Nicholas J. Deml serves as the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Corrections, overseeing the state’s correctional facilities, community supervision, and the rehabilitation of detained and sentenced individuals. Appointed by Governor Phil Scott in November 2021, Commissioner Deml leads the department with a focus on reform and innovation.
In addition to his role in Vermont, Commissioner Deml holds several national leadership positions. He serves as Treasurer of the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA), sits on its Executive Committee, and chairs the CLA’s Restrictive Housing Committee. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Council of State Governments – Justice Center and a board member of Wilson Global Initiative, an international nonprofit dedicated to advancing literacy.
Commissioner Deml previously served as a clandestine service intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency and held key roles in public service, including as an attorney and aide to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and as a national security staffer in the Office of the Assistant Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate.
Commissioner Deml holds a Juris Doctorate from Marquette University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southern Illinois University. He resides in Chittenden County, Vermont, with his wife and two daughters.
