Justine Kreso
I’m passionate about mentorship and dedicated to guiding individuals through their professional and personal growth. By providing personalized support and actionable insights, I aim to empower you to achieve your goals and unlock your full potential.
My Story
Justine Kreso is the current section supervisor at the Onondaga County Center for Forensic Sciences in Syracuse, New York. Justine’s journey in forensic science first began in 2003 with an internship with the Albuquerque Police Department Crime Laboratory. The mentorship and guidance she received during this internship was instrumental in her career path. After graduating the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2004 she took a job in Onondaga County as a Firearms Technician to get her foot in the door in the field of Firearm and Tool Mark Examination. By the end of 2004 Justine had been promoted to a Firearms Examiner, a position she held until becoming the section supervisor in 2012.
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Justine has been a member of the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) since 2006 and a Distinguished Member since 2010. She has been heavily involved with AFTE since the early days of her membership. To date, she has served on ten committees, which currently include the Scientific Advancement Committee and the Social Media Subcommittee. She also spent six years as a member of the AFTE Board of Directors, has published papers in the Journal, and presented at Annual Training Seminars.
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In addition, Justine has served on the Firearms and Toolmarks Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) since 2022 and is the current Secretary. She is also a member of the Executive Board for the 3D Tool Mark Technologies Technical Working Group and is part of the New York State Technical Working Group for Firearms. Previously, Justine has been a member of the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) Executive Board and New York State’s Backlog Reduction Technical Working Group. She is also a technical assessor for ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB).
Justine’s passion for mentorship and leadership extends beyond her professional endeavors. She is a mountain biking coach for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association and manages FORCE Racing, a women’s off-road cycling race team. She is the mom and wife to a family that likes getting muddy and spending time in the wild as much as she does!