By Kurt Erickson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Kehoe named a new director of the state’s sprawling prison system Tuesday as part of a leadership shuffle in his administration.
Valarie Moseley, deputy director of the Missouri Department of Corrections, will step into the top role at the agency to fill a post vacated by Trevor Foley, who will become Kehoe’s budget director.
Foley is taking over as head of the budget office following the retirement of longtime director Dan Haug.
Moseley has served as No. 2 administrator at Corrections since December 2023, overseeing strategic planning, operational efficiency, crisis prevention and the development of department policies and procedures.
“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,” Moseley said in a statement.
The director, who is paid $189,000 annually, oversees an 11,000-employee agency spread across 19 prisons. About 4,225 of those workers are correctional officers charged with keeping order among an estimated 24,000 inmates.
Earlier this year, lawmakers and Kehoe approved tougher sentencing legislation that could push the department toward building an additional prison at a cost estimated at $870 million because of a projected increase in the number of inmates in state custody.
At the same time, Kehoe is predicting tough budget times ahead for the state as revenue growth has slowed and a once-robust surplus has dwindled.
Kehoe said he appreciates Moseley’s willingness to serve in the leadership post.
“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,” the governor said.
Moseley previously served as director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services for DOC. She also served as the assistant division director for employee health and safety in the department’s Division of Human Services and played a role in helping the agency navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from William Woods University.
Foley, meanwhile, will take over as budget chief with the departure of Haug, who is retiring after 11 years in the role.
Foley began his career with state government in 2000, as a budget analyst for the Department of Corrections before moving to the Missouri Senate in 2007 to serve as an appropriations analyst.
He returned to Corrections as the budget chief in 2018, and was appointed DOC director in 2023 to replace former prison chief Anne Precythe.
“I look forward to putting the governor’s vision for growth and commitment to fiscal discipline into action,” Foley said Monday. “I want to thank Dan Haug for his service and guidance throughout this transition, and I look forward to getting to work soon with the talented team at Budget and Planning.”
Haug is departing after 31 years in state government. He began as an economist forecasting tax revenue in the budget office, moved to the Senate appropriations staff in 2002. He served as a top aide in the Department of Mental Health before former Gov. Jay Nixon named him budget director in 2015. Haug is the longest-serving budget director, having remained in the position under four governors.
“Dan has served in this important role under multiple administrations with unwavering integrity and professionalism,” Kehoe said Monday. “His deep understanding of the state budget has provided valuable guidance to state leaders and decision makers throughout the ups and downs of Missouri’s budget landscape.
State agencies are in the final months of preparing their budget requests, which typically are due in October.
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