Leadership

Colonel Williams began his career with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on January 30, 1995, as a member of the “OHP” 48th Academy. After graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to Troop H, Rogers Mills County. Williams spent six years in Troop H before transferring to Troop G, Comanche County. On February 1, 2008, Williams was assigned to Executive Security. On June 15, 2012, Williams was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Troop G. On October 15, 2015, Williams transferred to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, serving as the Statewide Impaired Driving Liaison and the Statewide Occupant Protection Liaison. On September 1, 2018, Williams was promoted to Captain and assigned to Troop A, Oklahoma, Canadian, Logan, Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Cleveland, and McClain Counties. Williams transferred to Troop G, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens, Caddo, and Grady Counties on May 1, 2021, where he served as the Troop Commander until being promoted to Major on November 1, 2021.

Lieutenant Colonel Preston Lay began his career in 1999 completing the 51^st academy. From the academy, he was assigned to Troop K, Pawnee/Osage county detachment. In 2009, Lay was transferred to Troop S northwest detachment. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Troop S Lieutenant. In 2015, he was assigned to Troop K as a Lieutenant. In 2018, Lay was assigned back to Troop S as the northeast supervisor. In 2021, he was transferred to the commissioner’s office to be the DPS legislative liaison. In 2022, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and continued to serve in the DPS legislative affairs role. In December of 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned as the Troop S, Troop R zone commander as well as legislative affairs. LTC Lay was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on September 1, 2026.

During his career, LTC Lay has served as a field training Trooper and field training supervisor. He has also served as an academy duty officer. He has been highly involved in commercial vehicle enforcement and has liaised with other agencies for common goals to make Oklahoma roads safer.

Major Jeremy Allread serves as the commander for Zone 8 which includes Troop BT - Bomb Squad, Troop LS/R - Capitol, and Evidence. Allread earned his Associate of Science Degree in Police Science from Oklahoma State University and joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 1998, graduating from the 50th Patrol Academy.

As a road trooper, Allread served in field troops F & A, and held an additional duty assignment as a diver with the OHP Underwater Search and Recovery Team. In 2004, Allread was selected for assignment to the OHP Bomb Squad, and became a certified bomb technicial in 2006 upon graduation from the FBI's Hazardous Devices school. Allread promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2007, remaining with the squad and promoting to the rank of Captain in 2013, becoming the OHP Bomb Squad Commander.

Major Eric Cannaday serves as the commander for Zone 3 which includes Troop D - McAlester, and Troop E - Durant. In this capacity, Cannaday also maintains administrative and financial oversight of the Futures, Capabilities, and Plans Division. Cannaday is also the Governor’s law enforcement appointee to the Governmental Technology Applications Review Board.

Cannaday joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in May of 2002 and graduated from the 54th Academy in October of that same year. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Cherokee and Adair County detachment in Troop C. While assigned to Troop C, Cannaday transferred to Muskogee County and accepted an additional duty position with the Troop C Fatality Investigation Unit.

Major Radford Paul Christian serves as the Commander for Zone 6 which consists of Troop SO – Special Operations, Troop T -Training, and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.

Christian joined the Patrol on March 30, 1999, as a member of the 51st Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy. After graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to Troop H, Custer County Detachment. On May 1, 2005, he transferred to Troop SO as a criminal interdiction/K9 handler assigned to the west Interstate 40 detachment. Christian transferred to Troop V Officer Assistance Program on August 12, 2013. On December 1, 2013, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Troop H East Detachment as a field supervisor. On September 1, 2018, Christian was promoted to Captain and assigned to Troop SO as the Special Operation/Asset Forfeiture Commander.

Major Clayton Fredrickson began his law enforcement career in 1998 as a Deputy with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and then served with the Guthrie Police Department from 1999-2002 as a Patrol Officer and K-9 Officer. He joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in June 2002 as a member of the 54th Academy. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Troop K, Kay County, until he transferred to Troop A, Metro in 2013.

In July 2018, Fredrickson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned as a supervisor for two years in Troop A, Metro before transferring to the Training Division in July 2020 where he served as the supervisor over the Law Enforcement Driver Training (LEDT) program. In September 2022, Fredrickson was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as the Troop Commander of the Training Division, Troop T. He was transferred in January 2025 to serve as Troop Commander for Troop A, headquartered in Oklahoma City until he was promoted to the rank of Major in May 2026.

Major Jansen Idlett serves as the Zone 6 Commander which includes Troop O- Aircraft, Troop T- Training/Recruiting and Troop D-Mcalester. Idlett previously served with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and a K-9 officer with the Lexington Police Department. 

Idlett began his career with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 2005 graduating from the 55th Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy. Idlett served as a field Trooper in Troop F- Carter and Love County and Troop A- Cleveland, McClain, and Oklahoma Counties. In 2013, Idlett was assigned to Troop W Marine Enforcement and worked Lake Thunderbird in Cleveland County.

Major Joseph Lang serves as the Commander for Zone 1 which includes Troop G - Lawton, Troop M - Altus, Troop H - Clinton, Troop I - Guymon, and Troop F - Ardmore.

Major Lang began his career with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on June 1, 2000, as a member of the 52nd Patrol Academy. After graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to Troop I, Beaver County. In February of 2001, Lang was transferred to Troop F, Carter and Love Counties. On March 1, 2002, Lang received an Additional Duty assignment as a Tactical Team member. Lang became a Defensive Tactics Instructor in 2002 and a firearms Instructor in 2004. Lang spent 6 years in Troop F before transferring to Troop G, Grady County late in December of 2007. In 2009 Lang received an intra troop transfer to Stephens and Jefferson Counties within Troop G. In 2013 Lang transferred to Troop A, Oklahoma County. January 1, 2015, Lang was promoted to Lieutenant assigned to Troop A Metro. On July 1, 2016, Lang was transferred to the Training Division as a Lieutenant over the Defensive Tactics program. On November 1, 2018, Lang was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned as the Troop Commander of Troop J/Enid.

Major Nathan Mackey began his law enforcement career with the Lawton Police Department, where he served as a Master Officer. He joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on March 30, 2007, as a member of the 57th Academy. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Stephens and Jefferson County Detachment of Troop G.

In 2016, Mackey transferred to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, where he served as an Impaired Driving Liaison. Two years later, in 2018, he was promoted to Lieutenant and returned to Troop G. In 2022, Mackey advanced to the rank of Captain, overseeing Troop G, and in 2023, he also assumed command of Troop M. On February 1, 2024, he was promoted to Major.

Major Ty Owen began his career in law enforcement with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s 53rd academy in 2001. His early assignments included patrol, Special Operations, and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014, Captain in 2022, and Major in 2026.

Owen, a 1992 graduate of Stigler High School, completed his Bachelor of Business Administration from Northeastern State University in 1996. Before joining the patrol, Owen worked in banking as a commercial and consumer loan officer.

Major Garrett Vowell serves as the Commander for Zone 4 which includes all of the Turnpikes in Oklahoma.

Garrett L. Vowell has served with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for the past 24 years. He began his career with the Department of Public Safety as a State Trooper and has promoted through the ranks serving as a Lieutenant, Captain, and now as Major.

As a State Trooper, Vowell served on the Emergency Response Team (ERT), as a Law Enforcement Driver Training (LEDT) instructor, as a Field Training Trooper (FTT), and as a K-9 handler with the Special Operations Division.

As a Lieutenant, he served as a field supervisor and as a special service supervisor. He also served as a field training supervisor, and as a counselor in OHP academies.