Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent
Colonel William Seck to leave state service
Sebelius names Lt. Colonel Terry Maple as new leader

Governor Kathleen Sebelius today announced that Colonel William Seck will step down as the head of the Kansas Highway Patrol due to family commitments.  She also named Lt. Colonel Terry Maple as the new Superintendent of the Patrol effective February 8. 

Seck is leaving state service to take care of family obligations. He and his wife Kathy will relocate to Oklahoma City to be closer to and to care for her aging parents, whose health is of great concern.

Sebelius commended Seck for his commitment to his family and for his leadership in guiding the Patrol for nearly five years. “Bill is a strong leader who moved the Patrol in a positive direction and leaves the agency in great condition,” Sebelius said. She also recognized him for his long career in federal and state law enforcement and thanked him for his dedicated service to her administration and to the people of Kansas.

Seck said, “The Highway Patrol is an exceptional agency with a vital mission and the very best men and women to ensure it is accomplished everyday.  I’ve been honored to lead the agency for nearly five years and look at this as the best years of my law enforcement career. I truly appreciate the Governor’s trust and know that Terry’s commitment to the patrol and his passion for law enforcement will serve all of us well as he becomes the new Superintendent.”

Sebelius said, “I’m proud to name Terry as the new leader of the Kansas Highway Patrol. Terry brings nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience to the position, all of which have been with the Kansas Highway Patrol. He is a respected leader in the agency, as well as by local, state, and federal law enforcement officials and community leaders across the state.”

Maple has accrued extensive experience during his tenure with the Highway Patrol. He has served as Assistant Superintendent since 1999 and has been instrumental in helping direct and manage statewide operations. In the position of Assistant Superintendent, he has been a key liaison for the agency with government and elected officials on the state and national level. Maple previously served as a troop commander, as special assistant to the superintendent, in research and planning, and was a field trooper/pilot with aircraft operations.

Maple said, “I’m honored the Governor has asked me to serve as Superintendent and I will do my best to continue the strong leadership that has come before me. I believe my years of experience and a variety of duty assignments have given me a unique insight into the Kansas Highway Patrol.”

Maple’s community involvement has been on-going and important in groups such as: the Kansas Chiefs of Police Awards of Valor Committee; the Kansas Amber Alert Task Force; the State Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalition; the Project Safe Neighborhood Grant Selection Committee; Kansas Safe Kids; and Leadership Greater Topeka.

He has been involved in numerous professional organizations over the past 30 years including: the Kansas Peace Officer’s Association; the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police; the Sheriffs Association; the International Association of Chiefs of Police Aviation Committee, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Counter Terrorism Executive Advisory Board; and the Kansas Emergency Management Association.

Maple obtained his Associates degree in political science at Allen Community College in Iola, and his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Washburn University in Topeka. Maple has also attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

He and his wife Donna are the parents of two daughters, Amy and Ashlee.

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