Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Garner hires police chief

Va. officer will take the reins

The town has hired a 15-year veteran of a Virginia police force to take over as chief.

Brandon V. Zuidema will become chief of the Garner Police Department on Dec. 1. He will replace Tom Moss, who is retiring this month after 20 years.

Zuidema was one of 67 candidates for the job. Seven went through an extensive assessment process that included role-playing in real-life situations.

"He was head and shoulders above the rest of the group," Town Manager Hardin Watkins said of Zuidema.

In Lynchburg, Va., Zuidema, 37, worked on the department's budget, a key duty of the Garner chief, Watkins said. He also served as public information officer for the department and as liaison to the city manager's office.

During his career in Lynchburg, the Gainesville, N.Y., native worked in several aspects of law enforcement, including field operations, crime prevention and gang enforcement, Watkins said.

Zuidema earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the State University of New York in Geneseo and a master's degree in sociology from Longwood University in Virginia.

He was an instructor for Liberty University Online, the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy, the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation and the Virginia Police Chief's Foundation. He is working toward a master's-level certificate from Virginia Tech in local government management, Watkins said.

Zuidema was involved in his community in Virginia, Watkins said. Some town leaders in Garner have said they wanted Watkins to hire a chief who would follow Moss's lead in community involvement.

Watkins said Zuidema was active in a Virginia school's parent-teacher association, the Lynchburg Lifesaving Crew Board, the Lynchburg Exchange Club, the Special Olympics torch-run committee and the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Virginia.

The finalists for the job were assessed by a group that included city managers and police chiefs from across the state. They were judged on nine categories, including problem-solving, conflict resolution, leadership, policing methods and communication.

Zuidema earned the top score in eight of the categories, Watkins said. "It's very obvious when you see that," he said.

The incoming chief is familiar with the area, Watkins said. In 2002, Zuidema was enrolled in the administrative officer's management program at N.C. State University.

Watkins said the Apex police chief had worked with Zuidema in Lynchburg and gave him high praise.

Zuidema and his wife, Spring, and their two school-age children will live in Garner, Watkins said. Zuidema will earn a salary of $103,500.