Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste has been reappointed by new Washington Governor Bob Ferguson. (Courtesy of Washington State Patrol)
Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste will soon serve under his third general manager.
Governor-elect Bob Ferguson on Thursday announced Batiste’s reappointment as head of the statewide law enforcement agency, a position Batiste has held for nearly two decades.
On Thursday, Ferguson also announced he is retaining three other members of Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration: Joel Sacks as director of administration. Ministry of Labor and IndustryAllyson Brooks as director of the Department of Archeology and Historic Preservationand Bill Kehoe as director of Washington Technology Solutions and the state’s chief information officer.
“With the challenges ahead, proven and thoughtful leadership is more important than ever,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I am proud that these four individuals will continue their service.”
On Friday, he said he was reappointing three additional agency leaders: Drew Shirk as director of the Revenue DepartmentScott McCallum as Superintendent for the Washington State School for the Blind and Shauna Bilyeu as Executive Director of the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth.
Ferguson has named leaders of more than a dozen agencies and departments ahead of his inauguration next month.
Ferguson accepts
Below are Governor-elect Bob Ferguson’s picks to lead state agencies starting December 20.
Department of Children, Youth and Families – State Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island
Department of Ecology – Casey Sixkiller
Department of Corrections – Tim Lang
Department of Social and Health Services — Cheryl Strange
Department of Labor and Industry – Joel Sacks
Licensing Department – Marcus Glasper
Department of Veterans Affairs – David Puente Jr.
Department of Agriculture — Derek Sandison
Department of Revenue — Drew Shirk
Office of Financial Management — KD Chapman See
Washington State Patrol – John Batiste
Department of Employment Security — Cami Feek
Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation – Allyson Brooks
Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs – Tim Reynon
Washington Military Department – Major General Gent Welsh
President of Washington Technology Solutions – Bill Kehoe
Washington State School for the Blind – Scott McCallum
Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth – Shauna Bilyeu
Batiste could be a prominent figure in advancing Ferguson’s public safety agenda, including securing funding to help cities and counties hire officers and increase safety on the state’s roadways.
Batiste joined the Washington State Patrol in March 1976and earned promotions through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain and deputy chief.
In 2005, then-Governor Christine Gregoire appointed him the 21st chief of the state patrol. Gov. Jay Inslee kept him in office when he took office in 2013, and Batiste will start working for Ferguson on Jan. 15, 2025.
The Washington State Patrol did that 1,100 positions budgeted for non-commissioned officers and 1,100 for civilian employees. Of the six agencies, the field operation is the most visible as it is responsible for enforcing traffic laws, crash investigations and assisting motorists on 17,524 miles of state and highway highways.
The state’s crime lab and fire marshal are housed in the agency. And the Investigative Services Bureau includes the Firearms Background Section, a point of contact for all background checks related to firearms.
Sacks has been in charge Ministry of Labor and Industry since 2013. The department oversees Washington’s workplace safety laws and workers’ compensation insurance program, and enforces the state’s wage and hour requirements.
In a releaseSacks said he was honored to join the Ferguson administration.
“I am passionate about worker safety and proud of what we have accomplished. As long as people are getting hurt or killed on the job, we have a lot more to do,” he said.
