Speakers

Colonel Matthew Packard started his career with the Colorado State Patrol in 2000, with his first assignment as a field Trooper in Castle Rock, Colorado.  As a trooper and Sergeant, he served in the field, on the accident reconstruction team and within the state’s homeland security operations.  In 2010, Packard was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Hazardous Materials Section.  He was promoted to the rank of Major in 2012 leading the Criminal Investigations Branch before transferring to be the District 1 commander in 2014, where he led field operations in the greater Denver metropolitan area as well as the Executive Security Unit. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel as the Region 3 Commander in February of 2017, where he oversaw the agency’s communications branch, training, public outreach, media relations, headquarters, and grants related functions.  On December 19, 2017, Colonel Matthew Packard was named the 9th Chief of the Colorado State Patrol.

Colonel Packard has maintained a commitment to member wellness and service.  He firmly believes in order to serve at the highest level, the men and women of the Colorado State Patrol must be well.  Colonel Packard is devoted to providing members with the resources they need to be successful in both their personal and professional lives. 

Colonel Packard is married with three children.  He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Center of Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command session #357 and the FBI’s National Executive Institute session #43. Colonel Packard serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and was elected as the General Chair of the State and Provincial Division in 2022.  In 2023, Colonel Packard was appointed as the Vice Chair for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).