Craig Watz, J.D., was employed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than 23 years, serving in a wide variety of management and supervisory roles, including supervisory special agent overseeing the Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force. Watz coordinated the FBI's Crisis Negotiations program for more than 10 years, supervising a team of negotiators in handling complex crisis situations and traveling overseas to assist in international kidnappings. He planned the International Symposium on Agroterrorism, which assembled 1,000 attendees from 25 foreign nations dedicated to protecting the global food supply.

Watz received the Department of Justice's Master Instructor Award in 2008. In 2014, he retired from the FBI and accepted a position as vice president for the Office of Business Integrity with Phoenix Children's Hospital, serving as chief compliance, privacy and security officer. Watz returned to Kansas City in 2016 as a consultant focusing on threat and vulnerability assessments. In 2017, he accepted a position with Rockhurst University, teaching courses within the criminal justice discipline while also serving as director of Rockhurst's prison outreach program. Watz obtained a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1984, and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Notre Dame Law School in 1987.