JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that Valarie Moseley will serve as the next director of the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC). Moseley’s appointment will become effective October 1, 2026, upon Director Trevor Foley’s departure to serve as the state budget director, and will await Missouri Senate confirmation.
“We are proud to welcome Valarie to our Cabinet and appreciate her willingness to serve in this critical leadership role,” said Governor Kehoe. “Valarie’s years of experience and proven leadership at DOC position her to continue the department’s nationally recognized work in improving lives for safer communities.”
Moseley has served as the DOC deputy director since December 2023, managing responsibilities including strategic planning, operational efficiency, crisis prevention and management, stakeholder engagement, and the development and implementation of department policies and procedures. Previously, Moseley was the director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services (DORS) for DOC, a role in which she and her team launched Reentry 2030, making Missouri the first state in the U.S. to join the national initiative.
“I am humbled by the Governor’s trust in me to continue my service to the department in this role,” said Moseley. “I look forward to leading the DOC team in our efforts to move the department forward by supporting our workforce, improving engagement with external stakeholders, and working to reduce risk and recidivism for the safety of our communities. I would like to thank Director Foley for his leadership, and I look forward to working to follow the example of the leaders before me who set the vision for an even better Department of Corrections.”
Moseley previously served as the assistant division director for employee health and safety in the department’s Division of Human Services (DHS), developing the Prevent-Respond-Support model for employee care and trauma response and playing an instrumental role in successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moseley also has extensive executive leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, with a strong professional background in organizational transformation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from William Woods University.