Emory Police Department (EPD) Chief Cheryl Elliott is transitioning to a new role overseeing the department in January, Emory University announced on Tuesday. Deputy Chief Burt Buchtinec will become the department’s next chief.
Elliott has served as EPD chief since her appointment in 2021. Starting next year, Elliott will serve as the Vice President for Public Safety. In this position, Elliott will manage the Emory Police Department, the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, Clery Reporting, Threat Assessment, Physical Security and Business Continuity, according to the Tuesday press release.
Emory Police Chief Cheryl Elliott will serve as the Vice President for Public Safety starting Jan. 1, 2024. (Courtesy of Emory University)
Buchtinec has worked for EPD for the past 16 years. This fall he was named president of the Georgia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, which has representatives from over 60 universities.
In a statement in Tuesday’s University press release, Buchtinec said he is “thrilled” to transition into this new role.
“I believe deeply in partnering with the community we serve and it is my goal to build upon the work we are doing to ensure that the Emory Police Department remains a trusted resource,” Buchtinec said.
Executive Vice President for Business Administration Chris Augostini expressed his appreciation for Elliott’s leadership in a statement in Tuesday’s University press release.
“Cheryl is a known and trusted leader,” Augostini said. “She has spent 35 years dedicated to public safety at Emory, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to provide elevated leadership for this critically important area.”
Elliott will transition out of her role around two-and-a-half years after she began acting as the department’s chief in May 2021.
According to the Emory News Center, Elliott and Buchtinec’s promotions are among other organizational changes within the Office of Business and Administration. These shifts are meant to strengthen public safety at Emory while “streamlining the reporting structure to enhance efficiency and effectiveness,” according to the press release.
In addition to Elliott and Buchtinec’s appointments, Vice President, Chief Audit and Risk Officer of Emory University and Emory Healthcare Diana Carter, will transition to her new role as vice president and chief administrative officer on Jan. 1, 2024. She has served in her current position since February but has held other positions at the University since 2013.
Carter will be Emory’s inaugural chief administrative officer, a new role focusing on risk and operations. Her responsibilities will include guiding the integration of Internal Audit, University Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management as well as managing the Business and Administration division’s data and analytics.
Elliott and Carter will work in partnership and have a shared reporting line to University President Greg Fenves and Executive Vice President for Business and Administration Chris Augostini.
Editor-in-Chief | Matthew Chupack (he/him, 24C) is from Northbrook, Illinois, majoring in sociology & religion and minoring in community building & social change on a pre-law track. Outside of the Wheel, Chupack serves on the Emory College Honor Council, is vice president of Behind the Glass: Immigration Reflections, Treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society and an RA in Dobbs Hall. In his free time, he enjoys trying new restaurants around Atlanta, catching up on pop culture news and listening to country music.
Sarah Davis (22Ox, 24C) is a co-Editor-in-Chief of the Wheel. Previously, she interned with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Covington News and Austin Monthly Magazine. In her free time, you can find her exploring new running trails and coffee shops around the city.
