EXCELLENCE IN EXECUTIVE TALENT ACQUISITION
EXCELLENCE IN EXECUTIVE TALENT ACQUISITION
leADERSHIP Built on experience
Experienced professionals guiding every decision with integrity
The Civic Leadership Search Advantage
Every member of our team is grounded in the principles of service, integrity, and responsible stewardship. These values guide not only how we assess candidates, but how we collaborate with each client and each community throughout the search process.
Our leadership brings decades of frontline and executive experience, including former chiefs of police, fire chiefs, correctional administrators, and public safety directors. Each professional understands the demands of modern public safety leadership—what it takes to make sound decisions, navigate complex environments, and inspire confidence at every level.
meet the
civic leadership search partners team
Experienced professionals guiding every decision with integrity
Meet
Kenton Buckner
Founder & President
Ret. Chief of Police
Kenton Buckner is a nationally respected public safety executive and former Chief of Police with nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience. Founder of Civic Leadership Search Partners, he brings firsthand leadership insight and disciplined executive search expertise to help organizations identify trusted, effective public safety leaders. A former Assistant Chief and national search consultant, Kenton is known for guiding high-stakes leadership decisions with integrity and precision.
Meet
craig stone
Senior Consultant
Ret. Chief of Police
Craig A. Stone is a highly respected public safety executive with more than 40 years of experience, including over a decade in senior executive leadership roles across municipal and higher education environments. As a Senior Consultant with Civic Leadership Search Partners, Craig brings deep operational knowledge, accreditation expertise, and executive judgment to support organizations conducting complex public safety leadership searches.
Meet
Michael J. Monds
Senior Consultant
Fire Chief
Michael J. Monds is a distinguished fire service executive with 26 years of service in the Syracuse, New York Fire Department, including eight years as Fire Chief. As a Senior Consultant with Civic Leadership Search Partners, he brings deep operational expertise, executive leadership experience, and a proven record of organizational transformation to complex public safety leadership searches.
Widely respected across the fire service profession, Chief Monds is known for strengthening operational performance, professional standards, and organizational culture—making him a trusted advisor to search committees and governing bodies.
Meet
Mark E. Bolton
Senior Consultant
Ret. Chief of Police
Mark E. Bolton is a nationally recognized corrections executive with a distinguished 40-year career spanning municipal, state, federal, and international correctional systems. As a Senior Consultant with Civic Leadership Search Partners, Mark brings deep operational expertise, reform leadership, and executive judgment to complex corrections and detention leadership searches.
A former Director of Louisville Metro Corrections, Mark is widely respected for leading one of the nation’s most challenging urban correctional systems with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to accountability and human rights.
Meet
DR. Cheryl l. Talbert
Director of Administration
Dr. Cheryl L. Talbert brings more than 25 years of executive leadership and public service experience to her role as Director of Administration at Civic Leadership Search Partners. A seasoned administrator and systems thinker, Cheryl provides strategic oversight, operational discipline, and people-centered leadership that strengthen CLSP’s internal infrastructure and client-facing engagements.
Her career reflects deep expertise in managing complex organizations, leading large multidisciplinary teams, and designing equitable, high-impact solutions within highly regulated environments.
Meet
Angela Aniballi
Assistant Director of Administration
Angela Aniballi brings more than 16 years of administrative management experience across private and federal sectors. As Assistant Director of Administration for Civic Leadership Search Partners, she provides the operational structure, precision, and foresight that support effective, well-coordinated executive search engagements.
Angela is recognized for her ability to streamline processes, manage sensitive information, and ensure organizational efficiency—contributing to search operations that are timely, compliant, and detail-driven.
The Civic Leadership Search Advantage
Built on Experience. Guided by Process. Proven by Results.
Experienced professionals guiding every decision with integrity.
A structured, strategic approach built for confidence and clarity.
Leadership outcomes that inspire trust and lasting impact.
Ready to get started?