Portland, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate former Portland Police Chief Mike Sauschuck to serve as Commissioner of Public Safety and Randy Liberty, Warden of the Maine State Prison, to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections.
“The fundamental charge of any government is to protect the safety and wellbeing of its citizens,” said Governor-elect Mills. “With decades of experience, Mike and Randy are leaders of the highest order who are well-positioned to fulfill that critical mission and who are well-respected across the board. I look forward to working with them in the years to come to ensure that we have a strong and successful Department of Public Safety and Department of Corrections.”
“I am grateful to Governor-elect Mills for the honor of selecting me to lead Maine’s extraordinary public safety professionals,” said Sauschuck. “It will be my goal to lead a Department of Public Safety that not only protects the safety and welfare of the people of Maine, but that is also professional, accountable, and transparent. I am inspired by Maine’s law enforcement officers every day, and I will strive to be a commissioner who they and our state can be proud of.”
“Throughout my life, I have endeavored to serve my state and nation, and I am honored to be able to continue that service as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections,” said Liberty. “I will work every day to implement best practices and take thoughtful, innovative approaches to reduce recidivism and help those in prison take responsibility, turn their lives around, and become productive, contributing members of our society.”
Sauschuck, 48, who grew up in the former Franklin County town of Madrid, has a long and distinguished career in law enforcement that spans 24-years, dating back to his time as a reserve police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department from 1994 to 1997. In 1997, he was hired by the Portland Police Department and served in a number of capacities with progressively more responsibility through the years, including as an officer; patrol Sergeant; patrol Lieutenant: shift commander; Commander of the uniform operations group; Assistant Chief of Police; and ultimately, Chief of Police – a position he held from 2012 to 2018.
As the Chief of Police, Sauschuck led the largest municipal police department in the state with authority over 223 personnel and a $16.6 million-dollar budget, and worked to orient the department towards a community policing model geared to create partnerships with the people of Portland. As Police Chief, he also served as the department’s primary point of contact for the city manager, department heads, the media, and governmental officials from the local, state, and federal levels. He also twice worked for Maine Drug Enforcement focused on investigating and suppressing illegal narcotic activity in Cumberland County.
Sauschuck served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988 to 1993, including stints in San Salvador, El Salvador and Moscow, Russia providing security and protection for top secret areas of the U.S. Embassy. He performed Sergeant of the Guard duties that put him in charge of the daily operational security of the embassy and overall supervision of marines, including full-scale reactionary drills and their roles in fire, bomb, and intruder situations.
He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a B.A. in criminology, the FBI National Academy, and Roger Williams University. He lives in Windham with his wife, Mary, who is a Detective with the Portland Police Department.
If confirmed as Commissioner of Public Safety, Sauschuck would oversee the state’s public safety bureaus, which include Capitol Police, Consolidated Emergency Communications, Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Drug Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Marshal's Office, Gambling Control, Highway Safety, and Maine State Police. The Department of Public Safety also consists of Management Office and Legal personnel. The mission of the department is to serve the people of Maine by providing, coordinating, and leading a responsive and comprehensive public safety system to protect their lives, rights, and properties
Liberty, 54 has more than 36 years of leadership experience in the fields of corrections and law enforcement, having served as the Warden of the Maine State Prison since 2015 where he has worked to reduce recidivism through enhanced programming, education and vocational training. Prior to that, Liberty served more than 26 years in the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, nine as the elected sheriff, during which time he focused on drug enforcement, drug abuse education and treatment of addiction
Liberty served in the military for 24 years, including 21 in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. He served as a Military Policeman, Mountain Infantryman, Drill Sergeant and as a Chief Instructor at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Liberty deployed to Korea, Italy, and for ten months as command sergeant major of a transition team embedded with Iraqi infantry in Fallujah, Iraq. His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal for actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Liberty is a three-time State of Maine Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the National Sheriffs Institute, and the New England Chiefs of Police Command Course. He earned a B.S. from the University of Maine at Augusta and a Master’s in Management and Leadership from Liberty University. He lives in Clinton with his wife, Jodi. They have four adult children and two grandsons.
If confirmed as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections (DOC), Liberty will be responsible for leading the direction and general administrative supervision, guidance and planning of both adult and juvenile correctional facilities and programs within the State. The DOC operates with the goal of reducing the likelihood that juvenile and adult offenders will re-offend, by providing practices, programs and services which are evidence-based.
Sauschuck’s and Liberty’s nominations will be considered by the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Their nominations are the latest in a series of cabinet announcements by Governor-elect Mills, including Jeanne Lambrew to lead DHHS, Kirsten Figueroa to lead DAFS, Judy Camuso to lead MDIFW, Bruce Van Note to lead MaineDOT, Laura Fortman to lead DOL, John Rodhe to serve as Executive Director of the Workers’ Compensation Board, Pender Makin to lead DOE, and Heather Johnson to lead DECD.