A 45-year-old city administrator with Commerce, Ga., who also packs a heavy background in police work, is now Longmont’s new Public Safety Chief.
Zach Ardis will take over the job of overseeing Longmont’s police and fire services August 30, according to a City of Longmont news release.
“I plan to focus on the critically important issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity that will strengthen our mission to serve the people who live, work, and play in Longmont,” said Ardis in the news release. “I am honored to be part of this amazing community, to take on this new role and to call Longmont my home.”
Ardis has served as the Commerce chief of police since 2016, and in August 2020 was appointed executive director of Policy, Planning and Public Safety. He has overseen the police department, fire department, planning and zoning, building department, code enforcement, animal control and city vehicle maintenance shop, the news release states. Prior to working in Commerce - with a population of almost 7,000 - Ardis had a 19-year career with the City of Douglasville Police Department in the greater Atlanta metro area, where he supervised the Criminal Investigations Division, Uniformed Patrol Division and the Administrative Division.
City Manager Harold Dominguez ー who is currently Acting Public Safety Chief ー said he was impressed with the breadth of experience Ardis brings to his new role, along with his proven track record in bringing communities together.
“He joins the city team with a deep understanding of how to engage with residents and staff alike, and how to build trust by walking the walk,” Dominguez said in the news release. “I look forward to seeing the transformational value of Zach’s humble, yet confident, leadership for Longmont.”
One of the strengths Ardis developed during his tenure in the smaller community of Commerce was identifying and connecting with the community as a whole, and challenging the status quo when it didn’t serve community members equitably, the news release states.
“His focus on engaging with residents side-by-side to understand their needs and how to best serve are values he intends to make central to his approach in Longmont,” according to the news release.
Ardis also works as a volunteer firefighter in his community and has completed his Firefighter 1 certification, the news release states.
Ardis holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of West Georgia. He is a graduate of the Georgia Command College and the FBI National Academy Session 254, according to the news release. He holds a Certified Public Manager Certificate from the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and memberships with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the FBI National Academy Association. He is also a member of the American Academy of Certified Public Managers.
Ardis was one of five original finalists for the job, which was created when Mike Butler retired from the post in July 2020. Deputy Chief Rob Spendlow served as Acting Public Safety Chief until July 8.
All five finalists appeared at a public forum in June. Earlier this month, Dominguez narrowed the list to Ardis and Mike Marino, now an assistant chief in Prince George’s County, MD., Fire/EMS Department.
The final pick follows a “comprehensive recruitment and selection process. It included input from the community and from city staff about the priorities and qualities that the successful candidate would bring to the role, extensive interviews and panels across the organization…” the news release states.
