An Indiana State Police major who spent part of his 36-year career in Jackson County recently announced his retirement from the department.

Maj. Steven D. Holland, who is originally from Paoli, graduated from Paoli High School in 1982.

In 1986, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University at Bloomington. During his time at IU, Holland served as a police officer for the Indiana University Police Department.

On Nov. 16, 1986, he graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy and was appointed as a trooper and assigned to the now closed Indiana State Police post in Seymour, patrolling in Jackson and Bartholomew counties.

Since joining the state police, Holland also graduated from the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville in 1996 and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 1997.

During his service with the state police, he has served in many roles besides being a trooper, including stints as detective, undercover drug investigator, white collar crime detective, squad sergeant, district investigative commander first sergeant and area investigative commander lieutenant.

In 2013, he was promoted to the rank of major and served as the commander of the laboratory division until his retirement.

During his career, Holland has served on many boards, committees and associations, to include more recently the Indiana State Coroner’s Training Board, Indiana Statewide Sexual Assault Response Team, Board of Visitors for the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, Midwest Crime Laboratory Directors Association, FBI National Academy Associates and Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies.

More locally, he has continued a long record of service as a board member for the Police Athletic and Activities League in Columbus and as a licensed Indiana High School Athletic Association basketball official.

Holland and his wife, Kimberly, have three adult children and are residents of Bartholomew County.