2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 616
Commending Colonel Gary T. Settle.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 11, 2025
Agreed to by the Senate, February 12, 2025
WHEREAS, in 2025, Colonel Gary T. Settle retires as the superintendent of the Virginia State Police after seven years of service in that capacity and more than 40 years of service as a law-enforcement officer; and
WHEREAS, a native of Rappahannock County, Gary Settle graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy as the class president of the 78th Basic Session; he was initially assigned to the Culpeper Division as a patrol trooper in Frederick County and Clarke County; and
WHEREAS, Gary Settle continued to rise through the ranks of the Virginia State Police and also served as the sheriff of Rappahannock County from 1996 to 2000; he was selected as the deputy director of the Virginia State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2015, then became director in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Gary Settle was appointed as the superintendent of the Virginia State Police by Governor Ralph Northam in 2018 and reappointed to the position by Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2022; and
WHEREAS, as the head of the Virginia State Police, Gary Settle oversaw all aspects of the Commonwealth's top law-enforcement agency, from public relations, professional standards, background checks, and administrative duties to uniformed patrol, executive protection, criminal investigations, counter-terrorism, and other field operations; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Gary Settle worked closely with thousands of sworn officers and civilian staff members across the Commonwealth to address a wide range of public safety issues, including natural disasters, protests, and high-profile cases; and
WHEREAS, Gary Settle served the Commonwealth with the utmost integrity and distinction, and his exceptional leadership, dedication to community engagement, and unwavering commitment to public service have left the Virginia State Police well-poised to meet the challenges of the future after his retirement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Colonel Gary T. Settle on the occasion of his retirement as superintendent of the Virginia State Police; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Colonel Gary T. Settle as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his achievements in service to the residents of the Commonwealth as an esteemed law-enforcement officer.