About Us
Meet the team behind APEX Solutions Group
OUR MISSION
Redefining the Way
We Think About Safety
Apex leverages the experience of its world-class staff to enhance Physical Security, Security Procedures, Threat Assessment/Crisis Intervention Capabilities and provides regular, consistent, high quality Security, Safety and Response Training.
Our team by the numbers
113
Combined years serving top branches of our government
25,000+
Combined hours spent training in the leading defense protocols
15
Agencies trained under including the Secret Service and FBI
Executive Team
Our elite team of trained safety professionals.
John Biemeret
Partner/Chief Executive Officer
John is a 26 year law enforcement veteran with more than 22 years experience as a federal agent. John began his career in 1997 with a sheriff’s department in Wisconsin, where he served as a patrol officer and SWAT team member. From 2001 to 2005, John served as a Special Agent with the US Secret Service and was involved in countless protective operations for dignitaries, including the President of the United States and Foreign Heads of State. John also served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force and as a Protective Intelligence Coordinator. In 2005, John transitioned to the ATF, where he served as a Special Agent in Field Operations responsible for complex criminal investigations related to firearms trafficking, armed violent offenders, and armed criminal groups/gangs. During his 10 years in Chicago, John was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent first managing the Chicago Crime Gun Intelligence Center before taking over the most active Chicago Criminal Enforcement Group. In 2015 John transferred to Milwaukee where he served as Resident Agent in Charge until 2019, when he joined his current agency. John is currently an Internal Affairs Special Agent charged with handling misconduct and use of force investigations for the law enforcement arms of a major US government organization.
John has served as a firearms instructor for federal agencies for more than 12 years.
John has extensive training and experience in Site Security Assessment, Physical Security, Access Control, VIP Protection, Intelligence, Active Shooter Response, Tactical Operations, Critical Incident Management, Operational Planning, Emergency Medical Response, Criminal Investigations, De-Escalation, Use of Force Instruction and Use of Force Investigations.
John was recognized numerous times at US Secret Service and ATF for superior performance, received the Chicago Police Department Joint Operations Award and the ATF Hostile Action Medal.
John graduated Magna Cum Laude with BA Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Dave Thornbury
Partner/Chief Executive Officer
Dave has 7 years of law enforcement and military experience. Dave worked for a major metropolitan police department where he handled 911 response, directed patrol and served on the department’s full-time SWAT team. In the US Army he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, an elite light infantry division specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas, responsible for responding to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours. Trained in close quarter battle, joint forcible entry operations, orienteering and land navigation. Dave also has over a decade of small business ownership and experience in customer service managing properties in a college town. His company managed over 900 rental beds and over 2000 homeowner association units.
Dave has extensive tactical training to include Tubular Assault, Entry Tactics, Vehicle Assault, Room/Building Clearing, Active Shooter Response, Emergency Medical Response, Operational Planning, and Hostage/Barricade Response. Dave also has experience as a firearms instructor for law enforcement officers.
Dave’s military awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Parachutists Badge. He attended the Army Language Course and is proficient in Conversational Arabic.
As a Police Officer, Dave has been recognized as Precinct Officer of the Month, received a Commendation Medal, and was recognized as SWAT Officer of the Month.
Dave has a Bachelors Degree from Saint Norbert College.
Cory Grass
Partner/Strategic Advisor
Cory has 10 years experience as a police officer with both Indiana University and the City of Bloomington, Indiana. In addition, he served as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 20 years, retiring in 2022. Cory was assigned to the Miami Field Office, working on a Violent Crimes Task Force at the Miami-Dade Police Department and also part of the SWAT Tactical Operations Center. Future assignments included the Terre Haute, Indiana Resident Agency as part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, as a Detailee to the United States Bureau of Prisons and the Bloomington, Indiana Resident Agency where he worked on national security matters involving Counterintelligence. Prior to retiring, Cory recruited human sources to collect intelligence on a variety of criminal and national security matters. Cory is a certified FBI Hostage Negotiator and instructor. He served on the National Executive Board of the FBI Agents Association and the Board of Directors for the Indiana Association of Hostage/Crisis Negotiators for almost 15 years.
Cory is currently serving as a School Resource Officer for the Monroe County Community School Corporation in Bloomington, Indiana. Besides handling day to day operations of four schools, he also conducts safety/security audits, assists with emergency drill planning and testing and is responsible for investigating threats made against school property, students and staff. Cory also performs some of these same functions for the Boys and Girls Clubs as a Board Member on their Safety Committee.
He earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Secondary Education from Indiana University.
Jordan Miller
Partner/Strategic Advisor
Upon graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jordan enlisted in the U.S. Army where he completed Infantry training, the Basic Airborne Course, and went on to complete the Special Forces Qualification Course. He served as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant in 5th Special Forces Group (A) at Fort Campbell, KY as the Senior Communications Sergeant, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, and Arabic Linguist on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA). Jordan is a subject matter expert in training and execution of Counterterrorism, Counter Proliferation, Special Reconnaissance, Foreign Internal Defense, Direct Action, and Unconventional Warfare. His combat experience includes Operation Enduring Freedom 13 on an SFODA as well as Small Unit Exchange rotations to partner force locations in the Middle East. Jordan separated from active duty and eventually transitioned to 20th Special Forces Group (A) of the Army National Guard in conjunction with growing a civilian career in the technology industry supporting Electronic Warfare and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Mission Platforms within the Department of Defense.
