About
Mr. Peter B. Bensinger is Senior Consultant and founder of Bensinger, DuPont and Associates (BDA). Mr. Bensinger started BDA privately owned professional services company with his Partner, Robert L. DuPont, M.D. in August, 1982.
Prior to forming this consulting service with Dr. Robert DuPont, Mr. Bensinger served as the Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. He was appointed to this position in January of 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford and was confirmed by the Senate, serving over five and one-half years under Presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan. During Mr. Bensinger’s tenure as Administrator, heroin overdose deaths decreased by over 50% and there was a significant decrease in the overall number of Americans using illegal drugs. He was also instrumental in the passage and implementation of the Asset Forfeiture Law, and the banning of Drug Paraphernalia Shops. Mr. Bensinger initiated the first Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in the U.S. Department of Justice for DEA employees and family members.
Prior to Mr. Bensinger’s appointment in Washington, he served as Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections with direct responsibility for all penitentiaries, reformatories, training schools, and parole supervision. During this period, the rate of adult offenders returning to prison (recidivism) was reduced by 40% and for juvenile offenders, recidivism was reduced more than 50%. He was elected by Directors of other state prison systems as President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators and has served as Chairman of the Illinois Youth Commission, Chief of the Crime Victims Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and as Executive Director of the Chicago Crime Commission.
Mr. Bensinger was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Governor’s Association for outstanding service to State Government and received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Former Federal Narcotic Agents and U.S. Drug Enforcement Educational Foundation. He has been recognized by the Mayor and City Council of Chicago for his leadership efforts to combat drug abuse which declared August 10, 2006 “Peter Bensinger Day in Chicago.” Mr. Bensinger was a principal delegate to Interpol for the United States in 1978, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Chairman of its Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Committee. The National Sheriffs Association has honored him with Life Membership and he has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from San Marcos University in Lima, Peru, and Dankook University in Seoul, Korea, for outstanding leadership in International Drug Control.
Mr. Bensinger has received the U.S. Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Coast Guard; the highest award presented to a civilian. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from the Government of Peru and the John Howard Association for outstanding service in the field of corrections. The Phillips Exeter Academy recognized Mr. Bensinger with the John Phillips Award, its highest recognition for an alumnus and the Chicago Latin School awarded Mr. Bensinger the Distinguished Alumni Service Award as well. Bensinger represented the United States Attorney General on the six-member Board of Directors of Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (UNICOR), a $300 million government corporation responsible for industry in the Federal Penitentiary System.
Mr. Bensinger also Chaired the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority from June, 1991 to January, 2003. Mr. Bensinger was elected a Laureate to the Lincoln Academy of Illinois for outstanding leadership in Government Service and was recognized for Outstanding Leadership in the Private Sector by the Illinois Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling. Mr. Bensinger was recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice for Outstanding Leadership in equal employment opportunity. Mr. Bensinger serves on the Board of Directors of the DEA Educational Foundation, Educating Voices and Lurie Children’s Hospital and has been a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago since 1992. Mr. Bensinger is also Chief Executive Officer of the Prescription Drug Research Center (PDRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of BDA which provides comprehensive risk management surveillance programs for prescription drugs.
Mr. Bensinger is a nationally recognized expert on the issues of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and has authored a special report on this subject for the Harvard Business Review and has been quoted in national and international publications on this subject. He has appeared as a guest on Face the Nation, Meet the Press, Good Morning America, Oprah Winfrey, The O’Reilly Factor, Nightline, and other national and international media. A graduate of Yale University, Mr. Bensinger speaks French, Spanish and Italian.
