Chattanooga, TN – According to the state officials,Dale Grandstaff has been appointed as the new Colonel of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, where he will oversee statewide law enforcement programs.

With 26 years of experience at TWRA, Grandstaff officially took on his new role on August 4, succeeding the retiring Col. Darren Rider.

The two will work together over the next month to ensure a smooth transition.

Before this promotion, Grandstaff served as Boating and Law Enforcement Lieutenant Colonel since November 2021.

He began his TWRA career in 1998 as a wildlife officer in Sullivan County and later moved to Montgomery County after graduating from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1999.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2012 and to captain of District 21 in 2015, where he managed one of the state’s busiest districts for six years.