MCTC enters agreement with City of Maysville, adds officer presence to campus

September 7, 2023
by Megan Smedley

City of Maysville Mayor Debra Cotterill and Maysville Police Department (MPD) Chief Mike Palmer joined Dr. Laura McCullough, President/CEO of Maysville Community and Technical College (MCTC) on Tuesday to sign a memorandum of agreement to improve the safety and security of faculty, staff, and students on the Maysville campus.

As a part of the agreement, Chris Neal, who currently serves the MPD as Community Liaison, will be an active presence at the Maysville campus, spending 20 hours a week on campus.

“We are thankful for this partnership with the City of Maysville, which will only add to the safety and security of our faculty, staff, and students at the Maysville campus,” said Dr. McCullough. “Relationships like this are what put the ‘community’ in Maysville Community and Technical College, and we are looking forward to continuing to cultivate our partnerships with the City.”

Neal’s first day on campus will be September 18.

“I am looking forward to networking with the faculty, staff, and students and help out wherever I am needed to make everyone’s day a little better and a little safer,” Neal said.

Neal was raised in Maysville and graduated from Mason County High School. After high school, Chris joined the U.S. military and is an honorably discharged, decorated military combat veteran. He served in the United States Army Corp, Combat Engineers, including serving in the first Gulf War, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and was awarded the Bronze Star Combat Medal.

Neal returned to Maysville, eight years later, and joined the MPD and continued to serve for over twenty years. Since retiring from the MPD, Chris has worked for the Tom Browning Boy’s and Girl’s Club, the City of Augusta Police Department, and G4S Armed Security at 5th/3rd Bank Operations Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He has been recognized by the state government and several organizations for his contributions to the community including the Mason County Alumni Association Hall of Fame, the NAACP, and others. Neal is an ordained minister who has served as a youth pastor and is currently the co-pastor at the Shepherd’s House Church in Maysville.

Neal has served the MPD as Community Liaison since 2020.

“I want to thank the college for their vision on this concept, the MPD for being open to the idea, and the two of them working together to bring that vision to life,” said Mayor Cotterill. “The more we are interwoven, the better the outcome for everyone as it strengthens both our community and our campus.”

“This partnership is a win-win for everyone,” Chief Palmer added. “It provides exposure for the police department and protection for the college by having a certified and fully trained law enforcement officer on campus.”

Neal’s office will be in room C-204 in the Calvert Building of the Maysville Campus. He can be contacted by emailing chrisneal@cityofmaysvilleky.gov.