Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : March 20, 2007

Hoy Murphy , Public Information Officer (304) 558-3381 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov
Contact: Col. David Murphy, Law Enforcement Section Chief (304) 558-2784 law@wvdnr.gov

West Virginia DNR Announces Law Enforcement Promotions

Several of the top positions in the Law Enforcement Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources have been filled in recent weeks, according to Col. David Murphy, Chief of DNR Law Enforcement.

Jerry Jenkins, a nearly 32-year veteran of the DNR Law Enforcement Section, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel effective March 1, 2007 . He will work in the Charleston office and serve as deputy chief, making him second in command of DNR Law Enforcement. For the past year Jenkins has worked in the Charleston office at the rank of major. Previously he served as captain for the DNR District 2 Law Enforcement Office in Romney. Jenkins was employed by the Division of Parks as a conservation aide in 1975, but he transferred to the Law Enforcement Division as a conservation officer a year later and was assigned first to Pleasants County and later to Mineral County. In 1989 he was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Berkeley/Morgan/Jefferson counties area. His promotion to lieutenant in 2000 put him in the Romney District 2 Office, and he was promoted again to the rank of captain in 2004, continuing to serve in Romney until his promotion to the rank of major in January, 2006.

Two veterans of DNR’s Law Enforcement Section have been promoted to the rank of captain and have taken command of two DNR district offices.

Dan McKinney was promoted February 15, 2007, and has assumed command of District 6, based in Parkersburg. McKinney joined DNR in October 1970 as a conservation officer and was assigned to Roane County. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in December 1981, and promoted again to the rank of lieutenant in March 1989, when he was assigned to the District 5 office in Saint Albans. In June 1995 he was transferred to the District 4 office in Beckley, but he returned to District 5 in November 1996, where he remained until his latest promotion.

Lou DellaMea was promoted February 21, 2007, and has taken command of District 1 headquarters, based in Farmington. He joined DNR as a conservation officer in September 1972 and was assigned to Mason County before being transferred to Monongalia County in June 1984. He was appointed acting sergeant for Braxton, Clay and Nicholas counties in October 1986, which led to a promotion to sergeant and a change of assignment to District 3 as supervisor for officers in Clay, Nicholas and Braxton counties in November 1986. DellaMea’s next promotion was to the rank of lieutenant in December 2001, when he was assigned to District 3 headquarters in Elkins, where he served until his promotion to captain.

**DNR**