North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has appointed Lt. Daniel Haugen to serve as interim superintendent of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, effective December 1. The appointment follows the retirement of Col. Brandon Solberg, who is stepping down on November 30 after nearly 6½ years as superintendent.
Haugen brings 24 years of experience with the Highway Patrol to his new role. Since May 2023, he has served as field commander for the southwest region, overseeing highway safety and criminal investigations across a 17-county area. Prior to this, he was the Highway Patrol’s training director at the Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bismarck for nearly nine years, managing the training of approximately 800 peace officers. Haugen began his Highway Patrol career as a trooper in the northwest region in 2000 and was promoted to sergeant in 2008, with assignments in the northeast and southwest regions.
A graduate of Bismarck State College with an associate’s degree in criminal justice, Haugen also earned a certificate in police management from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff & Command in 2009. His background includes four years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he worked as a military police officer in Okinawa, Japan, and at Camp Pendleton, California.
Gov. Burgum thanked Col. Solberg for his dedicated service and leadership during his tenure as superintendent. Solberg will transition to a new role as director of the Facility Management Division in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), effective December 1.
