The City of Powell’s search for a new police chief has been narrowed to four finalists. They include current chiefs in suburban Chicago and rural Kansas, a lieutenant from the Western Slope of Colorado and a sergeant in Rock Springs.

Members of the public are invited to meet all four candidates during a Thursday, April 25, community reception at Plaza Diane. During the 5:30-7 p.m. event, attendees will have an opportunity to offer their thoughts on the finalists via comment cards.

The chief’s position has been vacant since late December, when then-Chief Roy Eckerdt retired. The city hired the Colorado-based firm KRW Associates to help conduct a nationwide search for a replacement. Between January and February, 32 people applied for the post. According to City Administrator Zack Thorington, about 20 applicants met the city’s qualifications, which included at least eight years of law enforcement experience, plus training and education.

Eight semifinalists were interviewed by KRW. After reviewing recordings of those sessions and getting input from the firm, Thorington selected the finalists.

“It wasn’t easy getting down to four,” he said in an email, “there were a lot of great candidates.”

James Rhea

One Wyoming peace officer made the shortlist: Sgt. James Rhea of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. Rhea has served the office in a variety of roles since 2013, including as an investigator and as a Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation task force officer. He’s been a sergeant since 2022 in the southwestern Wyoming county and is based in Rock Springs, which has about 23,000 people.

Rhea earned a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego in 2022.

Greg Tuliszewski

One of the most experienced candidates on the list is Lt. Greg Tuliszewski of the Craig, Colorado, Police Department.

Tuliszewski has roughly 35 years of experience, including a decade-long stint as the chief of police in Hayden, Colorado. He retired from that position in 2023 before joining the department in nearby Craig — population 8,970 — where he oversees support services.

Tuliszewski holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Regis University Denver.

Tom Herion

Another contender serves as the chief of a larger police department on the outskirts of Chicago.

Tom Herion has led the police force in Lyons, Illinois, since 2018. He  oversees more than 30 officers as they serve a village of over 10,400 people. Prior to joining the Lyons department, Herion was an assistant commissioner at the Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs the Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports. His role involved policing, safety and security.

Herion — who holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Illinois — was also a finalist for police chief jobs in Florida and Tennessee last year, according to news accounts.

Cory Williams

Meanwhile, Powell would be a step up in size for Cory Williams, who’s the current chief of police in Holcomb, Kansas. In serving the city of roughly 2,200 people, Williams oversees three other officers and a records clerk, according to the city website. He has led the department since 2019 and previously spent six years serving as an officer in Yuma, Arizona. Williams’ past experience also includes serving as an officer in Ulysses, Kansas, and as a firefighter in Stanton County, Kansas.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix.

Providing input

Ahead of the April 25 community reception, Williams, Herion, Tuliszewski and Rhea will tour Powell and the police station, where they’ll get a chance to meet current personnel.

Starting on the morning of Friday, April 26, the candidates will each be interviewed by a series of three, five-member panels, Thorington said: a leadership panel made up of city staff, a peer panel consisting of leaders of organizations the eventual chief will work with and a stakeholders panel comprised of community/business members. Each panel will include either Mayor John Wetzel or a council member, Thorington said, with KRW on-site to run the schedule.

The panelists’ input — along with comments from the public — will be compiled and presented to Thorington, who will have the final say on a hire.

At a December meeting, the city administrator told the council that he’d be making the decision “with the help of everybody.”

Overall, the city has said it wants a chief with “command-level experience, a community policing mindset and strong leadership capabilities.” The chosen candidate will oversee a staff of about two dozen officers and dispatchers.

Powell Police Lt. Matt McCaslin — who did not apply for the chief position — is serving as the department’s interim leader.