AUSTIN — Alan Cain has been selected as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Wildlife Division director.
Cain began his more than 24-year career with TPWD in 2000 and has progressively held roles of greater complexity and responsibility, including wildlife biologist and district leader in South Texas, white-tailed deer program leader and most recently the big game program director.
“Alan has a proven track record as a leader who can strengthen relationships and build trust with private landowners and stakeholders, enabling our agency to manage public resources in a predominantly private lands state. This will be accomplished on a strong foundation of applied science and with the collaboration of public, non-profit, and private partners,” TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz said. “Alan will be a valuable addition to the agency’s senior leadership team and lead a talented team of wildlife professionals inside TPWD to help fulfill our agency’s mission.”
During Cain’s tenure with TPWD’s Wildlife division, he has successfully led or been a critical team member in designing and implementing impactful programmatic and regulatory changes, including enhancements of the Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP), development of the Land Management Assistance application to administer the MLDP, mandatory harvest reporting and digital tagging applications, expansion of antlerless deer hunting opportunities, and working on Chronic Wasting Disease policy, management, and regulations.
“TPWD is a leader in conversations on evaluating and implementing solutions for pressing issues including wildlife disease management, habitat loss and fragmentation, game and non-game wildlife stewardship, and hunting access and opportunity for rural and urban Texans,” TPWD Chief Operating Officer Craig Bonds said. “Cain’s professional experiences, institutional knowledge, and relationships have positioned him to take on the role of Wildlife Division director.”
Cain is a certified wildlife biologist through the Wildlife Society and has been a member of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society since 1991, serving as its president in 2011. He is a current member and past chairman of the Advisory Board for Wildlife Management Academic Program at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, previously served on the Texas Big Game Awards Scoring Committee and Measurer, Boone & Crockett official measurer, TPWD Mentor Program, and is a graduate of TPWD’s former Natural Leaders Program.
Cain earned his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He held a research associate position at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville before beginning his career with TPWD.
