A graduate of Houston High School who has dedicated more than two decades of service to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the last five of which have been at General Headquarters in Jefferson City, will retire May 1, announces Col. Eric Olson, superintendent of the patrol.
Capt. Jason M. Pace, director of the Recruiting & Community Outreach Division at General Headquarters, will retire after 26 years and 10 months of dedicated service.
Pace was appointed to the patrol on July 1, 1997, as a member of the 74th Recruit Class. After completing his training at the patrol’s law enforcement academy, he was assigned to Troop I, Laclede County. In January 2001, he transferred to Troop D, Springfield, Zone 1, Greene County. In 2004, Pace was assigned as a full-time recruiter with responsibilities covering four troops. In 2005, Pace was promoted to corporal and remained in that position. On Dec. 1, 2008, Pace was promoted to sergeant and remained a full-time recruiter. Pace was designated as a public information and education officer assigned to Troop D on May 1, 2011. On June 1, 2019, he was promoted to lieutenant and named assistant director of the Recruiting & Community Outreach Division, General Headquarters, Jefferson City. On Aug. 1, 2022, Pace was promoted to captain and designated the director of Recruiting & Community Outreach Division, General Headquarters.
Pace was born in Rolla and graduated from Houston High School in 1989. He attended Harding University, in Searcy, Ark., and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1993. In 1995, he graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield with a master’s degree in public administration. He graduated from Leadership in Police Organizations training in Jefferson City in 2015.
Capt. Pace is married to Jennifer (Decker), and together they have three children, Blake, Brooke and Blair, and two grandchildren.
