VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 45 World War II veterans. He would spend hours at their office, listening to their stories of hardship and heroism over several cups of coffee. “As a history major, I was hanging on every word,” he said. “It was all so fascinating.” It was around this time that the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration began awarding grants to students who agreed to serve a five-year commitment with law enforcement after graduation. Keenan applied, received news that he had been awarded the grant, and made the transition from history major to sociology major. He went on to become the first student police officer on Valdosta State’s campus. Keenan graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in sociology and anthropology with an emphasis in criminal justice. That same year, he married his girlfriend, Joan, to whom he had been introduced during his freshman year. Keenan began applying for various law enforcement positions around the state of Georgia. He interviewed with DeKalb County and was offered a job. A few months into his new job with DeKalb County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reached out to see if he would be interested in a special agent position. Keenan was not interested at the time but decided to go to the interview anyway. He ended up receiving a job offer, but he turned it down so that he could remain in uniform and close to the action on the streets. Nine months later, the GBI contacted him once more to offer him a job. This time, he did not hesitate to take it. Keenan noted that working as a young police officer on the evening shift, particularly in Metro Atlanta, was very exciting, but his heart was telling him that he was meant to be a criminal investigator. “I knew that this opportunity would not come around again, so I accepted the job offer,” he said. Keenan’s career has transcended from being a campus police officer with no training to leading a full-service investigative agency. In 2002, he was named acting director of the GBI; a year later, then-Governor Sonny Perdue appointed him director. Keenan was re-appointed as director in 2011 by Governor Nathan Deal. “We have absolutely top-notch talent within the agency. That starts within the supply room and goes all the way to the highest command staff positions. Our men and women are absolutely dedicated to what they do. They have the highest integrity, and they are proud to be in an agency that supports our state’s criminal justice system around the clock in the areas of criminal justice investigations, forensic laboratory services, and computerized criminal justice information,” he said. “That is a big positive — to be the director of an agency with these types of people.”