Within 20th Special Forces Group (A) he currently serves as a Special Forces Non-Commissioned Officer in the Advanced Skills Detachment (ASD). The ASD is tasked with coordinating and implementing advanced training courses for SFODA’s to enhance both team and individual skill sets to include combat weapons marksmanship, close quarters battle, explosive and mechanical breaching, long-range target interdiction, target exploitation, technological counter-surveillance, active threat response, and many other disciplines.
Jordan’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2nd Award), Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Special Forces Tab, and the Parachutist Badge.
Jordan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has 8 years cumulative military service between Active Duty and the National Guard. He has also spent 8 years working in the technology private sector supporting the Department of Defense.
Adam Metcalf
Partner/Strategic Advisor
Adam is an Air Force veteran and a former United States Secret Service Presidential Protective Detail agent. As an active duty officer, he flew over 1300 hours on the E-3 AWACS aircraft, including missions to control the airspace of the United Nations-mandated No-Fly Zones over northern and southern Iraq. In his role as an Air Warfare Officer, he created battle plans, led teams in air combat and directed airstrikes on enemy targets.
During his time as a Secret Service agent, Adam protected two presidents and four former presidents, as well as Pope Benedict and Queen Elizabeth. In addition to working directly on President Obama’s Detail during the 2012 re-election campaign, he built security plans and conduct vulnerability assessments for assignments as large as the 2009 G-20 Economic Summit in Pittsburgh, PA. During the 2010 Nuclear Summit in Washington D.C., he directed the team that planned and executed the residential security of five visiting heads of state, including and Pakistani Prime Minster Yusuf Raza Gilani and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Adam has experience and training in surveillance and counter-surveillance, protective intelligence and criminal investigations. He is a long-time firearms instructor and armorer as well as a personal self-defense, raid tactics and active shooter response instructor. He recently began a verbal de-escalation training program at a large federal agency and has trained hundreds of professionals in these effective communication techniques.
Strategic Advisors
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Gregory J. Porter - Workplace Violence and Threat SpecialistGreg has over 27 years of Law Enforcement experience, from serving as a local Police Officer and Detective to over two decades as a federal Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. Greg was the lead Agent in multiple foreign dignitary assignments, to include the former Prime Minister of Sweden, former Prime Minister of Japan and a multitude of dignitaries and heads of state. Greg was assigned to the Dignitary Protective Division, protecting former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and the Vice-Presidential Protective Division, protecting former Vice Presidents Dick Cheney and Joseph Biden and their families. Greg has extensive knowledge and experience in physical protection, protection planning and logistics, threat investigation, interview and interrogation, trauma informed interviewing, behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) and has interviewed hundreds of persons of interest in threat investigations. Greg is a certified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist via McAfee Institute, and current Investigator and Executive Protection Coordinator for a major healthcare system.
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Katye Wray - Law Enforcement and Security SpecialistKatye is a law enforcement veteran with more than 17 years experience as a federal agent with ATF. Katye served as a Special Agent in Field Operations in the Charlotte and Kansas City Field Divisions from 2005-2022. Currently, Katye is the CEO of Wray Intelligence Solutions & Process Service LLC. In June 2023, Katye accepted a position with US Bank as an Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act Specialist. During her career at ATF, Katye was recognized for her performance by ATF and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In 2022, Katye responded to a school shooting at Olathe East High School in Kanas. Throughout her career, Katye assisted with multiple Title III investigations targeting violent offenders and criminal groups, firearm trafficking investigations, and worked as an undercover agent. Katye attended ATF’s Digital Media Collection Specialist School and assisted criminal investigations by providing a forensic examination of cell phones. Katye lives in Kansas City with her sons, Mason, Jackson, and Harrison. In her free time, Katye enjoys walking, swimming, college football games, baseball games, painting, propagating cacti, concerts, and traveling to haunted hotels. Katye is from east Tennessee and graduated Cum Laude with BA Degree in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
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Dawn Lindeman - Clinical PsychologistDawn H. Lindeman, MS, PhD, NCC, HSPP is a licensed clinical psychologist, consultant, and doctoral trainer, as well as founder and director of Lindeman & Associates Psychological Services in Bloomington, IN. Her private practice specializes in comprehensive psychological evaluations and counseling services for children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Lindeman has worked in community mental health, hospital, and private practice settings since 2005 and she continues to partner with Indiana University, Indiana State University, and the University of Indianapolis, training advanced doctoral level students. For almost 20 years, Dr. Lindeman has worked with several county level court systems and probation departments, as well as contracted services with Indiana University, Veteran Affairs, the Department of Children’s Services, and several charter schools across southern Indiana. She is routinely referred to by primary care physicians and pediatricians to evaluate and treat a variety of conditions related to mood, behavior, cognition, and personality functioning. Dr. Lindeman is specifically trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and specializes in the evaluation of attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, learning/dyslexia, and parenting. Dr. Lindeman is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA). She has taught classes and given lectures at Indiana University and served on the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School Board. Among other awards, she was most recently awarded the 2023 Schreck Community Award, an award given to a non-university employee or organization that through his/her interactions with Indiana University students, has fostered the mission, vision, and values of the Indiana University Division of Student Affairs.
OUR CLIENTS
Our Journey So Far
