Jack Claypoole

Jack Claypoole was appointed in March, 2006 by the U.S. Drug Czar as Administrator of the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program, and promoted to Associate Deputy Director in October, 2009. With the philosophy that local problems need local solutions, the DFC program is designed to mobilize and strengthen community-based efforts to reduce youth substance use. As Administrator, Claypoole oversees a $95M annual expenditure that funds nearly 750 community coalitions working on the local level to combat youth substance use across the United States

A native of South Carolina, prior to his appointment, Claypoole was a former DFC grantee and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of that state’s largest provider of behavioral health services. He has also served as deputy director of South Carolina’s cabinet-level agency that oversees substance use issues and has held a state law enforcement commission since the early 1990’s. With 20 years of experience in the field of substance abuse, Claypoole has won national recognition from organizations such as Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the United States Department of Justice. A graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, Claypoole was named the College’s Distinguished Alumnus for 2007. He also holds an Executive Masters in Leadership degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.