Growing up on the corner of Alcoa and Brazos in Rockdale, just about all Clayton Wolf wanted to do was hunt and fish.
Now that he’s the number two administrator of the 3,200-employee Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, which oversees a multitude of facilities and programs, will he still have time to do that?
“Absolutely,” he laughed, during a Reporter interview. “That’s been my life.”
Indeed, last week Wolf was promoted to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) position after a 27-year career with TP&W.
Only Executive Director Carter Smith is ahead of him in the chain of command but it would be a mistake to characterize TP&W as anything like a corporation.
Wolf is passionate about the outdoor life and about TP&W.
“My first job was as a private sector wildlife biologist in the Pineywoods of East Texas,” he said. “It was a great job and then I came over here to Parks & Wildlife and have had a lot of great jobs through the years.”
OUTDOORS—Wolf is the son of Allen and Dolores Wolf and graduated from Rockdale High School in 1982.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and then a masters from Texas A&M.
Then came the wildlife biologist position. “You know that was a great job, too, and I enjoyed it,” he said.
He became a TP&W district supervisor in 1992 in Jasper then began moving up the department’s ladder as his scope of responsibility widened.
Wolf became statewide leader of the TP&W White-Tail Deer Program, then moved up to Big Game Program Director, then to Wildlife Division Director.
COO—And now, with his job as Chief Operating Officer, it’s just about as easy to list what his responsibilities are not, rather than what they are.
“Other than law enforcement, and some lobbying with the state, just about all the other divisions in the department report directly to me,” he said.
Wolf also works within the department’s executive office in Austin, acting as a liaison between the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission and TP&W staff.
“Having been with TP&W for many years I’m confident we can utilize the many success stories within our agency as models to make the department even more effective in delivering our mission,” he said.
The word “mission” comes up frequently in a conversation with Wolf. He believes in the department and he certainly believes in Texas’ abundant outdoors.
“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,” he said.
URBAN—Wolf knows TP&W mission isn’t the same as it was a generation ago. “Most Texans now live in cities and suburbs,” he noted. “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 back yards and local communities.”
“We must connect all Texans with nature in some form or fashion,” he said.
PARKS, COVID-19-Wolf steps into the No. 2-job at one of the more interesting times in history, of course.
In this time of social distancing, the mission of TP&W takes on added importance with the outdoors giving Texans, and everyone else, a chance to both social distance and enjoy relatively safe and beneficial activities.
Wolf points out that most state parks “which can be” remain open for limited day use and limited camping.
According to the agency, day passes and camping reservations are highly recommended and reservations can be made online or by calling (512) 389-8900.
TP&W is taking reservations for overnight stays up to three months in advance.
“Our state parks are very important, especially right now,” Wolf said.
PASSION—After all this time, and increasing responsibility, Wolfs lifelong love of the Texas outdoors has only increased.
He still visits frequently on family land in the Giddings area which his great-grandparents settled on after emigrating from Germany in the late 1800s.
“I’ve had that appreciation for wild things and wild places outdoors all my life,” he said, adding:
“And it’s still my passion.”
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