Meet The Southeastern Chapter Board

Jul 6, 2021

The Southeastern Chapter of the North Carolina Division of SSPBA introduce the elected members of its board.

Brannon Gray
President

President Brannon Gray is a public safety officer and specialty instructor with Bald Head Island Department of Public Safety.

He is a Brunswick County native, and has been in emergency services since 16, starting with the Yaupon Beach Fire Dept in 1999. He then became an emergency medical technician intermediate with Coastline Rescue Squad in 2003.

He attended BLET the first time in 2005 at Brunswick Community College working for Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Holden Beach Police Department.

Gray later worked for the US Department of Defense in Iraq and the Department of State in Afghanistan, serving as intel, shift supervisor and security forces medic.

He attended BLET the second time at Cape Fear Community College in 2015. He is a fulltime public safety officer and instructor with Bald Head Island DPS, specialty law enforcement instructor with Cape Fear Community College, manages his own business and has signed into a degree program with UNC-Pembroke.

After watching the movement of law enforcement officers, which had no voice, get their names tarnished and lives turned upside down, Gray felt it was time to step into a leadership position with the PBA. Having over 15,000 members throughout North Carolina, and almost 900 members in the Southeastern Chapter alone, PBA is a voice that is heard loud and clear.

“If there is anything that I can do to assist you or your agency, please feel free to contact me,” said Gray.

Michael John Fanta
Senior Vice President

Senior Vice president Michael John Fanta was born 1972 in Youngstown, Ohio. He moved to Wilmington, N.C., in 1987 and attended and graduated from Laney High School in 1991.

Fanta joined the U.S. Army Reserves and attended Basic Training and Army Military Police School at Fort McClellan, Ala. He served with the U.S. Army Reserves and North Carolina National Guard as military police until September 1995.

Fanta started taking classes at University of North Carolina at Wilmington and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice. He joined the Wilmington Police Department in April 1995 after graduating from Cape Fear Community College BLET.

Since becoming part of WPD, Fanta has worked patrol, special operation street teams, and detective division as an officer and detective.

As a sergeant, Fanta worked patrol, special operation street teams and fulltime SWAT.

As a lieutenant, Fanta worked as the team commander of SWAT, patrol watch commander, FTO coordinator, internal affairs and vice and gangs.

Fanta has achieved the rank of captain and has been the division commander of Special Investigations Division (Vice Gangs) and planning and research. He is also a specialized firearms instructor and Active Bystandership Law Enforcement instructor.

Fanta has been married for over 13 years and have two children which take up most of his off-duty time.

Lazaro Ramos
Vice President

The chapter’s vice president grew up in Miami, Fla., and moved to North Carolina in 1996. There, Lazaro Ramos met the woman who became his wife almost 23 years ago. He has a stepson and three dogs. Cars are his passion, and the couple enjoy traveling all over to car shows.

He attended BLET at Western Piedmont Community College in 2001. Ramos has been in law enforcement a little over 19 years and is a lieutenant in the patrol division with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.

During his career, Ramos served as patrol deputy, FTO, criminal interdiction officer, patrol sergeant, gang unit sergeant, vice and narcotics detective, undercover operations, vice narcotics lieutenant, traffic unit lieutenant, courts/civil division lieutenant and patrol lieutenant. Ramos serves as the FTO coordinator and is a Taser instructor.

In 2008, he was awarded the North Carolina Justice Academy Criminal Investigation Certificate Program and in 2009 he was awarded the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission. Ramos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Kaplan University in 2007.

In January 2021, he was awarded the Advanced Gang Specialist Certificate from the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association. Ramos is enrolled at Wake Technical Community College, attending the North Carolina Public Safety Leadership Academy. From 2010-2015, he served as a TFO with Homeland Security Investigations as a customs officer pursuant to tittle 19, United States code.

He joined the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, to be a part of an association that provides law enforcement officers with advised, representation and dedication by taking care of its members.

Ramos recently decided to step into a leadership position with the SSPBA to serve as an advocate for the current and future generations of law enforcement.

“I know that this is a role that needs to be taken seriously and I pray to God that I am able to gain knowledge to make informed decisions that can benefit the law enforcement community as a whole,” he said.

Israel West
Secretary

Secretary Israel West was born in New Hanover County in 1974 and moved to Brunswick County in 1987. He joined the Winnabow Volunteer Fire Dept in 1988 as a Junior Firefighter.

In 1992, West graduated from South Brunswick High School, after which he joined the US Army, heading to Fort Benning, Ga., after completing infantry school. He was stationed in the Republic of Panama.

After graduating BLET from Brunswick Community College, West was hired by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. He worked as a detention officer, SRO and Narcotics Agent.

He worked as a sergeant in the Narcotics Unit and Civil Division, worked as a lieutenant in the Narcotics Unit, Major Crimes, Internal Affairs, and Intel Unit.

West is chairman of the agency’s hiring board and awards committee. He is a licensed UAS pilot and supervisor of the agency’s drone program.

West completed the DEA basic school and was awarded an Advanced Certificate from NCSA in 2017. He completed numerous courses, classes and training during his career.

West has been married 24 years and has a daughter. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and studying history. He is also an avid numismatist.

West got into PBA leadership because of the turmoil within policing in America. He wanted to do something to make sure there was some semblance of law enforcement for the young officers coming up in the ranks.

“Being a law enforcement officer is an honorable way to serve one’s community,” said West. “There is nothing shameful about wearing the badge. And I want to add voice to that, to help those in my own ranks when they need it.”