Veteran TDCJ leader to take helm as agency transitions after Collier’s retirement
Bobby Lumpkin, a nearly 35-year veteran of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, has been named the agency’s next executive director, bringing decades of leadership and operational experience to the post.
The TDCJ governing board announced that Lumpkin will assume the top role on Sept. 1, following the retirement of Executive Director Bryan Collier, who has led the agency since 2016.
A career built in corrections
Lumpkin began his career in 1990 as a correctional officer and steadily advanced through the ranks. He later served as an assistant warden before moving into administrative roles. In 2003, he was promoted to the Administrative Review and Risk Management Division, where he worked on American Correctional Association accreditation oversight.
In 2013, Lumpkin was selected as division director of Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Logistics, managing large-scale operations within the agency. More recently, he has served as chief operations officer, overseeing day-to-day functions across more than 100 facilities statewide.
Lumpkin earned both his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and corrections and his master’s degree in criminal justice leadership and management from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
Stepping into the top role
With his appointment, Lumpkin takes on responsibility for an agency that supervises more than 140,000 incarcerated individuals and employs thousands of Texans. His tenure begins as TDCJ continues to face staffing shortages, high turnover, and ongoing federal scrutiny over prison conditions.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that the lack of air conditioning in Texas prisons was unconstitutional, with a trial scheduled for next year. At the same time, lawmakers have approved new funding aimed at addressing staffing challenges through pay raises and targeted salary adjustments.
The agency is also looking ahead to its “2030 Vision” plan, a long-term strategy that emphasizes rehabilitation alongside security.
Collier’s retirement
Lumpkin succeeds Bryan Collier, who joined the department in 1985 and rose through the ranks during a 40-year career. Collier became executive director in 2016 and is set to retire Aug. 31. In recognition of his service, the agency’s governing board recently named a new training facility in Huntsville in his honor.
As of July, Collier’s annual salary as executive director was nearly $300,000.
A steady transition
Lumpkin will officially begin his tenure on Sept. 1, the day after Collier’s retirement. The agency described him as bringing “strong operational experience and proven leadership” to the position, building on a foundation of service that has marked his long career with the state.