Rhonda (RJ) Bent

Self Defense/ Woman Empowerment

Rhonda (RJ) Bent is a world traveler and now a proud Buffalonian. Throughout her 21-year US Government career, she served and lived overseas where she not only learned the language and customs of the host country, but also solidified her experience managing security programs and crisis management in various threat level environments and with a diversity of audiences.

Domestically, her assignments enhanced her expertise of personal protection, investigations, physical security, public relations, liaising with other government agencies and diversity and inclusion.  With her experience as a female law enforcement officer, diplomat and diversity and inclusion officer, as well as a mother of a bi-racial child, RJ is approachable and considers multiple viewpoints. She finds the balance between being welcoming and functional and being safe and secure. 

The Edgy Gazelle uniquely operates under the premise that people are by far, the most valuable resource in any organization.

Rather than using outdated security models that rely heavily on security systems and guards, RJ employs creative innovative solutions without the constraints, cost and appearance of heavy security.

People are empowered through training, increased awareness and community engagement. Security programs are generated from within the organization and therefore, reflect its culture and values. This security paradigm shift augments security while providing organizations peace of mind enabling them to advance their primary goals.

Throughout her career, RJ served in multiple domestic and overseas postings (Paris, Madagascar, Honduras, Frankfurt and Toronto), each with unique culture requiring effective security subject matter expertise, strong liaison development and exceptional communication skills. RJ most enjoyed working with and becoming a part of her new home. Therefore, the Edgy Gazelle engages the community to be the base of the security plan and creates a network of force multipliers. 

RJ received her BA in Government from Hamilton College and wrote her thesis on Multi-Cultural Education. During her junior year, she studied Irish Politics at the University College Galway, Ireland. RJ also attended the Sorbonne in Paris to study French Language. Through the Foreign Service Institute, RJ obtained proficiency in Spanish and German. As a certified trainer, RJ Crisis Management Speaker, Overseas Security Advisory Council, African Regional Conference, Cape Town, South Africa and the NY Women in Law Enforcement Conference. She also served as an International Law Enforcement Academy Instructor for the Physical Security module in Gaborone, San Salvador and Guatemala. RJ has also drafted numerous internal articles for State Department publications and a published numerous articles. 

As a mother, she instills upon her inquisitive daughter the importance of lifelong learning by modeling the value. To further that goal, she is a certified docent tour guide for Explore Buffalo.  She’s also pursuing her Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification, is SCUBA certified and is an urban beekeeper. To date, RJ has experienced 59 foreign countries and plans to visit at least 75! And like the gazelle, RJ is an avid runner.