Police Chief Search
Police Chief Selection Announcement
After an extensive search and selection process spanning five months, the City of Hendersonville has selected its next Chief of Police. In a virtual meeting, held on January 15, 2021, City Manager John Connet announced that Blair Myhand has been selected to serve as Hendersonville’s Police Chief.
Statement from City Manager John Connet:
“I am extremely pleased to announce the hiring of Blair Myhand as the next Hendersonville Police Chief. His skills, training, and experience will be an asset to our community. I had the opportunity to speak to several Clayton community leaders about Blair and they all said he works well with community organizations and is an outstanding leader. He will speak his mind but is willing to compromise and find reasonable solutions to complex problems. He is willing to serve on community boards and is currently serving as the Secretary on the governing board of the local domestic violence shelter. I look forward to welcoming Blair and his wife Nana to our City.”
Blair Myhand is currently the Town of Clayton Chief of Police. He has served as the Chief of Police since May 2017. Prior to Clayton, he held a variety of positions with the Apex Police Department that included Police Captain / Administrative Division Commander, Patrol Division Commander, Criminal Investigations Commander, Special Response Team Commander, Police Sergeant, and Police Officer. Prior to his tenure with Apex, he served as a Police Officer and Emergency Response Team member with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. He has a Bachelor of Science from Waldorf College and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University. Blair Myhand has a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia and has attended the FBI National Academy in addition to an extensive military background serving with the United States Army and Army National Guard.
Chief Myhand will officially join the Hendersonville Police Department on February 15, 2021.
Selection Process
In August 2020, the City of Hendersonville began planning its search for the next Hendersonville Police Chief. A citizen survey was completed by 120 community members to provide insights on the challenges facing the police department and provide opinions on the most important competencies and responsibilities of the future Chief. This information was shared with Developmental Associates, who facilitated the recruitment and evaluation of the applicants. The consultants organized sessions with internal stakeholders, City Council, and members of the community to assist in the process. 62 individuals applied for the position of Chief of Police. The pool was narrowed to 35 applicants who advanced to the second phase which included an emotional intelligence screening and preliminary background investigation. 14 of the applicants advanced to the telephone interview phase where they were interviewed by two retired police chiefs. 5 candidates were invited to participate in the formal assessment center on December 17th and 18th. Following the two-day assessment center which included writing, coaching, meeting, and presentation exercises, two finalists were selected. The finalists completed additional interviews, interacted with City staff and Council Members, and attended the January 5th virtual meeting with the media and public.
For additional background information on the candidates and selection process, read the City Manager's Memo.