BISMARK, North Dakota -- Longtime North Dakota Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Brandon Solberg will retire from law enforcement later this year and shift into a new role with the state as director of the Facility Management Division.
Solberg will leave the Highway Patrol on Nov. 30 and transition into the Facility Management role, which is part of the Office of Management and Budget, on Dec. 1. He first took the top post at the Patrol in July 2018. He will succeed Facility Management Director John Boyle, who is retiring after 22 years in the role. The Facility Management Division maintains the Capitol complex and grounds and provides administration services for state agencies.
Solberg first joined the state Patrol in 1999, working his way up and serving in Grafton, Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck. He became the Patrol's chief of staff in 2014.
Since ascending to the Cabinet-level post, Solberg has overseen the implementation of Vision Zero, a traffic safety initiative that hopes to eliminate traffic crash fatalities across the state. The state saw 98 traffic crash fatalities in 2022, marking the lowest figure in 20 years.
He's also facilitated and signed intergovernmental agreements with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and the Spirit Lake Nation to reduce emergency response time and address jurisdictional conflict. Gov. Doug Burgum praised Solberg's "unwavering commitment to public safety" in a statement Friday and thanked him for his more than two decades in law enforcement.
Solberg said in the statement that his time leading the Highway Patrol and serving on Burgum's Cabinet has been an "incredible honor" and praised the work of his Patrol colleagues.
“Their commitment to public safety and providing the best law enforcement services possible is a benefit to North Dakota residents and visitors alike, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served with them," Solberg said. "I look forward to joining Facility Management and continuing my service to the citizens of our great state.”
The job posting for Solberg's replacement is planned to go live in early fall.
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