85 South Prospect Street
348 Waterman Building
Burlington, VT 05405
United States
BIO
Michael Schirling was appointed Commissioner of Public Safety on September 1, 2019 by Governor Phil Scott. The Department of Public Safety is comprised of the Vermont Crime Information Center, Vermont Emergency Management, the Vermont Forensic Laboratory, and the Vermont State Police.
Prior to serving as Commissioner, he served from January 2017 through September 2019 as the Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). ACCD’s portfolio includes the Departments of Economic Development, Housing and Community Development, and Tourism and Marketing as well as the VT Center for Geographic Information. Immediately prior to serving as Secretary, Mr. Schirling served as executive director of BTV Ignite, an economic development and technology accelerator initiative, where he oversaw the organization’s efforts to expedite growth of the local tech sector to strengthen the economy by driving innovation.
From 1989 to 2015 he held a variety of posts with the Burlington, VT Police Department, including serving as Chief of Police from 2008 through 2015. There he focused on innovation, collaboration, community engagement and systems change. He led efforts to enhance the Department’s technology platforms and received recognition from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for Civil Rights, and awards for excellence in victim service and community policing.
He has also worked as a contractor conducting national and worldwide trainings for a host of organizations including the National District Attorney’s Association, Fair & Impartial Policing, LLC, and the U.S. State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program Cyber Division. Additionally, he is an Executive Fellow for the National Police Foundation.
Mike is a lifelong Vermont resident with undergrad and graduate degrees from the University of Vermont. He is an avid boater, scuba diver, and pilot. He resides in Burlington with his wife and, occasionally, his college aged daughter. His son attended UVM and is currently serving in the United States Coast Guard.
Bio
Michael Schirling was appointed Commissioner of Public Safety on September 1, 2019 by Governor Phil Scott. The Department of Public Safety is comprised of the Vermont Crime Information Center, Vermont Emergency Management, the Vermont Forensic Laboratory, and the Vermont State Police.
Prior to serving as Commissioner, he served from January 2017 through September 2019 as the Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). ACCD’s portfolio includes the Departments of Economic Development, Housing and Community Development, and Tourism and Marketing as well as the VT Center for Geographic Information. Immediately prior to serving as Secretary, Mr. Schirling served as executive director of BTV Ignite, an economic development and technology accelerator initiative, where he oversaw the organization’s efforts to expedite growth of the local tech sector to strengthen the economy by driving innovation.
From 1989 to 2015 he held a variety of posts with the Burlington, VT Police Department, including serving as Chief of Police from 2008 through 2015. There he focused on innovation, collaboration, community engagement and systems change. He led efforts to enhance the Department’s technology platforms and received recognition from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for Civil Rights, and awards for excellence in victim service and community policing.
He has also worked as a contractor conducting national and worldwide trainings for a host of organizations including the National District Attorney’s Association, Fair & Impartial Policing, LLC, and the U.S. State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program Cyber Division. Additionally, he is an Executive Fellow for the National Police Foundation.
Mike is a lifelong Vermont resident with undergrad and graduate degrees from the University of Vermont. He is an avid boater, scuba diver, and pilot. He resides in Burlington with his wife and, occasionally, his college aged daughter. His son attended UVM and is currently serving in the United States Coast Guard.