ATL Standard

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council has appointed Chris Harvey as its new executive director. Harvey will take over from Mike Ayers, who is retiring at the end of this month.

"I'm honored to congratulate Chris Harvey on this new and important chapter of his career, and Marty and I want to thank him for his willingness to serve in this capacity as we work to keep all Georgians safe," said Governor Brian Kemp. "I know Chris is committed to ensuring Georgia POST continues to prepare our law enforcement for the challenges and dangers of their calling as it equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to any situation they encounter as they protect and serve others. My family also wants to thank Mike Ayers for his many years of service to our state, and we wish him well in his next chapter."

Chris Harvey has a background in political science and criminal justice from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He began his law enforcement career with the DeKalb County Police Department in 1994 before moving on to roles such as a homicide detective, chief investigator for the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, director of the Cold Case Homicide Squad for Fulton County District Attorney's Office, and chief investigator for the Secretary of State’s Office.

In 2015, he was appointed state elections director for the Georgia Secretary of State's Office where he managed two presidential elections, one gubernatorial election, and helped implement Georgia’s new voting system. In July 2021, he became deputy executive director of the Georgia POST Council.

Harvey resides in Decatur, Georgia with his wife Cathy. They have four children together.