DNREC names Pat Emory Division of Fish and Wildlife director

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has named Pat Emory to lead its Division of Fish and Wildlife. He will assume the official title Monday, March 13.

Emory has served his entire career with the department, most recently as director of DNREC Division of Community Affairs. Emory will succeed former Director David Saveikis, who recently retired from DNREC after a nearly 40-year career with the department, and had served as Division of Fish and Wildlife director since 2011.

The division director manages state fish and wildlife conservation management policies and runs day-to-day operations of the division, which includes 114 full-time positions and an annual budget of more than $10.7 million.

“Pat is an experienced and trusted leader in the state who has demonstrated his passion for the mission of the department over the course of his career,” said Shawn Garvin, DNREC secretary. “I am pleased he will continue his commitment to public service and environmental stewardship in this role.”

Emory joined DNREC in 1984 as a seasonal park ranger and led the Division of Fish and Wildlife from 2003 to 2011. He has been the director for the Division of Community Affairs for the last five years. A former president of the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, he holds certifications in several environmental areas, including sediment and stormwater management, emergency response and hazardous material handling. A native of Milford, he is a graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and earned a bachelor of science degree from Salisbury University.

For more information, go to de.gov/fw.