David Parchim is the new Jefferson College police chief and director of emergency management.
The college’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously June 8 to hire him for the job.
Parchim came to Jefferson College from SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital-St. Charles, where he had served as security manager since October 2022.
He replaces Paul Ferber, who will retire from his job at the college at the end of July and will serve in an advisory role until his retirement.
Parchim began his job with the college on June 12 and is paid a $71,032 annual salary. However, his pay will increase to $73,549 effective July 1.
Ferber’s salary is $85,280 a year.
President Dena McCaffrey said she was part of a screening committee that chose Parchim out of 10 applicants based on his higher education and emergency management experience.
“We are really excited to have David Parchim leading our Police Department,” McCaffrey said.
“He has extensive experience with corporate policing or security, college policing and public safety and local law enforcement.”
Parchim now leads the nine-officer department (including himself) that patrols the college’s three campuses – Hillsboro, Arnold and Imperial.
He also is in charge of emergency management, which includes planning for and responding to active shooters and disasters, she said.
Prior to working at the SSM Health hospital, Parchim worked in law enforcement and security at various police departments, hospitals and colleges.
Among his former jobs were Arnold police officer from 1999 to 2005 and Hillsboro Police reserve officer from 2017-2019.
He also served as site security lead for Nestle Purina in St. Louis from 2013-2020. He was an adjunct instructor for the Mineral Area College Law Enforcement Academy from 2014-2020.
He served as a radioman-telecommunications specialist in the U.S. Navy from 1989-1993.
He has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, a master’s degree in liberal studies in criminal justice from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., and a graduate certificate in emergency and crisis management from American Military University, headquartered in Charles Town, W. Va.
Parchim, 53, lives in Festus with his wife, Melinda. They have three children.
He said the Jefferson College police chief-director of emergency management position interested him for several reasons.
“It’s close to home and it’s a good college,” he said. “It’s chief of police and director of emergency management. That itself attracted me because they are both my background.”
Parchim said he appreciates the opportunity to work at Jefferson College.
“I’m just looking forward to working in company with the staff and the kids on campus and being a resource for the community,” he said. “My focus is building a community policing atmosphere at the college.”
Parchim said he also appreciated the news that the Jefferson College Police Department will move into new quarters when construction of a new building in the Viking Woods student housing complex on the Hillsboro campus is completed.
Construction on the new building is expected to begin July 1 and be finished by the start of the 2024 fall semester.
“I’m looking forward to that,” Parchim said.