The new leader of the Missouri Highway Patrol is a graduate of Chillicothe High School. Lieutenant Colonel Eric T. Olson was appointed by Governor Mike Parson as the 24th Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Lt. Colonel Olson has been serving as the Acting Superintendent since September 1st. Olson’s nearly 3-decade career with the Highway Patrol has included time serving as the Commanding Officer of Troop A in West Central Missouri, followed by overseeing the Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.
Olson graduated from Chillicothe High School in 1986 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from William Jewell College. He was appointed to the Patrol on July 1, 1990, as a member of the Patrol’s 63rd Recruit Class. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
