COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today named South Carolina Highway Patrol Major Robert G. Woods, IV as the acting director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS). Major Woods is a 30-year veteran of the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) and is currently serving as the agency's Major of Administrative Support.

Major Woods is a 1988 graduate of The Citadel and holds a master’s degree in Human Relations and Conflict Management from Columbia College. He is also a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Leadership Institute and holds a Certified Public Manger Credential.

Current Director Leroy Smith’s 4-year term expires at the end of the day today. Major Woods will begin serving as acting director of DPS tomorrow, February 1, and will continue serving in that capacity until a new director is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the South Carolina Senate.