Eugene police Chief Pete Kerns announced his move to St. Vincent de Paul Monday. Following his retirement from EPD in January, Kerns is expected to become SVDP’s first chief of staff, a move Executive Director Terry McDonald is highly anticipating.
“It’s going to be a wonderful way for St. Vincent de Paul to extend its service to do even more for the community. I think that this kind of talent being brought to the organization is an opportunity to do a lot so we’re grateful to Pete and looking forward to working with him in the spring. ”
Kerns, 56, has served as Chief of police for nine years and the city of Eugene for 34 years. He announced his retirement earlier this year, but has agreed to stay on for a period of time during the recruitment of a new Chief. The EPD expects the hiring process to last into the spring, and will appoint an interim chief during the months after Kerns’ leave. City Manager Jon Ruiz says he will be meeting with EPD’s division manager as well as others to get a perspective on options for filling the interim position.
After he leaves the chief job, Kerns plans to take time to recover from his time at the police department and spend time with family, before starting at SVDP.
“One of the great, most fulfilling things in my world is to serve others, and I can’t think of a better organization to work for than St. Vincent de Paul.”
The new chief-of-staff position will help oversee an organization that has grown exponentially in recent decades, assisting more than 84,000 people a year. “We’ve grown to the point where it’s simply no longer possible for me to fully keep track of what’s happening in the many corners of this sprawling organization.” Mcdonald said. “Pete’s experience at the helm of a complex, multi-faceted police department will enable him to help us better coordinate and grow our many programs here at St. Vincent de Paul.”
