Governor Mary Fallin Role Police officer Name Ricky Adams | Occupation Police officer Preceded by Kerry Pettingill | |
Website Oklahoma Department of Public Safety | ||
Ricky G. Adams is an American police officer and soldier with the Army National Guard from the state of Oklahoma. Adams currently serves as its 26th Chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in the administration of Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin, having been appointed by Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security Michael C. Thompson in 2013. In addition to his service with Highway Patrol, Adams served for over 35 year with the Army National Guard retiring in 2014 holding the rank of Major General.
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Career
Ricky G. Adams earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1992 and a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in 2000. Adams joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 1986 as a graduate from the 42nd OHP Academy after serving 6 years with the Elk City, Oklahoma and Edmond, Oklahoma city police departments. Upon assuming office in 2011, Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security Michael C. Thompson appointed Adams to serve as the Assistant Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. In 2013, Secretary Thompson appointed Adams as the 26th Chief of the Highway Patrol, succeeding Kerry Pettingill.
Adams rose up through the ranks serving at every level within the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to include that of the DPS Assistant Commissioner. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in 2001 and the FBI National Executive Institute in 2016.
Adams received his army commission with the Oklahoma National Guard's Officer Candidate School in 1982 after serving four years as an enlisted member of the Oklahoma National Guard. During his service, Adams served as the Commander of the 45th Field Artillery Brigade, as Deputy Assistant Commandant of the United States Army Field Artillery School, the Deputy Commanding General of Fort Sill, and as Assistant Adjutant General of the Oklahoma Army National Guard. As Assistant Adjutant General, Adams advised the Adjutant General of Oklahoma on the oversight of training, administration, logistics, and personnel actions of the Guard's land forces. A combat veteran of the Afghanistan War, during a 2006 tour of duty in Afghanistan, Adams served as Director of the Police Reform Directorate for the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. In 2011, Adams was promoted to Major General an assigned as the Deputy Commanding General for National Guard at United States Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, where he served until his retirement in 2014.
During his military career Adams served on several national level committees to include the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee, as Chairman of the Field Artillery Advisor Council, and on the Army Chief of Staff's Readiness Committee in 2000, retiring from the Army in 2014 with over 35 years of service. Among his highest military awards are the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2) and the Bronze Star Medals and was inducted into the Oklahoma National Guard’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame in 2014.
Personal life
Adams resides in Edmond, Oklahoma, and is married to Cathy and has two daughter.