David L. Westrate began his career in federal drug law enforcement in 1964 as a narcotics agent in Detroit with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics of the Department of the Treasury, after graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor of science degree from the School of Police Administration and Public Safety.
Since that time, he has held a number of positions with the Drug Enforcement Administration, including: special agent in Detroit and Los Angeles, staff assistant and later deputy chief of operations with the Office of Enforcement, special assistant with the Office of the Deputy Director for Operations, assistant regional director with the Miami D.E.A. office, executive assistant with the Office of the Deputy Administrator, deputy assistant administrator for enforcement, special agent in charge of the Washington Field Division and deputy assistant administrator for operations at D.E.A. headquarters.
Westrate was appointed to his current position of assistant administrator for operations in 1985.
He has been the recipient of numerous honors, the most notable of which was the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in 1983. Also, he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and other law enforcement organizations. Most recently, he completed his third term as a member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan State University Criminal Justice Alumni Association.
Westrate, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1965 to 1971, is married and has three children.
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