Reimagining Blue: Thoughts on Life, Leadership, and a New Way Forward in Policing

Reimagining Blue is a passionate and personal analysis of a misunderstood profession from the vantage point of female police chief Kristen Ziman.

Ziman credits her colorful childhood for the temperament that led her to gravitate toward policing, a profession where chaos is all in a day’s work. Many times, she learned life and leadership lessons through the revelation of what not to do.

But nothing could have prepared Kristen for the turmoil that would unfold during her tenure. A mass shooting, a pandemic, and civil unrest that threatened the trusting relationship between her department and her community became her greatest professional challenges.

This deeply moving memoir is a story of resilience and perseverance in policing―and in life. It’s a raw and honest portrayal told by a flawed human about a noble profession suffering an identity crisis. Reimagining Blue is an urgent call to find a way forward, not because the system is broken, but because it can always be better.

Since she was a little girl, KRISTEN ZIMAN wanted to be a cop. When Kristen joined the ranks, she knew she had found her tribe, and she devoted herself to becoming an asset to her profession. She rose through the ranks and became the first female lieutenant, commander, and police chief in the history of her department.

Although she is now retired from the force, Kristen is still passionate about policing, and believes the men and women who wear the uniform provide the best examples of selflessness. Her work explores her former profession while chronicling the colorful journey of life and leadership that taught her so many lessons.

Kristen lives in Naples, Florida, where she is following her personal mission to help elevate people and organizations and to thwart the next mass shooting through prevention and preparation. Learn more at kristenziman.com.