Chris Cowan

  • Presentation title: Leveling up your leadership, 1 Degree; by LIVING your legacy, not leaving one
  • Presentation overview: Police leadership and management start with understanding the difference between success and significance and the difference between living a legacy and leaving a legacy.  So, what is your strategic and dynamic readiness to leveling up your leadership? Water boils at 212 degrees. It can cook at 211 degrees; it is successful at 211. What will it take for you to go from success to significance and level up your leadership that one degree. This professional development session will take you out of your comfort zone and challenge your thinking. We will help you build your capacity, your passion and purpose, your effectiveness as a leader and a clearer understanding of being a predictive and preparative leader. The presentation includes an interactive power point and session that will provide you with practical, applicable skills to being an executive who is better today than you were yesterday. Focusing on passion, purpose and the profession.

Chris Cowan is recognized internationally for his vast network of private and public partnerships and his expansive policing knowledge, from 32 years in law enforcement. Chris’ extensive experience leading special operations, homeland security, crime suppression, professional development, community policing, media relations and business and community crime prevention units has given him a unique perspective on what it takes to be a guardian to our communities.   He also served as a chief financial officer, chief public information officer, commander of special weapons and tactics units and commander of community policing units.  

In October 2021 he was honored to be named the Chief of a newly formed Police Department (Cayce, SC) where they fostered community partnerships while relentlessly pursued the criminal element that threaten the quality of life and safety of the citizens and communities. This experience has provided Chris with a unique perspective on mitigating challenges to corporate and community quality of life issues because it has been paralleled with 25 years in corporate security, risk management and professional development.

His passion is to help develop holistic leaders who build strategies to provide stability to all citizens, and protect the vulnerable, through programs that create religious, business and neighborhood communities that are the best places to live, work and play. On July 17, 2024, he was named the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the newly formed Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, where we work to ensure all public safety professionals are equipped with state-of-the-art knowledge, skills, and attitudes to equitably advance public safety in South Carolina and beyond. In January 2025 he was named as it’s Executive Director where we continue to advance the police profession.  

He is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Police Management, the So. Carolina Executive Institute, Furman University Diversity Leadership Initiative, the FBI National Academy, the Department of Homeland Security Leadership Academy, the FBI Hazardous Devices Leadership Program and the FBI Command College.  Chris has been married thirty years with two children, attends First Presbyterian Church, is a Master Mason, a member of the Board of Directors of the Oliver Gospel Mission and am member of the Austin Wilkes Society’s Foundation.  

Additional information:

Commissioned a United States Naval Officer; he secured his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  He has also earned a Master’s Certificate from the Australian Institute of Police Management.  Chris is a graduate of the South Carolina Executive Institute, the FBI National Academy, the FBI Command College and the FBI Hazardous Devices School Executive Management Program. He has over 22 years of leadership experience in the fields of administration, human capital, crisis management, strategic planning, tactical operations, homeland security, community policing and local and state government affairs.

Mr. Cowan has worked internationally with the London Metropolitan Police, the Staffordshire England Police, Queensland Police Service, Australia, The Australia Federal Police, Hong Kong Police, Bulgarian Police Service and Rhineland Polizei, and nationally with the Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department and the North Carolina Justice Academy for the purpose of developing policing programs and initiatives. After serving as a Deputy Chief for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, a 960-person Department, he continued to work with local, state and federal partners in South Carolina and across the globe in developing law enforcement, professional development and community-based initiatives; as the first Chief of Police in Cayce SC.    

He was chosen in July 2011 to be The International Visiting Fellow to Queensland Australia to work with the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire Service, Queensland Ambulance Service, Australian Federal Police, Australian Defense Force, Hong Kong, Shanghai China Police Service and Maldives Police Service as an instructor in Leadership Development and Strategic Management. He also worked with the QPS, in 2013, during the G20 International Leaders Conference in incident management, special operations command and critical incident management. 

Chris has held several statewide leadership roles in South Carolina ranging from President of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, President of the Blythewood Rotary Club to Chairperson for Crimestoppers of the Midlands spanning 56 law enforcement jurisdictions and charter member of the South Carolina Crimestoppers Council.  As a practitioner in public safety, Mr. Cowan has been awarded the South Carolina Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Officer of the year, two times received the Southeastern Crimestoppers Coordinator of the Year award, two-time Rotarian of the Year award recipient and The American Lawman Magazine Officer of the Quarter. 

Mr. Cowan worked internationally with the Eastern European FBI National Academy Associates teaching professional and leadership development in Bulgaria in 2019 and again in 2025.   Chris partnered with more than 200 Eastern European law enforcement executives from across Europe, United Kingdom, Middle East and Eastern Europe. 

He presently serves as the Jim Hudson Automotive Group Director of Professional Development.  The #1 automotive group in South Carolina and multimillion-dollar automotive company with 750 employees, Chris works directly with the executive team and is responsible for launching and implementing their executive and mid-level management professional development program. 

On July 17, 2024, he was named the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the newly formed Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, where we work to ensure all public safety professionals are equipped with state-of-the-art knowledge, skills, and attitudes to equitably advance public safety in South Carolina and beyond.  On January 8, 2025, he was named the Executive Director for the Program that is already recognized nationally and internationally for its impact and advancement of the police profession. 

From April 2020 to June 2021, he took command of corporate security for Celeros Flow Technologies; a Charlotte based international power and Energy Corporation with assets in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.  His responsibilities encompassed establishing a travel safety and risk mitigation program for 1700 employees and asset protection: for this newly divested company. 

He lives in West Columbia, SC with his wife of 30 years.  His 23 year-old son, 28 year-old daughter and son in law all work and live in the Columbia area.  He attends First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, is a Master Mason and a member of the Board of Directors for the Austin Wilkes Society, member of the Board of Directors for the Oliver Gospel Mission and a Class D licensed soccer coach.