Overview:
Steven Flis, a sergeant with the Templeton Police, has been appointed as Royalston's first full-time police chief. Flis, who has been with the Templeton Police since 2003, was selected by the Selectboard for his energy, positive attitude, and ability to manage people and finances. He will succeed current Chief Curtis Deveneau, who will remain on the job until a contract with Flis is finalized. A start date for the new chief has not yet been announced.
ROYALSTON – The Selectboard has chosen Templeton Police Sgt. Steven Flis to serve as the Royalston’s first full-time police chief.
Flis, who will succeed current Chief Curtis Deveneau, has been with the Templeton Police since 2003, rising through the ranks and attaining the rank of sergeant in 2014. The board announced Flis’ appointment at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
A 1997 graduate of Narragansett Regional High School, Flis graduated from the state Police Academy in 2002. In 2003, he received an associate degree in criminal justice from Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner.
Selectboard Chair Bill Chapman told the Athol Daily News, “The board was truly honored to have had such a great pool of candidates for the police chief position. Sgt. Flis showed the energy and positive attitude to not just survive, but excel in today’s law enforcement field. He also showed the ability to manage both people and finances,” which Chapman described as being pivotal to being a successful police chief in a small town with budgetary constraints.
“Most importantly,” Chapman continued, “Sgt. Flis showed the ability to connect with people.”
Members of the Selectboard, the Police Chief Search Committee, and others who had the opportunity to meet Flis, Chapman said, “felt wholly confident that he could successfully lead this department and provide excellent service to the citizens of Royalston.”
Chapman also thanked Steve Egan, chair of the search committee, and “the committee members who put in a lot of hard work to work their way through a very qualified pool of applicants.”
Deveneau will stay on the job until a contract with Flis has been finalized, according to Selectboard member Linda Alger. A start date for the new chief hasn’t yet been finalized, as Flis needs to give his current employer notice of his pending departure.