Vernon Keenan
Vernon M. Keenan is the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), that state's primary investigation and law enforcement agency.
He was voted one of the top 100 most influential Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine. He is a firm supporter of the state's Open Records Act. Keenan joined the GBI in 1973 and was appointed director of the agency in January 2003 by Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to joining the GBI, he served as a patrolman with the DeKalb County Police Department (November 1972 - June 1973).
Education
Keenan, the son of a Waycross mortician, is recognizable for his fedora and availability to the media. Keenan is a graduate of Waycross High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Valdosta State College in 1972. In 1997, Vernon Keenan graduated from the Georgia Chiefs of Police Command College with a Master of Public Administration from Columbus State University. In addition, he is a graduate of 117th Session of the FBI Academy (May - June, 1979).
Keenan originally intended to be a history teacher. However, he switched his major at Valdosta State to criminal justice and moved right into law enforcement after graduation.
Private life
He has been married for 30 years to Joan Thomas Keenan from St. Mary's, Georgia. They live in Cherokee County and have two sons, Mack and Jackson. Vernon Keenan is an Eagle Scout.