Scott Oulton is a recently retired Senior Executive Service leader of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where he served more than 35 years in federal service before retiring on January 11, 2026. Throughout his distinguished career, he provided scientific and strategic leadership at the highest levels of government, most recently serving as Assistant Administrator “Chief of Forensics” of the DEA’s Forensic Sciences Division.
 

As Assistant Administrator, Mr. Oulton served as the principal advisor to the DEA Administrator on all scientific and technical matters, overseeing a nationwide forensic laboratory system of nearly 600 professionals across nine regional and six subregional laboratories and multiple specialized units. He managed a $25 million operational budget and directed programs supporting federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners. Over the course of his career, he led transformative initiatives that reduced evidence backlogs by 86%, increased laboratory efficiency, expanded forensic training capacity, and implemented nationally recognized scientific standards. He has been qualified as an expert witness in more than 125 federal and state criminal cases and has delivered over 250 professional presentations worldwide.
 

Mr. Oulton began his DEA career in 1990 as a forensic chemist and progressively served in key leadership positions since 1999.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with an emphasis in Criminalistics from Northern Arizona University and has completed executive leadership programs at the University of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of War and the University of Notre Dame.
 

Following his retirement from federal service, Mr. Oulton founded and now serves as President of INTR3PID Solutions LLC (www.intr3pid.com), where he provides strategic consulting in forensic science, laboratory operations, quality systems, process improvement, leadership development, and emerging drug threat response. Drawing on decades of executive leadership, scientific innovation, and operational excellence, he continues to support public safety agencies, laboratories, and organizations seeking to modernize operations, improve efficiency, and strengthen scientific integrity.