Governor Doug Burgum announced today that North Dakota Highway Patrol Col. Brandon Solberg will retire from the police force on November 30 after serving nearly 6.5 years as Highway Patrol Superintendent. Effective December 1, Solberg will assume a new role as Director of the Facilities Management Division in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Solberg, who has been superintendent of the Highway Patrol since July 1, 2018, was appointed by Burgum to succeed Col. Michael Gerhart. Solberg's career with the Highway Patrol began in January 1999, where he was initially stationed as a state trooper in Grafton and Grand Forks. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, being promoted to sergeant and shift supervisor in Fargo, then lieutenant in 2007, captain in 2011 and major and chief of staff in 2014. In his role as chief of staff, he managed the patrol's budget and oversaw about 200 team members.

“North Dakota is a safer place to live and drive thanks to Col. Solberg's extremely capable leadership and his nearly three decades of exemplary service in law enforcement,” said Governor Burgum. “His unwavering commitment to public safety and willingness to embrace new technologies and processes to improve the efficiency of the Highway Patrol have served our citizens well. We are deeply grateful for his service and appreciate his help in ensuring a smooth transition of leadership at the Highway Patrol as he assumes his new role at OMB.”

As superintendent, Solberg led several significant initiatives, including the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative launched in 2018, which helped reduce the number of annual traffic fatalities to 98 in 2022, the lowest in 20 years. Other notable accomplishments under Solberg's leadership include:

• Establishment of a special crime prevention team focused on preventing criminal activities such as drug and human trafficking on state highways.
• Signed agreements with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations and the Spirit Lake Nation to improve emergency response times by allowing the nearest available officer, whether tribal or not, to respond to emergency calls until the agency with primary jurisdiction arrives.
• Launch an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program to accelerate surveying of accident sites and support search and rescue efforts.
• Introduction of an accident assistance program with a focus on victim assistance and employee health.
• Signing the 30×30 pledge, a nationwide initiative to increase the proportion of women in police officer recruitment classes to 30% by 2030.

“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as a member of Governor Burgum's Cabinet, and I am grateful that he has entrusted me with the leadership of the highly professional team at the North Dakota Highway Patrol,” said Solberg. “Their commitment to public safety and providing the best possible law enforcement services is a benefit to North Dakota residents and visitors alike, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them. I look forward to transitioning to the Facilities Management Division and continuing my service to the citizens of our great state.”

Solberg succeeds current Facilities Management Director John Boyle, who is retiring after 22 years in the role. Governor Burgum expressed his deepest gratitude to Boyle for his many years of service and support during the transition and wished him well in his retirement.

The position of Superintendent of the Highway Patrol will be advertised in early fall.