Alumni Spotlight: Chet Hunter, Master in Public Service & Safety Leadership

“My desire is to see our cities, counties, states, and nations be greater prepared as citizens and for our citizens…. The dynamic nature of preparing for emergencies and training your community is a task that is never complete.” Chet Hunter, 2022 PSSL graduate.

Chet Hunter epitomizes the modern public safety leader; crossing departments and breaking down silos. In twenty-five years of public safety experience, Hunter has served in a variety of capacities including the fire service, emergency medical services, 911 communications, and most recently, emergency management.

“My desire to serve my community culminated during my first experience with a natural disaster. The life impact and devastation that these events can bring is, at the very least, life changing. It was these moments that ultimately crafted my direction into the career field of emergency management.”

As Hunter’s career progressed, he recognized need after need for community collaboration in emergency response. “…I began to strategize how to move these mountains,” he says. “This started in Lawrence County with the first-ever county Community Emergency Response Team. We built a training curriculum, promoted the class and called upon our community volunteers.”

Soon it became clear to Hunter that in order to set policy and better direct public initiatives, more education would be required. But could he find a program that would fit into his full work schedule and provide the breadth of leadership education he was looking for?

Then he discovered Drury’s Master in Public Service and Safety Leadership and became a member of the very first cohort.

“Drury’s PSSL program gave me an opportunity to marry up my dynamic work schedule with the ability to engage in strong, meaningful, and resourceful education. This easily matched up against the diverse field of public safety and made it an easy choice for me. The value combined with the flexible school environment afforded me an opportunity I could not pass up or find elsewhere.”

The PSSL degree is designed with the working professional in mind:

  • 100% online courses taught by experienced authorities in their fields.
  • Sessions are 8-weeks, allowing you to focus on one class at a time.
  • 30-hour program can be completed in 2 years.
  • Capstone project can be tailored to fit your professional goals; no thesis required.

With a PSSL degree, talented safety and service workers, like Hunter, are equipped to better serve and protect our cities, counties, states, and nations for years to come. Interested to learn more about this program? Let us know here.

Drury Web Team