John Hunkiar

John Hunkiar is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Florida Association of School Safety Specialists, FS3, headquartered in Tallahassee Florida.

He served as the Chief of Safety and Security in Leon County, Florida for 16 years, retiring in 2022. He has an extensive background in law enforcement and all areas of school safety & security. Chief Hunkiar spent 15 years with the Miami Dade Schools Police Department working his way up through the ranks from Officer to Major. In 2006, he joined Leon County Schools where he and his staff built a safety and security department which was frequently modeled and lauded for innovative uses of technology and best practice initiatives. The Department oversaw all areas of safety & security, including fingerprinting & background screenings, employee related professional practice issues, and a 24-hour District Security Center. Chief Hunkiar was a key member of the North Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Child Abduction Response Team and was a national finalist for the 2010 Safety Director of the Year by Campus Safety Magazine. Upon his retirement, the Leon School District’s 24-hour Security Center was named in his honor