Gov. Terry E. Branstad on Friday named Roxann Ryan the acting commissioner

Roxann Ryan

of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. She fills the position held by Larry Noble, who was initially appointed by Branstad in January 2011 and had retired in June 2012. Noble came out of retirement in September 2013 following the resignation of his successor, Brian London. Ryan joined the Iowa Department of Public Safety in 2006 and has worked as a criminal intelligence analyst, in-house counsel and administrative rules coordinator. She previously worked in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office from 1980 to 2004 in the criminal division, and taught criminal justice for two years at Simpson College. Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Iowa State University, a law degree from University of Iowa and a doctorate in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska.