Clayton Wolf Named TPWD Chief Operating Officer
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Clayton Wolf, a 27-year veteran of the agency, has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO). Wolf, previously the Wildlife Division Director, joined TPWD as a wildlife biologist in 1993.
“What attracted me to this position is the appreciation I have for all of my TPWD colleagues and the critically important work they do on a daily basis to conserve the natural resources of Texas. I’ve had an appreciation for the wild things and wild places of Texas ever since I was a kid, and that appreciation has grown significantly throughout my career,” Wolf said.
“It has become very apparent to me through the years that every employee at TPWD has a role in delivering our mission, and if we are to continue to do this effectively, we must connect all Texans with nature in some form or fashion.”
As COO, Wolf will work within the Executive Office, acting as a liaison between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and TPWD staff in accordance with established policies and will be responsible for the overall operation of TPWD.
“Having been with TPWD for many years, I’m confident that we can utilize the many success stories within the agency as models to make TPWD even more effective and efficient in delivering our mission,” Wolf said.
“Externally, our work must be relevant to all Texans, whether they enjoy wildlife as hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, or they simply enjoy watching wildlife in their backyards and local communities. There’s so much opportunity for the agency to reach out to more citizens and show them what their state’s natural resources have to offer.”
“After working in the Wildlife Division for 33 years, I know the value of a good employee. Clayton is a man of experience and integrity,” Journal editor and former TPWD biologist Horace Gore said. “His reassignment to Chief Operations Officer is a testament of his ability to get the job done. I congratulate him on his promotion.”
Wolf is a native Texan and grew up in Rockdale, but his lifelong love and appreciation of the Texas outdoors was cultivated on family land in Lee County that his great-grandparents settled after immigrating from Germany in the late 1800s. Wolf attended Stephen F. Austin University for his bachelor’s degree and Texas A&M University for his master’s degree. Prior to beginning his career with TPWD, Wolf worked as a private sector wildlife biologist in the in the Pineywoods of Southeast Texas
