Gov. John Carney and Kimberly Chandler, Acting Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security, announced the appointment of Lt. Col. Melissa A. Zebley as Superintendent of the Delaware State Police.
Zebley, 50, assumes command of the State Police following the retirement of Col. Nathaniel McQueen Jr., who will become state Safety and Homeland Security, secretary.
Delaware has the highest percentage of female state troopers in the nation, but would like to further increase that figure.
The appointment had been expected, since State Police promote from within, with Zebley becoming the only Lieutenant Colonel last year.
Zebley, a 28-year veteran of the State Police, is currently responsible for Internal Affairs, Information Support Services, and Planning. She joined the Executive Staff in 2010 at the rank of Major with oversight of the Budget, Training Academy and Human Resource sections.
In 2013, she moved to the role of Operations Officer overseeing New Castle County Patrol Troops and Criminal Investigations, as well as the statewide Traffic Section. Her former assignments include patrol Trooper, Training Academy Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Public Information Officer, Fiscal Executive Officer, and Troop Commander.
“Lt. Col. Zebley has a tremendous track record of leadership at the Delaware State Police, and is the right person to lead our largest police agency” said Governor John Carney. “A 28-year veteran of the State Police, Lt. Col. Zebley has the trust of community leaders not only in New Castle County, but up and down our state. I know she will build on the good work of Colonel McQueen to keep Delaware safe and continue to establish trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Thank you to Lt. Col. Zebley for taking on this important challenge.”
Lt. Col. Zebley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from Wilmington University. She is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and a graduate of the 235th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy. In addition, she is a graduate of the Anti-Defamation League’s Advanced Training School course on Extremist and Terrorist Threats and is currently attending the 43rd Session of the FBI’s National Executive Institute.
State Police provide law enforcement in a large portion of Delaware outside of municipalities and in mainly commercial areas of New Castle County.
