I drive a 3 60. uh Sprint car, it's a non wing. So you've probably seen them on television before. I do both asphalt and dirt and um, they're a blast. If you don't know much about sprint car racing. Um, check it out on the internet, but it's um, they basically stripped the car down so it only weighs about £1500. It's got a 900 horsepower engine. So they're pretty darn fast. They're pretty much on their side the whole time coming through the corners.
So it's been a lot of fun. It's been a great opportunity to, for me to participate with my girls. Uh, and with Ben, my guy that helps and is my partner in racing too. Um, so that's been a great opportunity and I get a lot of girls as well that follow my racing and come and talk to me about, you know, how did you get involved in this? And it inspires people to, you know, do their dream. I, that's all it was. It was a dream and I said, I'm not getting any younger.
I need to, to do this if I'm going to. So I think that's the challenge for listeners today. I mean, whatever it is, you feel connected to whether it's swapping out your tile on your backsplash or race car driving or saving animals or just act on it. I mean live like Vicki and just do it. It's amazing like that. Yeah, it's fun. You know, don't let anything stop you, wow. It's so great. So let's look to the future. You mentioned a little bit about the future, but what's on the horizon for you?
What do you see coming? Um I see so many things. It's hard to pick from. I feel like I'm just out of college looking for a job, you know, it's weird. Um I loved law enforcement, uh you know, and um it's just hard to see all my friends leave to everybody's retiring and but there comes a time when, you know it's time and uh so I enjoy working with my hands. I've been thinking about real estate. I've been thinking about doing um getting my license to do home inspections.
Um I'm a notary. I do notary servicing now. I do um construction projects, so it's, the world is wide open. How exciting travel I do. Um I have a motor home, it's my second one that I've remodeled. Of course she does. So I have haven't remodeled this one completely yet to be able to go somewhere this year, but um I love to travel. Yeah, that's fun. Well whatever it is, I know it's gonna be amazing and I know you're going to continue to stay connected to the community and I look forward to watching.
Yeah, awesome. Well, thank you for being with us today. This has been a great discussion. I've learned a lot about you. I like it. Yeah. Thanks you guys. I appreciate being here. There's a part two coming up soon. I'm sure of it. Thank you. Thanks a lot, you guys. So I know you like this show, We love this show and hopefully you're subscribing to this so you can get more of these episodes as they roll out into the internets and join our tribe. Thanks for being here, guiding growth conversations with community leaders.
Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast? This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us. So, I think there's many opportunities at hand whether you want to again be on the show, reach out to us, let us know what your story is and how you think you could be part of it.
We'd love to hear from you, reach out, let us know and we'll see if we can make that connection
