Maple Appointed Superintendent

Since joining the Kansas Highway Patrol 29 years ago, Terry Maple has risen through the ranks from a road trooper to troop commander to assistant superintendent. On Friday, February 1, 2008, Governor Kathleen Sebelius named Maple as Superintendent of the Patrol, following an announcement by Colonel William Seck that he was leaving state service to be closer to family members who live out of state.

"I am humbled that Governor Sebelius chose me to serve as Superintendent of this great agency, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a great leader, role model, and friend," Colonel Maple said. "Colonel Seck's accomplishments as Superintendent are many, and I will strive to uphold his legacy as a leader who is dedicated whole-heartedly to serving the Governor, the agency, and all the citizens of Kansas."

Maple joined the Patrol on June 18, 1979, and was assigned to road patrol duties in the Topeka area. In 1984, he joined the agency's aviation division as a pilot. Maple was promoted to sergeant in 1988 and lieutenant in 1996. In 1997, Maple was promoted to captain and became the troop commander for the Patrol's field operations on the Kansas Turnpike. Former Colonel Donald Brownlee appointed Maple as assistant superintendent in 1999, and he continued to serve in that capacity under Colonel Seck.

Maple represents the agency on numerous boards, including the Kansas Task Force on Methamphetamine and Other Illegal Drugs, the Traffic Records Coordinating Council, the Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalition, the FBI Counter Terrorism Executive Board, and the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, to name a few.

In addition, Maple is involved with numerous organizations within the law enforcement community, including the Kansas Peace Officers' Association, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriffs' Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Kansas Emergency Management Association, and others. Recently, he was elected as president of the Kansas / Western Missouri chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates.

Maple obtained his associate's degree in political science at Allen County Community College in Iola, and his bachelor's of arts degree in criminal justice from Washburn University in Topeka. Maple also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.