The City of Waco officially named a new police chief Tuesday evening when the Waco City Council voted unanimously to ratify the city’s nomination of current Waco Assistant Police Chief Ryan Holt for the position of Chief of Police.

Holt will succeed retired Chief Brent Stroman as the department’s leader.

Holt was among the three finalists in the search for Stroman’s replacement, along with Assistant Waco Chief Robert Lanning and Austin Assistant Chief Troy G. Gay.

"It's just humbling and you know a little scary, but I'm excited to work with the caliber we have in the men and women of the Waco Police Department,” Holt said after the initial announcement last Thursday that he was the city’s pick.

"Chief Stroman when he was here set the groundwork for us with a relationship with the community and that's what I want to do I want to help build on that relationship that we have with the community," he said.

"I'm stopped every single day and our officers are stopped every single day by the citizens telling us how much they appreciate what our officers do we just have such a good relationship with our community and it's imperative that we build upon that and that we take care of our employees."

The candidates were interviewed last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Two panels were involved in the interviews; one comprised of the city manager, deputy city manager and three assistant city managers and the other of six department heads in including the fire chief and a representative of the Waco Police Association.

Holt started his career in Waco in 1996.

He was promoted to assistant chief in 2008.

Holt is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum- Senior Management Institute for Police.

He holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Tarleton State University and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Stephen F. Austin University.

He is an experienced hostage negotiator, a former public information officer, a SWAT supervisor and is a special deputy for the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force.

Assistant Police Chief Frank Gentsch, who said early on he wasn’t interested in the job has been serving as the department’s interim chief since Aug. 1, replacing Stroman who retired after after 39 years of service with the Waco Police Department.

“Through the years, Chief Stroman developed a strong leadership team that provided two exceptional candidates that clearly rose to the top of our extensive selection process," Fisseler said.

"We are fortunate to have had Interim Chief Gentsch lead the department during this process and have had two internal candidates, each capable of continuing the strong leadership of the department.

"Ryan has served in every division of Waco PD and will make a great Chief.”