Avens received the nomination at the chief’s conference in Cherokee last month.

“I’m thankful to my peers who voted for me,” he said in a recent interview. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve. It gives me a chance to be in the know of what’s going in law enforcement.”

District 9 encompasses 17 counties. “Region 9 has the biggest area to cover. It actually gives me a chance to build relationships with other chiefs and stay informed and keep them informed.”

Avens said departments in the district all face the same problems from opioids to gangs and legislative issues. “We may be small but we have the same things as metro departments, personnel funding issues, new training. I get to be the voice for small towns.”

Being a member of the association, he said, helps departments get information they may not otherwise know is out there. “By not going, you’re not in the know. There’s grants out there. There’s so many resources out there.”

Information gained from other departments will help his own department, he said. “My goal is to make this department better, have professional development. We have good officers here.”