Neuhaus to host inaugural County Executive Leadership Series on Feb. 1

Goshen. Retired Maj. Gen. John F. Hussey, a commander of the Abu Ghraib prison, among other notable posts, will speak at the first event.

Goshen /
| 16 Jan 2024 | 04:32

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus has announced that he will host the first installment of his Leadership Series at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 1 at the County’s Emergency Services Center, located at 22 Wells Farm Road in Goshen.

According to Neuhaus’s announcement, the event will “bring together established and emerging leaders from diverse organizations in Orange County to promote leadership and professional development, as well as networking to advance and enhance our community.” Maj. Gen. John F. Hussey (Ret.), who served in the military for 38 years, will be the keynote speaker at the forum, which will be open to the public.

“Maj. Gen. Hussey has a proven record of leadership and decorated service to this country,” Neuhaus said. “He is an engaging and powerful speaker and I know that guests will benefit from hearing his message and about his experiences. I look forward to having Maj. Gen Hussey speak at the forum and am honored to consider him a friend, mentor, and role model.”

Maj. Gen. Hussey, a former Cornwall resident, retired in August 2022. He oversaw the 200th Military Police Command at Fort Meade, Md. The 200th Military Police Command is a division-level headquarters that commands 97% of the Army Reserve military police assets and soldiers, Neuhaus’s announcement explained. Hussey enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in June 1984 and transferred to the Army National Guard two years later. He completed the officer candidate school in 1988 and became a military police officer.

In 1997, he joined the Army Reserve, where he continued his career. He also served as commander of the 306th Military Police Battalion at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2005, commander of the 3rd Brigade Civil Affairs/Psychological Operations, and the Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

Hussey has a PhD in criminal justice and has earned five master’s degrees, including one in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. He has published several articles concerning detention operations and rule of law operations. Hussey retired from his civilian career after 34 years of service, culminating as a chief clerk in the Unified Court System of New York State. He and his wife, Janice, have three adult children, including two who serve in the U.S. military.