Henry Guzmán

Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety

On February 12, 2007, Governor Ted Strickland appointed Henry Guzmán
to serve as the director for the Ohio Department of Public Safety. In this
cabinet-level position, Director Guzmán advises the Governor and staff on issues relating to the eight divisions within ODPS. These divisions include Homeland Security, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services, Ohio Investigative Unit, Criminal Justice Services and Administration.

Prior to his appointment, Guzmán served as director of the City of Columbus Department of Public Service where he oversaw the operations of the divisions of Fleet Management, Refuse Collection and Transportation and served as acting mayor when Mayor Michael Coleman was out of the city. In that capacity, he also served as vice chair of the executive board of the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency and as a member of the Policy Board of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

From 1999-2002, Guzmán was director of the Department of Public Safety for the city of Cleveland, where he also served, from 1992-1999, as director of the Department of Public Service. From 1990-1992, he served as director of
Program Development for the office of the Ohio Attorney General. In that role, Guzmán revised procedures for the DARE Program, resulting in more efficient responses to grantees. From 1987-1990, he served as deputy director of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.

A native of Villiaba, Puerto Rico, Guzmán was raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He is a U.S. Army veteran, earning
a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for Valor for his service in Vietnam.

Guzmán received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Youngstown State University in August 1977, and pursued a year of graduate study in the Masters Program of the Antioch Law School in Washington, D.C. where he was awarded a Certificate in Equal Opportunity Law. He is a 2001 Graduate of the Leadership Cleveland Class and received Certification in the Senior Executives of State and Local Government from the JFK School of Government, Harvard University.

Henry and his wife, Nydia, have four grown children and nine grandchildren.