Superintendent Gary T. Settle

On Thursday, January 18, 2018, Colonel Gary T. Settle, a 32-year law enforcement veteran, was sworn in as the 13th superintendent of the Virginia State Police. His wife, Kelly, held the Bible as Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Thomasson administered the oath.

A native of Rappahannock County, Settle graduated from the State Police Academy in 1986 as class president of the 78th basic session. He was first assigned as a trooper in Frederick and Clarke counties and rose through the ranks, serving in a variety of positions.

 Colonel Settle was serving as the director of the department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation prior to his appointment as the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police by Governor Ralph Northam. With his promotion to Colonel and appointment as Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, where he commanded a department with 2,118 sworn and 848 civilian personnel with an authorized operating budget of $340 million.

During his tenure, Settle has served as a tactical team supervisor, narcotics special agent, firearms instructor and as a member of the state police honor guard. In addition to his progression through the supervisory ranks of state police, Settle served as Rappahannock County sheriff from 1996 to 2000.

He earned a master’s degree in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s degree in administration of criminal justice from Bluefield College. He also is a graduate of the FBI Executive Management Course and the National Criminal Justice Command College of the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

On February 1, 2025, after 40 years of service in law enforcement, Colonel Settle retired to leave Lieutenant Colonel Matt Hanley as the Acting Superintendent. Colonel Settle noted:

I have been blessed to lead this Department for seven years, and to have served in it for four decades. I am proud of the work our troopers, agents, and civilian staff put in over that time, dealing with protests, solving cold cases, rescuing people, and making sure the roads are safe. We continue to make strides to ensure that we are the top law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth, and I leave Virginia State Police in Lt. Col. Matt Hanley’s more than capable hands. I will miss being part of this wonderful group of talented and dedicated men and women.