Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland will be keynote speaker at the Horsham Town Hall event on Friday, November 13.

Mr Overland has been a dominating figure in Victorian police activities since the early 2000s. He was Deputy Commissioner for three years after gaining national recognition for his role in leading Purana Task Force investigations into gangland murders and offences.

Mr Overland, who became Victoria's 20th Chief Commissioner in March this year, will provide guests with insight into the diverse skills that people need to lead essential community services. He will join state Agriculture and Small Business Minister Joe Helper at the celebrations.

Attracting Mr Overland to the annual dinner is a major coup for Leadership Wimmera which is building strongly on its reputation for developing high-quality programs and presentations.

The address by Mr Overland will be the icing on the cake for 46 regional graduates from the Wimmera, Grampians and Southern Mallee who have undergone comprehensive leadership training and direction during the past year.

It will also be a rare opportunity to hear first-hand the thoughts of Victoria's most influential and high-ranking police officer.

Before his state commitments, he was in the Australian Federal Police for 19 years, rising through the ranks to become Chief Operating Officer.

Apart from his enforcement credentials, Mr Overland also has a cache of academic qualifications including a Bachelor of Arts in Administration, a Bachelor of Laws with first-class honours and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration of Australia and was the recipient of the Australia Police Medal in 2007.

Leadership Wimmera chairperson Dianne Marchment said it was exciting to attract another high-profile speaker to Horsham for what has become one of the key events on the regional calendar.