KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Now we know why Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley bailed out of the chase for the police chief’s post in Punta Gorda, Florida. He already had a new job as the Police Chief in Chatham County, Georgia.
“I want to thank Chief Hadley for his nine years of dedicated service to the Kalamazoo community,” said City Manager Jim Ritsema. “His leadership has left KDPS a better organization and Kalamazoo a better City. I have no doubt he will continue to have this effect in Chatham County, Georgia and in other communities as he continues his career.”
There had been rumors for some time that Hadley was shopping around for another job.
Ritsema wasted no time, hiring from within to replace Hadley, choosing Deputy Chief Karianne Thomas to take over the Department on November 22nd, Hadley’s last day.
Ritsema says “Deputy Chief Thomas is a distinguished leader with experience in all aspects of law enforcement, she has consistently been recognized throughout her career for her professionalism, effectiveness, and dedication to service, and earns the confidence and admiration of all of her colleagues.”
Thomas has been with the department for 23-years, serving with distinction in a number of departments, winning 9-commendations from four different Chiefs and has been personally involved in the hiring of over half the current PSO’s on staff.
Ritsema could do a national search for a replacement, but there are few administrators with Thomas’s experience, simply because there are not a lot of Public Safety Departments like Kalamazoo’s that combine Police, Fire and EMS first response.
Thomas says her goal will be to maintain and continue to improve the relationships the Department has with the community and carry on the current trajectory of the Department.
