Kenton Buckner

Kenton’s 29-year public safety career spans three states and includes service in some of the nation’s most complex and diverse urban environments. He brings deep operational insight, strategic leadership, and a proven track record of advancing organizational transformation to every client engagement.

Before founding Civic Leadership Search Partners, Kenton served as a senior consultant for a nationally recognized executive search firm, where he led successful searches for the Chief of Police and other senior public safety executives in municipalities and institutions of higher learning across the country. His placements ranged from communities of 16,000 to over 2.6 million residents.

He began his law enforcement career with the Louisville Metro Police Department, where he served for over two decades and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief. He later served as Chief of Police in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Syracuse, New York—where he led large complex agencies through periods of reform, innovation, and community rebuilding.

Kenton holds a Master of Science in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management and a Bachelor of Science in Police Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI) and the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course (SPI), and he is a former Commissioner with CALEA—the premier accrediting authority for police departments, training academies, and communications centers.

Today, Kenton leverages his leadership experience, national credibility, and deep professional network to help clients identify exceptional public safety leaders capable of building trust, delivering results, and shaping the future of their organizations.