Last week, Colonel Erik Smith, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, announced staffing changes involving two Eureka graduates.
He first announced the retirement of Lieutenant Colonel Jason B. De Vore, Assistant Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol. De Vore will retire December 1, after proudly serving the citizens of Kansas for almost 30 years. De Vore joined the Patrol in March 1994, graduating with Class 27 from the KHP Training Academy. During his first six years, he served the Salina area as a Trooper, also working criminal interdiction and serving as a founding member of the KHP Special Response Team. In January of 2000, De Vore was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and began his assignment as assistant Communications Commander, Troop M, in Salina. In 2003, he was promoted to Lieutenant and in 2004 he was promoted to Captain as the Troop M Commander, also serving as the state Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Officer. Starting in 2005, he served as Troop C Commander for north-central Kansas. In 2011, De Vore was promoted to Major, overseeing agency compo-nents and operations to include: field operations, Special Response Team, Hazardous Devices Unit, Criminal Interdiction, Canine Unit, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Operations, DEA Task Force Operations, Aircraft Operations, the KHP Training Academy, and various other organizational units. In 2019, De Vore served as the Interim Superintendent and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, serving as the Assistant Superintendent. In June 2023, De Vore was promoted to Colonel while serving as the Acting Superintendent, before resuming his role as Assistant Superintendent/ Lieutenant Colonel in July 2023.
In 2008, he attended the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, as a member of Class #234. He is a member of the Kansas Peace Officers Association (served on District #3 Board of Governors), Kansas Sheriff’s Association, the FBI’s National Academy Associates, Inc., the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a Certified Public Manager through the KU CPM program.
De Vore graduated from Eureka High School in Eureka. He received an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Barton County Community College and graduated from the DeVry Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology.
Superintendent Smith later announced that Captain John Lehnherr has been appointed to the position of Lieutenant Colonel and will serve as second in command at the Kansas Highway Patrol. Lehnherr’s appointment is effective October 15, 2023, when he will succeed retiring Lieutenant Colonel De Vore. Lehnherr has served for more than 24 years in the Patrol.
Lehnherr joined the Patrol in March 1999 and was assigned to Troop F in Sedgwick County. He transferred to Troop G in 2005. In 2011, Lehnherr was promoted to Field Lieutenant for Troop G and transferred to Troop G Administrative Lieutenant in 2013. In 2019, he was promoted to Troop G Captain where he managed the operation and administrative functions for law enforcement services on the Kansas Turnpike (KTA).
Lehnherr has been an instructor for KHP’s First Line Supervisor- Leadership class since 2014. He has attended advanced leadership training including KU Law Enforcement Leadership Academy, FBI LEEDA supervisor school, and FBI LEEDA supervisor command school. Lehnherr is scheduled to attend the FBI National Academy in 2024.
Prior to joining the Patrol, Lehnherr worked for the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy in Eureka, from 1994-1999. He is a native of Eureka and attended Eureka High School. In 2019, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Leadership from Southwestern College. He served as a Park City Council Member from 2005-2021. In 2021, Lehnherr was elected Mayor of Park City and continues to serve in that capacity.
(Courtesy photos)
