Mark James comes to the position of Director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety with over 29 years of experience in protecting Missourians. For nine years James worked with the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) before starting a 20-year tenure with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). James was the special agent in charge of the ATF Bureau for the Kansas City Division, which encompassed a four-state area.

Responsible for many safety initiatives and intelligence efforts, James has protected Missourians by enlisting the help of police departments throughout Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Unafraid to review and rebuild existing departmental infrastructure, James has been responsible for overhauling ATF’s intelligence function and designing the MSHP’s first criminal intelligence unit.

James received a bachelor of science in criminal justice and administration from Central Missouri State University and a master of science in strategic intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College of the Department of Defense.