Eddie Buffaloe Jr., a Northampton County native and retired North Carolina secretary of public safety, will be the keynote speaker for Halifax Community College’s 59th commencement.

Buffaloe is currently the deputy chief of the Administrative Services Division for the Raleigh Police Department.

The graduation is scheduled for May 8 at 1 p.m. and will be held in the Dr. Ervin V. Griffin, Sr. Centre at the HCC campus. 

Buffaloe brings more than three decades of leadership experience in public safety and law enforcement. Over the course of his career, he has served in numerous roles, including police chief, deputy sheriff, correctional officer, law enforcement instructor, and director of public safety. He also previously served as secretary and Homeland Security advisor for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, where he played a key role in statewide emergency preparedness, public safety operations, and homeland security initiatives.

Buffaloe holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice administration and is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. 

He currently serves on several professional boards, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.