The City of Louisville is bringing a member of the Greeley Police Department on as its new police chief.

Rafael Gutierrez, the Greeley Police Department’s current deputy chief of police, will join the Louisville Police Department tentatively starting on May 30, according to a City of Louisville news release.

Gutierrez is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from Colorado State University, according to the release.

He has spent much of his career with the Greeley Police Department, working his way up in levels of responsibility. 

“Rafael competed in a national recruitment for the position with a number of exceptional candidates,” City Manager Jeff Durbin said in the release. “After a thorough vetting process, he rose to the top of the candidate pool and we’re excited to have him join the Louisville team.”

The chief of police is responsible for day-to-day operations and administration of the police department, according to the release. 

Gutierrez follows prior Chief of Police David Hayes, who left the position to accept a new one as the police chief for the Town of Estes Park in late November. 

Hayes held the position as chief of police in Louisville from 2014 to his departure late last year, according to the release.

Hayes’ last day with the City of Louisville was Nov. 18 and his position has been filled in the interim by Deputy Chief of Police Jeff Fisher.