Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell has appointed James Hoelscher as the new Director of the Village Public Safety Officer Division, and Lisa Purinton as the new Director of the Statewide Services Division.
“I have worked with James and Lisa throughout my career at DPS and know that they embody the loyalty, integrity, courage, and compassion that drives our department every day,” said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. “I know James and Lisa will continue to drive the positive momentum at DPS through these critical leadership appointments and serve our department and State well.”
James Hoelscher is a former Village Public Safety Officer and Police Chief, where he served his home village of Hooper Bay for 20 years. Hoelscher worked as a VPSO from 2009- 2015 until he joined the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO) as an Investigator. Immediately prior to joining DPS he was the enforcement chief for AMCO and worked closely with the Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC) and Marijuana Control Board in developing regulations.
Lisa Purinton started her career with DPS in 2006 as an auditor and trainer for the department’s criminal justice information systems program. She was promoted several times within the Statewide Services Division including to the Criminal Justice Information Systems Bureau Chief position. Most recently she served as the department’s legislative liaison where she advocated for DPS priority legislation and managed relationships with Alaska’s Legislative Branch.
