Keiser University recently recognized City of Delray Beach Assistant Police Chief Darrell Hunter as one of its first-ever Choice Award honorees on Friday, November 17, 2023, at its West Palm Beach Flagship Campus.

A long-time volunteer for Delray Beach area community service efforts, Hunter regularly mentors young adults and has been active in supporting the City of Delray Beach Pompey Park Senior Club for years. Hunter shared that he dedicates the honor and credits his success to his mother Patricia White Williams who passed away in early 2023, and also to his grandmother Mae Anderson who instilled the importance of regularly giving back and supporting fellow community members. “They both raised me from an early age and regularly stressed the importance of ‘to whom much has been given, much will be required,’ (Luke 12:48),” he said. “I’ve always taken that to heart. Every time somebody walks away from an encounter with me, I’d like them to remember that there are great people in our community who believe in them,” he added.

Hunter began his career with the City of Delray Beach Police Department in 2007 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2014, lieutenant in 2017, captain in 2020, and assistant chief in 2021. His career has included assignments in the Community Patrol Division, Community Response Task Force, and Investigative Division, where he worked as a detective in Property and White-Collar Crimes before being promoted to sergeant supervising the Community Patrol Division and Clean and Safe Unit. His other duties have included serving as a background investigator and a certified CPR instructor.

Hunter graduated from the University of Virginia with a graduate certificate in Criminal Justice Education, and Waldorf University with a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership with a Concentration in Public Administration. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University and his Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeast Mississippi Community College. He is a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA), Leadership Delray, the Southern Police Institute Command Officer’s Development 81st Session (University of Louisville), PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police – SMIP 74th Session and the Florida Police Chiefs Association (Future Chiefs Seminar). He is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy Session 282.

The Keiser University Choice Awards program is designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to their respective communities. All proceeds raised from the Gala go to the building of the Keiser University Aquatic Center. Once built, the facility will not only become a home for Keiser University’s NAIA National Championship swim teams, but a facility to benefit the entire Palm Beach community. The aquatic center will further enhance sports tourism in Palm Beach County and provide a venue for Olympians and Olympic hopefuls to gather, train, and mentor. Most importantly, the aquatic center will become a place to offer life-saving swim lessons to children and families in our community.

The honorees included:             

• Kristy Amaro, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Amerant Bank
• Florida Rep. Carolina Amnesty
• Robin Bernstein, Former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
• Ron Book, CEO, Ronald L. Book, P.A.
• Samantha Bratter, CEO, BRATTER PA Immigration Law Firm
• Jose Castillo, Associate Professor, Texas Wesleyan University
• Thomas DeRita, Founder and CEO, Resource Group N.A.
• Sophia Eccleston, Director of Origination, NextEra/Chair, Florida Commission on the Status of Women
• Craig Eppy, Founder & Insurance and Investment Advisor, Levanti Wealth
• Sam Eppy, Founder & Managing Partner, Levanti Wealth
• Freddie Figgers, Founder and CEO, Figgers Communication Inc.
• Brendan Flores, President, National Federation of Filipino American Associations
• Yenny Gonzalez, CEO, PCP1st
• Darrell Hunter, Assistant Chief, City of Delray Beach Police Department
• Mary Mayhew, CEO, Florida Hospital Association
• Norma Pastor, Dean of the Latin Division, Keiser University
• Mayor Ty Penserga, City of Boynton Beach
• Nestor Pereira, Advisor, USI Insurance Services
• Karen Prescod, Founder/CEO, Bowtie Kids
• Tracey Prescod, President, Bowtie Kids
• Carlos Reyes, Shareholder, GrayRobinson, PA
• Ty Richardson, Founder/CEO, One Global Financing Corporation
• Darren Smith, President, Smith & Henzy Advisory Group
• Howard Talenfeld, Partner, Kelley Kronenberg

Honoree biographies may be found here.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associate to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and was ranked No. 21 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report in 2023-24.