Colonel Paul D. McClellan

Colonel Paul D. McClellan, the 14th Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, is known nationally for his work to reduce traffic crash deaths. Ohio’s crash fatality rate dropped significantly as the leader of the Patrol, in 2006 dropping to the lowest rate in the past 70 years after introduction of our LifeStat 1.0 initiative, which has been recognized as one of the 10 best law enforcement initiatives in the United States.

Colonel McClellan is a 32-year veteran of the Patrol who has served at every rank. Prior to his promotion to Colonel, he managed all operational aspects of the Patrol for the entire state. He is also prominent for his work developing commercial motor carrier enforcement programs and safety partnerships with the trucking industry. He is a member of the Ohio Trucking Association Hall of Honor; the only person outside of the trucking industry to ever receive this recognition.

As a trooper, he was Post and District Trooper of the Year twice. In 1981, he achieved recognition as State Trooper of The Year. He earned the Division’s ACE Award for excellence in auto larceny investigation twice and has been recognized with three Certificates of Recognition for efforts above and beyond the call of duty.

His first command assignment was at the Springfield Post where he served for eight years. While there as a lieutenant and post commander, he was recognized by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving for helping to establish the “Mock Fatal Crash” program now used throughout the nation in high schools. Over the last decade, he moved rapidly through four management level positions, including his service as Assistant Superintendent.

He has served on Ohio’s Motor Carrier Advisory Committee, the Amber Alert Task Force and the Ohio Police Officer’s Training Commission. Colonel McClellan is a member of the Ohio Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Colonel McClellan is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) State and Provincial Division where he is the North Central Region Chairman, a member of the Highway Safety Committee and Homeland Security Committee. He Chairs the IACP Vehicle Theft and Law Enforcement Safety and Stops committees. Colonel McClellan is also a member of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

A native of Columbus, Colonel McClellan is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and FBI National Executive Institute. He earned a bachelors degree in Business administration from Franklin University. He is married to his wife Margie and has one grown daughter.