Mr. Brandon Clabes
ABLE Executive Director
Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, Brandon Clabes came to the Oklahoma City area in 1964.
Clabes graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1979 with bachelor’s in public administration. Clabes was hired by the Midwest City, Oklahoma Police Department as a patrol officer. He was promoted through the ranks and served as Assistant Chief under two separate administrations.
In August of 1999, Clabes was appointed Police Chief and was honored to work daily with the Department’s 131 employees. He is the longest serving Chief in the history of the agency until retiring in May of 2021.
Clabes has been married 35 years to his beautiful wife Sandy, and they have three wonderful children, Collin, Age: 33, Morgan, Age: 29 and Gabriella who is 26. This is one of his greatest accomplishments. He also has a five-year-old grandson named Cash.
Clabes is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, United States Secret Service Dignitary Protective Services program, past president of the Oklahoma Metro Chief’s Association, a longtime board member of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police (a state-wide organization). He is an adjunct professor at Rose State College and was on the Advisory Board of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for Prevention of Terrorism.
Clabes was appointed by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin as commissioner for the Department of Human Services in 2012, commissioner for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in 2013, and to the Board of Regents for Rose State College in 2016.
He was reappointed to the Board of Regents for Rose State College in 2023 by Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt. Clabes also served on the Oklahoma Commission for School Security with former Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb and was appointed to serve as a member of the Department of Justice Public Safety Medal of Valor Review Board by Paul Ryan, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. This is the highest award given to public safety by the President of the United States.
He was reappointed in July of 2022 by the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Republican Leader of the United States House of Representatives and again in 2026 by U.S. Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson.
Clabes also serves on the Arnall Family Foundation, the Foundation’s mission is to empower community partners to create lasting, transformative change through strategic investments and innovative partnerships.
Most recently, Clabes was appointed by Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Dustin Rowe to serve on their Dispute Resolution Advisory Board pursuant to state statute 12 O.S. 2011, Section 1803.1.
After retirement from the Midwest City, Oklahoma Police Department, Clabes became the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) in Ada, Oklahoma on May 17, 2021.
On October 1, 2022. Clabes was selected as the new state director of Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE) where he continues to serve the State of Oklahoma.
The Executive Secretary to the Director is Ms. Shae Isaacs. Shae.Isaacs@able.ok.gov
