Colonel Christopher Williamson earned his position as the South Carolina Highway Patrol Commander in 2017. A native of Darlington, he began his career with the SC Department of Corrections and the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Highway Patrol as a trooper in 1988. He has the distinction of being the first Black commander of the Highway Patrol, and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in clinical and behavioral counseling. Colonel Williamson has made building relationships with communities a priority of his tenure, launching several initiatives including the Lunch Buddies program and the S.T.R.E.E.T. Program, which stands for Setting The Right Example Every Time. He also is the recipient of several awards including the Order of the Palmetto, the Strom Thurmond Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for community service.