William Hunt joins Pulaski resident Megan Damron in representing the community
SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (June 10, 2021) — Somerset Police Chief William Hunt has been selected as one of 50 participants from across the state to attend the 2021 Leadership Kentucky program.
Leadership Kentucky, the organization’s flagship program, is made up of seven three-day sessions where participants gather to gain insight on the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its challenges and opportunities. Throughout the sessions, class members will meet with many of Kentucky’s current leaders and explore the state’s opportunities and resources, as well as form lifelong relationships and visit new places.
This year’s participants represent a variety of public and private sectors. Hunt joins Pulaski County resident Megan Damron with BB&T (now Truist) in representing the community.
Hunt said he is honored to participate in this prestigious program and views it as a way grow personally and learn about the Commonwealth.
“I’m always chasing the best version of myself I can be,” Hunt said. “Hopefully by joining this diverse and esteemed group of professionals from across the state I can continue to improve and grow while also championing our community.”
In addition to his 24 years serving the department, Hunt has led the city’s police force since January 2017 and is an honor graduate of the United States Air Force Police Academy. He holds a Police Instructor’s Certificate and a Law Enforcement Executive Certificate from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council and is a member of the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Executive Board for the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He is chair of the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force and serves as the second vice president of KACP.
In 2020, Hunt received the state’s highest professional honor in law enforcement from the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police – the 2020 Chief of the Year Award.
Hunt has implemented several community programs during his tenure, including the Shepherds Watch Crime Prevention Program, which embraces video surveillance technology and community participation to deter crime and accelerate solving it when it happens; and the Shop with a Cop program, which helps purchase Christmas gifts for children in need and builds relationships between police and community members.
The June through December Leadership Kentucky program will bring the class across the state: Berea in June, Louisville in July, Hopkinsville/Ft. Campbell in August, Somerset in September, Paducah/Eddyville in October, Ashland/Morehead in November, and Lexington/Frankfort in December. The sessions will cover topics ranging from business and economic development, arts and tourism, natural resources and the environment, education, healthcare and social issues, agriculture, and government.
Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, a Leadership Kentucky alumnus, said Hunt is an exemplary candidate for the program.
“We are incredibly blessed in Somerset to have the best police chief in the state of Kentucky,” Keck said. “I’m excited for this group to get to meet Chief Hunt and understand just how lucky we are to have him in our community. Leadership Kentucky is an outstanding program and I look forward to seeing what he will bring back to Somerset from this experience.”
