The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) has announced the appointment of Donald R. Stakes as Assistant Director for the Mission and Readiness Support Directorate (MRSD), effective July 12, 2026.
In his new role, Stakes will provide executive leadership, strategic oversight, and program direction for FLETC’s second-largest and most operationally diverse directorate. MRSD plays a critical role in supporting FLETC’s law enforcement training mission by managing operational support, resource allocation, infrastructure readiness, and enterprise services across the organization.
As Assistant Director, Stakes will oversee an extensive portfolio that includes approximately 2,000 buildings and training venues spanning more than 5,400 acres, a fleet of over 1,200 government vehicles, a large personal property inventory, and more than $340 million in service contracts. These resources support the training of more than 73,000 federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and international law enforcement students each year across FLETC’s four training locations.
Stakes joins FLETC after more than two decades of distinguished service with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where he held several senior executive leadership positions. Most recently, he served as Acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for CBP’s Office of Field Operations, leading a workforce of more than 34,000 employees and overseeing an annual budget of approximately $7.5 billion across 328 U.S. ports of entry.
Prior to that assignment, Stakes served as Executive Director for Mission Support within the Office of Field Operations, directing administrative and operational support for personnel assigned to field offices, ports of entry, the National Targeting Center, headquarters, and international duty stations.
His leadership experience also includes serving as Acting Director of Field Operations for the Buffalo Field Office, where he managed more than 1,500 employees and supervised operations throughout New York State outside of New York City. His responsibilities included oversight of land border crossings, rail crossings, regional airports, seaports, small boat reporting stations, and the Industrial and Manufacturing Materials Center of Excellence and Expertise.
Throughout his CBP career, Stakes held several other key leadership positions, including Deputy Executive Director for Mission Support, Assistant Director of Field Operations for the Laredo Field Office, Director of Labor Relations within the Office of Human Resources Management, and Chief Labor Negotiator during collective bargaining negotiations with the National Treasury Employees Union.
Stakes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Elon University, completed the Negotiation and Leadership Program at Harvard University in 2013, and graduated from the CBP Leadership Institute in 2015.
“I am honored to join the Mission and Readiness Support Directorate and look forward to working alongside the dedicated professionals at FLETC,” said Assistant Director Stakes. “Together, we will continue to provide the critical support and resources that enable our law enforcement partners to succeed.”
FLETC officials welcomed Stakes to the organization, expressing confidence that his extensive experience in mission support, operations, and executive leadership will strengthen the directorate’s role in supporting the training and preparedness of the nation’s law enforcement community.
With Stakes at the helm of MRSD, FLETC is positioned to continue enhancing the infrastructure, resources, and operational capabilities that underpin its mission of preparing law enforcement professionals to meet evolving public safety challenges.
