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Regina Rush-Kittle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Regina Rush (1961-01-02)January 2, 1961 (age 65) |
| Alma mater | University of Connecticut (BA) Western New England College (MS) |
| Occupations | Law enforcement Military service Public administration |
| Employer(s) | Connecticut State Police US Army Reserve |
| Known for | Trailblazer for African American women in law enforcement |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
Regina Rush-Kittle (born January 2, 1961) is an American law enforcement officer, soldier, and public administrator. She has held trailblazing leadership roles in theConnecticut State Police, theUS Army Reserve, and the Connecticut State Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.[1] She was inducted into theConnecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 2017.[2]
Rush-Kittle was born inBaltimore on January 2, 1961, and moved with her family toMiddletown, Connecticut, in 1968. She graduatedMiddletown High School in 1979 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from theUniversity of Connecticut in 1983.[2] As a junior in college, she enlisted in theUS Marine Corps Reserve, serving for three years.[3]
Post-college, Rush-Kittle worked as a corrections officer at theYork Correctional Institution for two years and joined the Middletown Police Department as its first African American female patrol officer in 1985. She attended the state police academy in 1987 and joined the state police. She rose through the ranks to become the first African American woman to serve as sergeant (1996), lieutenant (2004), or major (2011) in theConnecticut State Police. She was also first woman to command a Connecticut State Police barracks (2004) and the first woman to serve as commandant of the Connecticut State Police Training Academy (2011). She commanded the Bureau of Professional Standards and Compliance and in April 2015 was named commandant of the central district headquarters, one of three statewide. She retired in August 2015 after 30 years of state service. She went on to serve as deputy chief of the police department inMillbury, Massachusetts, until February 2017.[2][1][4][5]
She earned a master's degree in criminal justice administration fromWestern New England College in 1997 and graduated from theFBI National Academy in 2011.[2] In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate in criminal justice from theUniversity of New Haven, where she delivered the keynote address at commencement.[6]
She is a past president of theNational Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers.[1]
After serving three years in the Marine Corps Reserve, Rush-Kittle transferred to theUS Army Reserves in 1985 and became a drill sergeant. Given her law enforcement career, she sought to enlist in theMilitary Police Corps but was rejected because at 5'2, she failed the height requirement by two inches.[2]
She deployed to Kuwait for one year in 2003 in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. Her unit handled logistics, distributing medical supplies and equipment. In 2009, she served a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan as a part of an all-female command team and received theBronze Star Medal.[3]
From May 2009 to August 2010, Rush-Kittle served asCommand Sergeant Major (the US Army's highest enlisted rank) of the321st Military Intelligence Battalion, currently based in Arizona. She retired from the military in March 2012 after completing 30 years of military service.[1]
From January 2019 to December 2021, Rush-Kittle served as deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, part of theConnecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.[2] She was appointed to the office by GovernorNed Lamont.[7] In November 2021, MayorJustin Elicker appointed Rush-Kittle to be chief administrative officer ofNew Haven, Connecticut, overseeing two-thirds of the city's public employees.[8]
She married William Kittle in 1997. They met while both were serving in the Army Reserves. Kittle began his first day of state police academy training on the day of their wedding. He is a state police master sergeant and retired Connecticut Army National Guard first sergeant. The couple has two adult children, Jorrell and Gianna.[1]