Trent Hillsman promoted to Special Agent in Charge
There’s a new man in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s regional drug task force. Trent Hillsman has been promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO).
The task force is based in Cleveland. It covers 30 counties in the northeastern part of the state.
ARDEO conducts major investigations to identify and investigate individuals or drug trafficking organizations which are importing, manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs in Georgia. SAC Hillsman will be responsible for supervising the Special Agents assigned to the task force. He succeeds outgoing ARDEO SAC Mitchell Posey who held the job for five years. Posey, who led ARDEO from its formation in 2014, was recently promoted to Inspector with the GBI’s Investigative Division.
RELATED: Posey promoted to Inspector with GBI’s Investigative Division
SAC Hillsman has worked for the GBI for over 18 years. He began his law enforcement career in 1997 with the University of Georgia Police Department where he worked in the patrol divisions. He was hired as a deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s office in 1999. In 2001, Hillsman began his career with the GBI. He’s served in regional offices in Douglas and Athens. In 2012, he was transferred to the GBI Special Operations Unit and was later promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of that unit. SAC Hillsman has served as a bomb technician for the GBI since 2004. He’s also a member of the GBI Peer Support Team.
A 1993 graduate of Madison County High School, SAC Hillsman received his undergraduate degree in Sociology from Piedmont College. He’s currently working on a Masters degree from Columbus State University.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is comprised of three divisions: the Georgia Crime Information Center, the Crime Laboratory, and the Investigative Division. The agency has over 830 employees and a budget of $101 million. SAC Hillsman is assigned to the Investigative Division.
