VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State University public safety director has been named to a statewide police chiefs board.

C. Alan Rowe was sworn in as the new third vice president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Tuesday. The GACP is the organization that represents chiefs of police from across the state of Georgia and, as one of its duties, is responsible for the training and professional development of all law-enforcement executives.

Rowe is an 11-year police veteran. Prior to his law-enforcement career, he served in the Navy, where his assignments included support of 5th Fleet Operations in the Middle East as an embarked security team leader for Mobile Security Squadron 22 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After departing 5th Fleet Operations, Rowe served as a command investigator/independent duty master at arms assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two One in Virginia Beach, Va.

After beginning his law-enforcement career in 2008, he worked in both police and sheriff’s departments prior to assuming the police chief’s position in Pavo in 2014. He joined the Valdosta State University Department of Public Safety in 2015 and was appointed interim chief in March 2016 where he served until officially being selected as the eighth director of public safety and chief of police in March 2017.

Rowe holds master of science degrees in emergency management and criminal justice from Jacksonville State University and a master of public safety administration from Columbus State University. He is pursuing a doctor of public administration at Valdosta State University.

Rowe is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College, Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange and Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police chief executive training course. 

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.