Mark Gwyn facts for kids

Mark Gwyn (1963 – August 2024) was an American law enforcement officer. He was the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). He was the eighth director in the agency's history and the first African American to serve in this capacity.

Early life

Mark Gwyn was born in McMinnville, Tennessee. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree, and Tennessee State University, where he earned a master's degree.

Career

Gwyn began his career as a patrolman with the McMinnville police department in 1985. Three years later he joined the TBI as a Special Agent. Gwyn spent eight years investigating some of the state's most high-profile crimes before being promoted to Executive Officer in 1996. In 2001, Gwyn became assistant director of TBI in charge of the Forensic Services Division, in which position he supervised the state's three crime labs; he became its director in 2004.

Gwyn attended the 33rd session of the FBI's National Executive Institute, the John F. Kennedy School of Government from Harvard University, the FBI's Leadership in Counterterrorism program, the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy, the TBI Criminal Investigation Academy, and the FBI National Academy, and received terrorism training in Israel from the Israeli National Police.

Gwyn served on the board of the University of Tennessee National Forensic Academy and local boards of directors for the Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank. In 2006, Middle Tennessee State University recognized Gwyn as the Distinguished African-American Alumni of the year and in 2010 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for professional achievement.

In 2018, Gwyn retired less than 2 years into his third term.

Death

Gwyn died at his Nashville-area home in August 2024, at the age of 61.