Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller Honors Trailblazing Women of the Maryland State Police

​​​ANNAPOLIS — Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today joined Maryland State Police leadership to honor a historic group of female pioneers whose service helped reshape law enforcement in Maryland, expanding opportunity and paving the way for generations of women in public safety.

The Lt. Governor presented citations to seven women from Maryland State Police, and honored six others who could not be in attendance, who all broke barriers in a profession long defined by exclusion, but whose leadership continues to influence the Maryland State Police today.

“In 1974, six women stepped into the Maryland State Police Academy and changed it forever,” said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. “They didn’t just claim their place — they transformed what was possible. Today, we honor every woman who became a ‘first,’ and the lasting impact they’ve had on every young girl who can now see a future in uniform, every recruit who walks into the academy knowing they belong, and every community made stronger by leadership that reflects the people it serves.”

Lt. Governor Miller was joined by Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson and Lieutenant Colonel Rosemary Chappell, Bureau Chief of Support Services, who reflected on the legacy of the honorees and the generations of women they inspired.

"I am proud of the many women who have chosen law enforcement as their profession," said Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police. “As a statewide police agency, we are building our recruitment strategy to offer more opportunities for all those who seek a career in public service."

“I remain proud of every woman who has come through the Maryland State Police Academy,” said Lieutenant Colonel Rosemary Chappell, Chief of the Support Services Bureau. “Whether they realize it or not, their efforts helped to open the doors for the generations of women who have graduated from our Academy since 1974.”

Among those recognized were four of the “Original Six” women who became the first female troopers in 1974 as part of Maryland State Police Academy Class #72 — Detective Sergeant (Ret.) Diane Kulp, Trooper (Ret.) Donna L. Whiting-Stallings, Sergeant (Ret.) Virginia F. Kincaid Lewis, and Trooper First Class (Ret.) Margaret L. Scott Edge.

Trooper (Ret.) Susan V. Topper and Trooper (Ret.) Jane E. Denby are also members of the pioneering Class #72, and were not present, but were recognized.

Also honored were Major (Ret.) Anita L. Allen, who became the first African American woman to reach the rank of Major; Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Cynthia Smith, the first woman to achieve the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; and Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Helys Valles-Alicea, the first Latina and highest-ranking Latina in the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Additional pioneers were recognized in absentia, including Major Dalaine Brady, the first woman to serve as Acting Superintendent; Lieutenant (Ret.) Maryann Pang Foxwell, the first Asian American female trooper and a leader at the academy; Troopers (Ret.) Susan V. Topper and Jane E. Denby, also members of the original 1974 class; and Trooper First Class (Ret.) Jacqueline Ringgold-Johnson and (Former) Trooper Maria Barnett, the first African American female troopers in 1975.

Following the presentation of citations, the Maryland State Police honorees were recognized on the House and Senate floors.

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