Shawn Loan chosen to lead Vermont State Police after Matt Birmingham retirement

Loan’s background in the Northeast Kingdom gives him firsthand understanding of the problems facing rural communities in Vermont.

Vermont State Police will have a new commander when Col. Matt Birmingham steps down on Aug. 7. Lt. Col. Shawn Loan has been selected to replace him, according to an announcement Tuesday from Gov. Phil Scott and Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison.

Loan, who now serves as deputy director of the Vermont State Police and has headed the criminal division, will be elevated to colonel. In that role, he will be responsible for nearly 400 employees, including more than 300 sworn troopers.

His career with the agency began in 2007, when he joined as a trooper assigned to the Derby barracks. Scott said Loan’s background in the Northeast Kingdom gives him firsthand understanding of the problems facing rural communities in Vermont and will support ongoing public safety efforts across the state.

In an interview, Loan said he feels privileged to be entrusted with the position. He also said the agency has started to recover from earlier staffing difficulties, noting that retirements surged during the COVID era and applications dropped sharply. He added that the trend has begun to improve in recent years, with 2024 marking the first year since about 2019 that the force added more people than it lost.

Loan said the agency is still working with smaller academy classes, but he sees renewed interest in public service among younger applicants who want to contribute and make a difference