From left to right: Col. Stephen Clark, Lt. Col. Clay Marques and LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan.
From left to right: Lt. Col. Clay Marques, Col. Stephen Clark and Lt. Col. Eddie Skena.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division has promoted Clay Marques to the position of Lieutenant Colonel.
Lt. Col. Marques, an 18-year veteran of the LDWF Enforcement Division, will be in charge of all patrol operations in his new position that falls under the command of Col. Stephen Clark who is head of the LDWF Enforcement Division. Lt. Col. Eddie Skena remains the other Lieutenant Colonel and is in charge of all administration operations for the LDWF Enforcement Division.
“I am happy to announce that Clay Marques has been selected as Lieutenant Colonel that will oversee patrol operations across the Enforcement Division,” said Col. Stephen Clark. “Lt. Col. Marques brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership to the LDWF Enforcement Division Command Staff, and I look forward to working closely with him in continuing to enhance the patrol operations of the Enforcement Division.”
Lt. Col. Marques began his career in the Enforcement Division in June of 2006 and was assigned to the East Baton Rouge Parish Office mainly patrolling Livingston Parish. During this time, he served as a duty officer and instructor at the LDWF Enforcement Training Academy, became a law enforcement fitness specialist, and was a member of the LDWF Maritime Security and Response Team.
In 2014, Lt. Col. Marques was promoted to sergeant and assigned to Headquarters in Baton Rouge to serve as the Boating Education Coordinator. In this position, he used his extensive knowledge of boating to guide and assist agents in their boating crash investigations and coordinating the statewide boating education efforts of the division.
In 2016, Lt. Col. Marques was promoted to lieutenant and became involved in the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) by participating in the National Instructor Credentialing Program, Boat Operations and Training Program, and represented the Enforcement Division serving on several NASBLA committees.
Lt. Col. Marques was promoted to captain in 2020 and served as the Director of Training, Manager of the Boating Program, and began working on Emergency Services for search and rescue and maritime security. In 2021, he was promoted to major and became the State’s Boating Law Administrator, which is a title he still holds for the state.
Lt. Col. Marques has a Bachelor’s Degree from LSU, attended the Department of Homeland Security Leadership Academy and the NASBLA Leadership Academy. He has been honored with his region’s Agent of the Year award, the state’s Boating Officer of the Year award, and the NASBLA Boating Officer of the Year award.
Recently the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security swore in Lt. Col. Marques to the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC) following an appointment to the Federal Advisory Committee. He also recently became the first LDWF enforcement agent to graduate from the FBI National Academy.