2023 Winner

Colonel Richard Fambro (Retired)

Ohio State Highway Patrol

On August 12, 2022, Colonel Fambro retired as the 19th superintendent after more than three decades of public service with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. On September 12, 2022, he was sworn in as the police chief of the Grove City (Ohio) Division of Police. His more than 30-year career with the Ohio State Highway Patrol included serving every rank before being appointed superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol by Governor Mike DeWine on March 16, 2019. Governor DeWine's appointment made him the first African-American ever to assume leadership of the Division.

Colonel Fambro began his Patrol career in August 1989 as a cadet dispatcher. He became a member of the 119th Academy Class in January 1990. He earned his commission that June and was assigned to the Dayton Post, where he was selected as Post Trooper of the Year in 1994. Colonel Fambro led the Patrol through the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice demonstrations. His tenure is defined by his mantra ‘Service with Respect.’ Never in the Patrol's history had Ohio faced such enormous opposing obstacles simultaneously and on multiple fronts. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, Colonel Fambro modified the primary focus to provide essential assistance to local communities while also meeting the needs of public safety partners. Colonel Fambro led the Patrol in 442 community assistance details and security missions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operations also changed due to the necessity of protecting citizens and the state capital during the civil unrest. Under his leadership, the Patrol responded and supported security at 795 demonstrations in more than 178 Ohio cities.

His commitment to community engagement inspired the DRIVE to Live program's development, which has impacted more than 15,000 of Ohio's youth regarding safety and decision-making. DRIVE helps teens understand that whatever road they travel has benefits and consequences. He was actively involved in Light Ohio Blue, which honors fallen officers and their families. Colonel Fambro completed leadership training at Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command and attended the U.S. Army War College. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Ohio Dominican University in 2004 and a Master of Science in Management degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in May 2019.