Governor Perdue Recommends Ken Vance As Executive Director of P.O.S.T. Council

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that he has recommended Ken Vance for appointment as Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Council. The P.O.S.T. Council met and approved Vance’s appointment this afternoon.

“The Georgia P.O.S.T. Council strives for excellence in training our state’s peace officers,” said Governor Perdue. “Ken has an extensive background in law enforcement training and experience in leadership positions, which make him a great choice to lead the Council as it continues to produce qualified, outstanding officers.”

Vance’s involvement in law enforcement began in 1974, when he was one of twenty-five selected to be a team member of Operation Catch-up program, a federally funded program to attract college educated candidates into law enforcement. He completed his training and was P.O.S.T. certified in the spring of 1975.

Vance served as a police officer for the Monroe Police Department until 1976, during which time he was promoted to Lieutenant and shift supervisor. He served several roles over the next few years in Milledgeville, including Deputy Sheriff in Baldwin County’s Sheriff’s Department and an English instructor and athletic director at Baldwin County High School. He also served Georgia College as a Police Officer, and in 1985 was promoted to Director of Public Safety/University Police Chief, where he continued to serve prior to this appointment. During his leadership, GCSU was ranked as Safest Campus in America by USA TODAY in 1991, and he was awarded the Alex K. Johnson Award as 1992 Campus Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and Honorary State Trooper status in 2001.

Vance’s experience also extends into leadership positions. He has been a member of the Milledgeville City Council since 1981 and served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2003-2005. His dedication has earned him Councilman of Excellence Award from the Georgia Municipal Association in 2000 and an election to the Georgia Municipal Association Hall of Fame in 2006. Georgia Municipal Association appointed him to the Board of Directors as a member of the Municipal Training Board from 1988-2006 (during which time he served as Chairman from 1988-1992 and 1996-1998) and as Public Safety Committee Chairman from 2001-2003. Vance is also still a member of the Georgia E-911 Board of Directors (since 1995). Before being appointed as the Executive Director of P.O.S.T, he served as Chairman from 2004 to 2006 and as Vice-Chairman from 2003-2004 and 2006-2007.

Vance resides in Milledgeville with his wife of twenty-four years, Carol Grant Vance. They have two children; Emily, 21, and John Austin, 15. Vance is also both a published poet and cycling enthusiast.