NEWS ALERT



For further information please contact:

Capt. Christian T. Ricks

(573) 526-6115



Q07067

July 24, 2006

EMPHASIS: Captain Christian T. Ricks Retires



Colonel Roger D. Stottlemyre, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, congratulates Captain Christian T. Ricks on his retirement, which will be effective August 1, 2006.



“I want to express my appreciation to Chris for his 35 years of dedicated service,” said Colonel Sottlemyre. “Throughout his career, he has exemplified the Patrol’s motto of service and protection.”



Captain Ricks was appointed to the Patrol as a member of the 40th Recruit Class. His recruit class was the first to be trained in Jefferson City, at the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy. After being commissioned on October 15, 1971, he was assigned to Troop C, St. Louis. Immediately after the graduation ceremony, Ricks and six classmates drove to Troop C Headquarters and met with their commanding officer, Captain Dolan.



“We met with him in the conference room, and he gave us our zone assignments,” said Ricks. “I was the only one who didn’t go to St. Louis County.”



Newly commissioned Trooper Ricks would be assigned to Zone 5, Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties. He worked the road until 1973, when he transferred to what was then the Executive Security Unit. Ricks was part of security for Missouri’s governors until 1978, then again from 1981 to 1989.



“I was promoted to corporal June 1981 and made sergeant July 1983,” said Ricks. “I made lieutenant in 1988, while I was the director of Governor’s Security. I was director of the division as a corporal, sergeant, and lieutenant.”



In 1989, Ricks was asked to transfer to the Patrol’s Personnel Division and work on a sergeants’ promotional system. In 1994, he transferred to the Training Division as an assistant director.



“I taught report writing, Missouri history, obstacles to communication, and manuscript writing to recruits. I taught in the other schools offered as well. I enjoyed my entire time at the Academy,” said Ricks. “You got to see the young people come into the agency, and deal with them on a regular basis. In the years I was there we had five or six recruit classes.”



In April 2000, Ricks was promoted to captain and designated division director of the Public Information and Education Division.



“I do enjoy working with the media. I’ve always thought there has to be somebody both the media can trust and the troopers can trust,” said Captain Ricks “I hope I’ve lived up to those expectations.”



Captain Ricks was born in St. Charles, MO. He graduated from Elsberry High School in 1966. He earned a bachelor’s of arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1970, and a master’s of science degree from Central Missouri State University in 1976. He and his wife, Bonnie, reside in Jefferson City. They will celebrate their 27th anniversary shortly after his retirement. They have two children: Andrea teaches first grade in Sedalia, MO; and Scott is a sophomore at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Bonnie works for the Dept. of Heath and Senior Services.