25 to watch in 2025: Chris Evans enters second year leading KY opioid abatement commission

Editor’s note: The Herald-Leader is tracking 25 individuals we expect will be making news in 2025.

Name: Christopher Evans

Background: Christopher Evans served as a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for more than 25 years before retiring in 2021. In 2018, he was appointed as the first special agent in charge of DEA efforts in the Appalachia region.

Later, he became the chief of operations for the DEA, leading agency’s global enforcement initiatives across 240 domestic offices and 93 foreign offices in 69 countries.

From January to June 2021, Evans also took on the role of acting administrator for the DEA. In January 2024, he was named executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission within the attorney general’s office. This commission is responsible for overseeing the distribution of Kentucky’s share of more than $842 million from settlements reached in 2022 with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Why he’s someone to watch in 2025: This will be Evans’ second year serving as the director of the commission. He replaced former director Bryan Hubbard in late 2023. His plans include executing a “comprehensive road map for effectively utilizing” the nearly $1 billion in funding that Kentucky receives as part of the settlement. Evans is committed to an approach which emphasizes utilizing evidence-based approaches and data to help prioritize the use of these funds.

As part of their efforts, the Evans said the commission will also delve into innovative strategies to widen the impact of the grant funds by pursuing increased opportunities for “groundbreaking research and novel solutions” to addressing substance use disorder.

What they expect out of the new year:

Evans hopes to advocate for increased transparency regarding how these funds are allocated and spent, allowing all Kentuckians to clearly comprehend the efforts of state, county and municipal governments in employing abatement funds to enhance community well-being. He will continue efforts brought forth by Attorney General Russell Coleman to implement the social media initiative, the Better Without It campaign, aimed at keeping kids away from drugs.

“Looking ahead to 2025, the expansion of support for those on the front line of the substance use prevention effort the youth of Kentucky through the development of innovative substance use prevention programs is a priority for me,” Evans said.

“We are already working to build on initiatives that not only address the pressing issue of substance use among young people in Kentucky, but also to serve as a national benchmark for effective programming in this critical area, setting a standard that other states can aspire to follow.”

What others say about Evans: “From his days as a street agent to his time standing up the first Louisville DEA division focused on the drug threat here, to his time leading the whole global organization, Director Chris Evans has led with dedication, compassion, and high purpose, Attorney General Russell Coleman said.

“We are grateful for his world-class expertise as we invest millions of dollars to helping save lives and heal families. Hollywood can have their Captain America; Kentucky has ours.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 12:23 PM.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.