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| Wyoming Department of Corrections Announces Warden Appointments |
| By Wyoming Department of Corrections |
| Published: 07/19/2016 |
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Cheyenne – Several warden appointments were recently announced by Director Bob Lampert of the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC). Warden Eddie Wilson will assume duties as the Warden of the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) in Torrington effective September 1, 2016. Warden Mike Pacheco will be promoted to Warden of the Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) in Rawlins effective September 1, 2016, with a physical report date of October 1. Deputy Warden Ruby Ziegler will be promoted to Warden at the Wyoming Honor Farm (WHF) in Riverton effective September 15, 2016. All three appointees have extensive knowledge of corrections and have been with the WDOC for at least 10 years. “Warden Wilson brings a strong blend of security and program experience to his new role,” said Lampert. Wilson will be replacing Warden Steve Hargett who retired last May. Wilson is excited to take the helm at WMCI, but will miss WSP, its outstanding staff and Rawlins. Wilson is a Certified Corrections Executive through the American Corrections Association. He has been Warden at the Wyoming State Penitentiary since April 1, 2009. He joined the WDOC in November 2006 as Associate Warden for Security at WSP, where he was subsequently selected for the Deputy Warden's position in September 2007. Prior to his arrival in Wyoming, Warden Wilson served a distinguished 26-year career with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, beginning his corrections career as a correctional officer in Texas effective June 1980. In December 1983 he was promoted to Sergeant and then to Lieutenant at the Central Unit in August 1984. During his early career, he worked in both field (agricultural) operations and inside the prison walls. In September 1987, Wilson was promoted to Captain at the Jester II Unit (now the Vance Unit.) At the time of his arrival, the Jester II Unit was a trusty (minimum) facility. However, the mission of the facility changed several times during his 10-year tenure there. The Jester II Unit shifted from a trusty facility to the Texas prison system's adult boot camp operation in 1990. Warden Wilson served as the Boot Camp Commander and was able to apply his prior military police experience on the drill field at the boot camp. When the boot camp was subsequently moved to another location, Wilson was tasked with leading Jester II's transition into the Interfaith Freedom Initiative. The Jester II was renamed the Vance Unit and became the center of the prison system's residential faith-based program and has repeatedly served as a national model. In July 1998, Wilson was promoted to Major at the Jester IV Unit which is a mental health treatment facility, giving him exposure to managing inmates with both chronic and severely acute mental health issues. Wilson was promoted to Assistant Warden at the Ramsey Unit in June 2001 where he oversaw the GRAD program, which focused on rehabilitating gang members back into general population. From August 2002 until March 2004, he was assigned to the Clemens Unit, which hosted the youthful offender program. Then in March 2004, Warden Wilson assumed duties at the Jester I Substance Abuse Felony Treatment Facility, which was the first facility to serve solely as a residential therapeutic community-based substance abuse treatment program in the Texas prison system. He retired from Texas Department of Criminal Justice in November 2006 and joined the Wyoming DOC shortly after. Warden Mike Pacheco has served as Warden at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton, since August 15, 2010. He is thrilled to be returning home to Rawlins after ten years away to lead WSP through its next chapter. Pacheco began his corrections career in 1992 as a correctional officer at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, after having honorably served for four years in the United States Marine Corps. During his tenure with the Wyoming Department of Corrections, he has held positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to briefly leaving the agency in 1996, Pacheco had promoted to sergeant. Following his return to WSP in 1997 as a correctional officer, he sought and received promotions to the ranks of corporal and sergeant prior to being selected as a unit manager in 2002. He served as a member of the transition team for the South Facility and as unit manager. In 2006, Pacheco was promoted to Associate Warden at the Wyoming Honor Conservation and Boot Camp (WHCC) in Newcastle and, in January of 2009, he was chosen to serve as the Deputy Warden for WMCI. In that role he was vital to the planning, transition, opening and operations of this new facility. Warden Pacheco holds an Associate of Applied Science degree. He is a Certified Correctional Executive through the American Corrections Association and is also a trained auditor. “Warden Pacheco’s experience at WSP, WHCC, WMCI and WHF gives him a sound background in both security operations and case management of inmates within all classifications from death row/maximum to minimum” said Lampert. “His experience in the management and administration of three other Wyoming correctional institutions will serve him well as he heads up WSP.” “What sets Warden Pacheco apart is his proven leadership ability, his teamwork orientation, his ethical standards and his sound decision making ability,” Lampert continued. “His thorough understanding and support for the WDOC vision is bolstered by his 23 years of internal experience in a variety of settings and roles.” Warden Ruby Ziegler looks forward to serving the community of Riverton and the Wyoming Honor Farm. Ziegler has served as Deputy Warden at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington since December 14, 2010. Prior to that time, she was Housing and Classification Manager at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, where she began her career with WDOC in January 2006. Ziegler began her career in corrections in February of 1993 with the State of Iowa as a correctional officer. Between then and February 2003, she held the positions of Lieutenant, Captain, Unit Manager, and Security Director and completed an internship as a Probation/Parole Officer in Burlington, Iowa. She then took over as the Treatment Services Director for the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders in Cherokee, Iowa until December 2004. During that time she also taught as a criminal justice adjunct interim professor at Buena Vista University teaching classes in sociology, psychology and criminal justice. Starting in January 2005, Ziegler managed a substance abuse program in Fort Dodge, Iowa until she resumed teaching in the fall of 2005 at the Des Moines Area Community Campus, where she served until her hire at WSP. In addition to her correctional and teaching experience, Warden Ziegler holds B.A. & M.S. degrees in Law Enforcement Justice Administration with minor studies in Agency Counseling Education, Sociology, and Computer Applications. She has also completed requirements for her Ph.D. in public service leadership from Capella University. She is a Certified Correctional Executive through the American Corrections Association and is also a trained auditor. “Warden Ziegler’s correctional experience and education, coupled with her support and understanding of the agency’s mission, uniquely qualify her to lead WHF,” Lampert said. The department congratulations all three wardens on their new assignments and wishes them continued success in the agency’s mission of contributing to public safety by exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane management, while actively providing offenders opportunities to become law-abiding citizens. There are an average of approximately 2,400 inmates and 6,300 adult probation and parole offenders in the state. The WDOC consists of approximately 1100 staff, not including contracted service providers. |
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