By Ian Wesselhoff 

Haley Beckham (’09) and Dr. Chris Hughes (’13) have risen through the ranks to serve as Chiefs of Police – Beckham at Mercer University and Hughes at Valdosta State University. While they took different paths to become leaders in law enforcement, their journeys both started at GCSU. 

Last summer, Beckham became Mercer’s first female chief of police. As an undergraduate psychology major and outfielder for the softball team, she never envisioned working in law enforcement, but every time a new door opened, she took the opportunity. 

“I realized from the beginning, as soon as I started, that law enforcement is definitely a profession that allows you to grow constantly,” Beckham said. 

Beckham’s desire to serve others has blossomed into over 15 years of experience in law enforcement. Her stops included managing the school safety section at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, working as the chief investigator for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, and serving for a decade as a deputy sheriff in Baldwin County. 

“Being part of the softball team here really build in that teamwork approach,” Beckham said. “If somebody comes up to me, no matter how long I’ve had this role, and they say, ‘Wow, you’re doing a good job,’ I don’t take that individually. I take that collectively as my whole team doing a good job.” 

Like Beckham, Hughes did not come to Georgia College planning to be a police officer. He wanted to be a high school football coach, and he returned to college at age 25 to pursue that goal. Scott Beckner, who was GCSU’s chief of police at the time and taught a criminal justice class that Hughes took, had other plans for him.

“Throughout the class, he kept messing with me about coming to work for him,” Hughes said. “And then I did.” 

Hughes worked for the Department of Public Safety at Georgia College for almost five years, spending his first year as an officer and the rest as a sergeant. Toward the end of his time in that position, the department put Hughes through Command College at Columbus State University to pursue his master’s degree in public safety administration, which was approved by Beckner. 

“They invested in me and gave me opportunities that I normally would not have had,” Hughes said. “I graduated with my master's in May and by July, I had a chief job.” 

That new role was at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston and Covington, where he was police chief for nearly six years. For five of those years, he also served as dean of the college’s School of Public Safety. 

Shortly before going to Valdosta in 2025, Hughes set up an articulation agreement between Georgia Piedmont Technical College and the Atlanta Police Department. Because of Hughes, Atlanta police officers get 27 hours of credit in the college’s criminal justice program. Hughes says they have since signed 90 police officers to finish their associate’s degrees there. 

“I love the education part,” Hughes said. “That’s why I went and finished my doctorate.” 

Last December, Hughes graduated as part of Middle Georgia State University’s first cohort for their Public Safety Administration doctoral program. He says his continuing education is partly to build toward his ultimate goal: to one day be president of a university. 

For now, though, he loves being a police chief – something that he says never would have happened without GCSU.  

“No, not even close,” Hughes said. “Not that I wouldn’t have wanted to be a leader somewhere, but I don’t think I would have thought this was my path.” 

Header Images: Bobcat alumna Haley Beckham ('09) is Chief of Police for Mercer University. (Photos: Anna Gay Leavitt) Bobcat alumnus and former GCSU Public Safety officer Dr. Chris Hughes ('13) is Chief of Police for VSU. Several members of the GCSU Public Safety Department attended Hughes' swearing-in ceremony, including officer Gary Purvis. (Photos: Valdosta State University Communications)