FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Attorney General-elect Russell Coleman, R-Ky., announced his senior leadership team, including a new executive director for the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission and the creation of a new position — Deputy Director of the Department of Criminal Investigations for Counter Exploitation, charged with investigating child exploitation cases.

Chrisopher Evans will become the new executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. Evans is a former acting administrator for the Drug Enforcement Agency. Evans has served in various DEA leadership roles, including as the first Special Agent in Charge of the newly created Louisville Field Division. In that role, he partnered with then-U.S. Attorney Coleman to open a DEA office in Paducah. Evans currently serves on the board of directors for both the Christopher 2X Game Changers organization in Louisville and the Kentucky State Police Foundation. His role will be to lead the commission in distribution of Kentucky’s share of the opioid settlement funds, as directed by the General Assembly.

Jeremy Murrell is being promoted to become the Department of Criminal Investigations first-ever deputy commissioner for counter exploitation. In a news release, Coleman said the mandate for this position is to “target harden” Kentucky from those who seek to exploit children in the state. Murrell specialized in digital forensics and intelligence investigations as a major and chief information officer with Kentucky State Police.

Other people announced as part of Coleman’s senior leadership team include:

Rewa Zakharia as criminal chief Richard Ferretti as commissioner of the Department of Criminal Investigations Matt Kuhn continuing as solicitor general Justin Clark as civil chief Christopher Thacker as the general counsel Vic Maddox as counsel to the attorney general for special litigation Amy Burke as interim chief of child support enforcement Tramont Banks as deputy commissioner for operations at the Department of Criminal Investigations Jessie Hallady as deputy director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission

“Today, I’m proud to announce a team of powerhouse attorneys and law enforcement professionals who will bring talent and experience to protecting Kentucky families,” said Coleman.