The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has promoted a Pineville native to a Lieutenant Colonel position within the Enforcement Division.
Spencer Cole was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel on Oct. 10. Lt. Col. Cole will oversee the administrative side of the enforcement division which includes budget, training, boating safety program, emergency services, statewide strike force, public information, quartermaster, communications and aviation sections among other duties.
“This is a very important position for the enforcement division and one that I know very well having served in it for the past three years,” said Col. Sammy Martin. “I have the utmost respect and confidence in Lt. Col. Cole. I feel that he will be able to transition very smoothly into his new duties as he has a very good working knowledge of all the different aspects of this position already.”
Lt. Col. Cole graduated from Buckeye High School in 1993 and then served six years in the U.S. National Guard. Cole graduated from the LDWF Cadet Academy in 1999 and was assigned to patrol Claiborne Parish before transferring to Rapides Parish in 2001.
In 2008 Cole was assigned to the training academy in Baton Rouge and promoted to sergeant. Then later in 2008 he was transferred to headquarters to oversee the newly developed Homeland and Maritime Security programs and all hazard responses where he developed the LDWF’s first ever five year maritime security plan and created LDWF’s maritime security response team (MSRT).
Cole was appointed the director of training and emergency services and promoted to lieutenant in 2010 where he helped LDWF develop the nation’s first accredited NASBLA BOAT program.
In 2012 he was promoted to captain with the added duties of MSRT and BOAT program coordinator. Cole then took on the duties of captain of the Pineville Office in 2013 and was in charge of patrolling Sabine, Vernon, Natchitoches, Winn, Grant, Rapides, Lasalle, Catahoula, Concordia and Avoyelles parishes with over 20 agents under his command.
In 2014 he transferred back to headquarters where he was promoted to major and put over the bureau of operations section responsible for emergency services, training, communications, quartermaster, fleet, public information, budget and boating safety.
“This is a great honor to be promoted and I will continue to do my best to further the enforcement division’s mission into the future,” said Lt. Col. Cole. “I feel my career experiences has made me very suitable for this new position.”