Lieutenant Colonel Donald Banister has been with the agency for more than 35 years, including 27 with South Carolina Highway Patrol and eight with the Division for Strategic Services (DSSP). He was appointed as Commander of DSSP, formerly known as the Office of Strategic Services, Accreditation, Policy and Inspections (OSAPI), in 2020.

DSSP is responsible for completing staff inspections; managing random drug testing; ensuring internal audits are completed; managing the department’s ESF-16 function during emergency situations; ensuring compliance with accreditation standards; revising, establishing, and rescinding departmental policies, standard operating procedures, and forms; and completing various special projects.

Banister graduated from the South Carolina Executive Institute in March 2026 as part of Cohort 4.