DSP Press Release

Colonel Robert M. Coupe Announces the Appointment of Two Captains to Major, First female trooper promoted to the rank of Major

Location: State Police Divisional Headquarters, Dover, DE

Date of Promotion: Monday, September 13, 2010

Resume:

Dover – Delaware State Police Superintendent Robert M. Coupe has announced the appointment of two Majors to his executive staff. One promotion is historic in nature since the Division will elevate a female trooper to the rank of Major.

On Monday, September 13, 2010 Captain Charles J. (Chip) Simpson and Captain Melissa A. Zebley will be promoted to the rank of Major.

Colonel Robert Coupe stated, “Captains Simpson and Zebley both earned this opportunity through their hard work and distinguished performance. Their diverse backgrounds bring an incredible amount of skills and knowledge to our Executive Staff. This is a tremendous opportunity for the division as we continue to move the agency forward”.

“I am honored to join with Col. Coupe in announcing the promotion of two outstanding troopers who bring a wealth knowledge and experience to the DSP Executive Staff. The expertise Maj. Simpson and Maj. Zebley possess will surely be an asset to the Division,” said Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Lewis D. Schiliro.

Captain Simpson was appointed to the Division on September 2, 1980. After completing his academy training he was assigned to Troop 7 near Lewes. That was followed by assignments at Troop 1, Penny Hill and Troop 6, Prices Corner. In November 1983 Simpson was assigned as a K-9 handler until April 1989 when he was transferred as an investigator to the Special Investigations Unit. In January 1991 Simpson was promoted to Sergeant and took command of the northern Drug Unit. In November of 1994 he was promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned as the Officer in Charge of the Special Investigations Unit. He was later transferred to Troop 6, Prices Corner, in June 1998 where he assumed responsibilities for the criminal operation of the troop. In June 2000 Simpson was promoted to Captain and was transferred to Troop 2, where he was in charge of all the trooper detectives who investigated major crimes in New Castle County. In 2003 he was transferred to Headquarters as the Commander of the Special Investigations Unit. There Simpson oversaw all investigations ranging from drugs, to gambling, to auto theft. Captain Simpson most recent assignment prior to his promotion to Major, was Troop Commander at Troop 4 in Georgetown where he oversaw all major investigations in Sussex County and the patrol function in central and lower eastern Sussex County.

Captain Simpson attended the following educational institutions:

Bachelor of Science, Wilmington College, 1986
Penn State POSIT - Police Supervisory In-Service Training Program, 1991
Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, 1993
Penn State POLEX – Police Executive Development Training Program, 1995

Captain Simpson was also recognized for his involvement in the Steven Pennell Homicide Investigation in 1989.

Captain Zebley is an 18 year member of the Division and was appointed as a trooper in July of 1992. Upon completion of her academy training she was assigned to Troop 6, Prices Corner. In September 1997 she was transferred to the academy as a Drill Instructor. She served that function until December 2001. In April 2002 Zebley was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to Troop 1, Penny Hill. She served as a patrol supervisor until October 2005 when she was transferred to the Public Information Office and later assumed the role of Director. In February 2007 she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to Headquarters as the Fiscal Officer for the Division. In April 2009 she was transferred to Troop 2 near Glasgow where she was in charge of patrol operations for the troop. In August 2009 Zebley was promoted to Captain and was transferred to Troop 1 as the Commander.

Captain Zebley is the Officer in Charge of the Delaware State Police Honor Guard and a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

Captain Zebley attended the following educational institutions:

Bachelor of Science, University of Delaware, 1991
Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, 2000
Masters of Science, Wilmington University, 2003
235th Session FBI National Academy, 2008

Since 2003, Captain Zebley has been a Wilmington University adjunct instructor and a program assistant for the Criminal Justice Program. She has organized the annual Women in Criminal Justice Leadership Conference since its inception in 2005.

This promotion makes Captain Zebley the first female trooper in the Division’s 87 year history to hold the rank of Major. When the state police was formed in 1923 as the Delaware State Highway Police, the department was comprised of an all white male force until the first African American, William W. Bessix, was appointed as a trooper in 1969. In 1975 Georgia A. Carter and Cynthia A. Lowden were the first females appointed as troopers with the Division.