4 top Michigan State Police officers will be removed from posts

LANSING — Four top Michigan State Police officers are being removed from their posts in a major administrative shake-up by the director, Col. James Grady.

Grady sent an email across the department Friday announcing that contracts with Lt. Col. Dale Hinz, Lt. Col. Chris Kelenske, Maj. Beth Clark, and Maj. Ryan Pennell “will not be renewed” when they expire over the next few weeks.

“While the current team has served honorably, I feel it’s critically important to assemble a team who will best carry out my vision,” Grady said in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by the Free Press.

Hinz and Kelenske are two of the department's three deputy directors. The third deputy director, Lt. Col. Michael Krumm, has a contract that does not expire until next year.

Clark, an assistant deputy director and the highest-ranking woman in the MSP who is a member of the classified civil service, said she was surprised when she was called to a meeting with Grady on Thursday and told her contract would not be renewed.

“I’m disappointed at the release of the four of us.,” said Clark, a 26-year veteran of the MSP who reports to Kelenske and oversees forensic sciences, biometrics, intelligence operations, emergency management and homeland security, information technology, 911, highway safety planning and the Criminal Justice Information Center.

Clark said she was even more surprised Friday by Grady’s reference to a shared vision.

Since Grady took over the department in September, “not once in that six months that he has been in office has he shared a vision with the leadership team members,” Clark said.

In terms of helping Grady achieve his vision, “we would have been happy to do that if we knew what it was,” Clark said.

Grady said in the memo the four senior officers “will be offered other positions” in the MSP, but Clark said she understands those would come with lower rank; in her case, as a lieutenant. The highest-ranking officials at the MSP typically work on limited-term employment agreements, though they retain some civil service protections.

Clark, 57, who is considering retiring earlier than she otherwise would, said she has received glowing reviews with the MSP throughout her career, and was told her removal was “not personal and not performance-related.”

Clark joined the MSP as a trooper at the Adrian post in 1998 before moving to the MSP’s Michigan Intelligence Operations Center and then working as part of former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s security detail. Clark then moved into forensics as she worked her way up the ranks through the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Northville labs, reaching the rank of captain before she was elevated to major four years ago under Grady’s predecessor, Col. Joseph Gasper.

In 2016, Clark graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command as vice president of her class. There, her fellow classmates honored her with the Franklin M. Kreml Leadership Award, which recognizes high ethical and professional values and dedication to public service.

Grady said in the memo that more details about his planned reorganization would be revealed "in the coming weeks."

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Shanon Banner, a spokeswoman for the MSP, said Friday that Grady's memo "is the entirety of our statement on this matter" and that "no decisions have been made on replacements."

Hinz, Kelenske and Pennell did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Hinz is in charge of the field operations bureau, which includes eight geographic districts around the state, plus commercial vehicle enforcement, special investigations and special operations.

A 30-year veteran of the MSP, Hinz joined the department as a trooper in Adrian in 1994. He formerly was the commander of the MSP's 6th District, based in Grand Rapids, and served as commander of MSP posts in Paw Paw and Coldwater, according to his LinkedIn page.

Kelenske, who joined the MSP in 1995 as a trooper at the Lansing post, is in charge of the field support bureau and was a familiar face during the early days of the Flint water crisis, overseeing much of the state's response in terms of bringing safe bottled water to the city when its drinking water supply was contaminated by lead. He has been an instructor and trainer around the country on emergency response.

Pennell is an assistant deputy director in the field operations bureau, reporting to Hinz. He joined the MSP as a trooper in Flint in 2000 and has served as commander of the 3rd District, which is based in Flint, and earlier as post commander in Caro.

Friday's announcement was the second major personnel move by Grady since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to succeed Col. Joseph Gasper, who retired.

In December, Grady announced the promotion of 1st Lt. Aimee Brimacombe to lieutenant colonel and chief deputy director. That's an "unclassified" position outside of the Michigan civil service. Brimacombe joined the MSP as a trooper in 1998.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected]. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 4 top Michigan State Police officers will be removed from posts