Panelist Bio's
Captain Joshua Bitsko has 21 years of experience, and currently leads the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Employee Health, Wellness and Safety Bureau. Beginning his career in 2000, as a Police Cadet, he has been promoted through the ranks to Captain. He has held numerous assignments with the LVMPD, including Police Officer, Police K9 Training Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Internal Affairs Lieutenant, Office of General Counsel, and Convention Center Area Command Captain.
As a K9 Sergeant, he responded to the One October Massacre and breached the door of the suspect’s room with a team of officers. He was awarded the 2018 “Top Cop” award from the National Association of Police Unions in Washington, D.C.
Josh was born in Las Vegas and is a second-generation native of the area. His father was a police officer for 30 years, which was one of the reasons he was drawn to a career in law enforcement. Josh and his wife, Jenna, have five children and are constantly busy with soccer, school events, and family game nights. Josh is involved in the community and has helped hand out food through the Just One Project. He has spoken around the country about mass shooting response, including to the United States Secret Service in the White House. Captain Bitsko is focused on impacting the health and well-being of LVMPD officers and civilians so they can better serve their families and our community. Chaplin Matt Metevelis is a Chaplain at Nathan Adelson Hospice as well as an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America currently serving as an Associate Pastor at Living Hope Lutheran Church in Las Vegas. He has been a resident of Henderson, Nevada, since 2009 and is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Matt has a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Hillsdale College and a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Matt has written about issues relating to spirituality and religion for Mockingbird and the Crossings community in the journal Word and World . Matt draws from a deep interest in spirituality, philosophy, history and literature in addition to his pastoral training to provide care. Matt has provided support in a variety of settings from hospitals, nursing homes, bereavement support groups, and memorial services conducted for patients at Nathan Adelson Hospice. He spends his time caring for his two boys and taking careful instructions from his wife. In his spare time he enjoys reading, watching baseball, board games, and walking outside when it’s not too hot.
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