The town of Eagle Chief of Police Hiring Committee has selected four finalists for the position and announced a public meet-and-greet with the candidates on Thursday, April 4.
The town received 22 applications and the committee narrowed the search down to the following four applicants:
Carrie Buhlman
Buhlman began serving in the Eagle Police Department in May 2015. Since December 2023, she has led the department as the interim chief of police and has served as lieutenant since January 2022. Before this, she held the positions of police operations sergeant and administrative supervisor from May 2015 to December 2021. Her previous roles include police officer/school resource officer for the New Castle Police Department from 2012 to 2015 in New Castle, Colo. and a Vail Police Department officer in Vail, Colo. from 2008 to 2012. Buhlman holds a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State University. She is a credentialed leader in the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Mark Fleecs
Fleecs most recently served as the Denver Police Department’s District 4 commander of the patrol division from September 2015 to March 2022. Before that, he held various positions within the department, including the commander of the Strategic Investigations Division from March 2012 to August 2015 and lieutenant commander of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Front Range Task Force from June 2007 to February 2012. Fleecs holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska and is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police and Police Executive Research Forum for Police from Boston University
Jason Freedman
Freedman currently serves as the Special Weapons and Tactics team commander, midtown district captain and peer support team commander for the Madison Police Department in Madison, Wis. Previously, he commanded the Dane County Narcotics Task Force from 2014 to 2016. Freedman holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in history, international relations and political science from the University of Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (class 279) and a trainer for Leadership in Police
Alexander Rice
Rice has brought extensive law enforcement and administrative management experience to his role as police major for the Miami-Dade Police Department in Miami-Dade, Fla. since 2022. Before this, he served as a police lieutenant from 2017 to 2022 and police sergeant from 2010 to 2017. Rice holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bethel University in Tennessee. He is a credentialed leader and has completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Executive Development Association trilogy. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, Policing Leadership Academy (Cohort 1).
“We’re impressed with the qualifications of all four candidates,” Eagle Town Manager Larry Pardee said. “They each possess unique strengths and would provide thoughtful leadership for the Eagle Police Department.”
The hiring committee consists of Eagle Town Councilmember and Mayor Pro-Tem Pappy Kerst, Eagle Town Councilmember Bryan Woods, Town of Avon Chief of Police Greg Daly, Eagle Town Manager Larry Pardee, Eagle Assistant Town Manager Melissa Daruna and the town’s Human Resource Manager Lynette Horan. To ensure a wide candidate pool, the town engaged SGR Associates for a nationwide search to fill the vacancy left by Derek Bos, who assumed the chief of police position in Juneau, Alaska in December 2023.
Community Input
The public is encouraged to attend a meet-and-greet with the finalists on Thursday, April 4 from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Eagle Town Hall. The public forum will provide an opportunity for community members to meet candidates, ask questions and submit written feedback for the town’s consideration. Town staff will facilitate the event and light refreshments will be available.
“Community input is vital,” Pardee said. “We urge everyone to participate, engage with the finalists and share their perspectives.”
Next Steps
The hiring committee will hold its final interviews on Friday, April 5. Following these interviews, they will select candidates for further consideration and initiate thorough background checks.
For more information, contact the town’s Communication and Marketing Specialist Jamie Wilson at 970-328-9522 or email jamie.wilson@townofeagle.org.