Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Chief Bryan Waugh as the next superintendent for the Nebraska State Patrol. He will assume his duties on June 2. Waugh replaces Colonel John Bolduc, who is retiring on May 4.
Wauch is the 19th superintendent to oversee the agency, consisting of more than 700 public servants, of which over 400 are sworn officers. For the past six years, he has been the police chief in Kearney.
Four candidates were interviewed for the leadership position. Lt. Governor Joe Kelly noted that all were highly qualified.
Speaking about Waugh in particular, the Lt. Governor said he was very impressed with his experience interacting with federal, state and local government.
Originally from West Virginia, Waugh served four years of active duty as a U.S. Air Force security police/law enforcement specialist at Offutt Air Force Base. He had two tours of duty in Southeast Asia during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Southern Watch/Enduring Freedom. He has nearly 32 combined years of law enforcement experience, serving 21 years with the La Vista Police Department, prior to making the move to Kearney.
Waugh holds multiple law enforcement certifications, including through the FBI. He is president of the Police Chiefs Association in Nebraska. Waugh earned his master’s degree in administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma.