COLUMBUS, OH -- State watercraft officer Dean Palmer has been promoted to area supervisor for state boating programs in southern Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Palmer will work out of the ODNR Division of Watercraft's Portsmouth district office in Scioto County.
In his position as area supervisor, Palmer is responsible for coordinating law enforcement, boating education programs and public relations efforts for the Division of Watercraft in southern Ohio. He will supervise field operations on the Ohio River and various inland waterways.
Palmer is a former patrolman with the Coal Grove Police Department and veteran of the U.S. Navy. He joined ODNR in 1990 and resides in Ironton. He replaces Brenda Sams who recently was promoted to regional manager for central Ohio operations.
The ODNR Division of Watercraft administers Ohio's boating programs. The division oversees boat registration and titling operations, provides funding to local communities for education, enforcement and boating access facilities, educates the public, and enforces boating laws on Ohio's waterways.
For more information about Ohio's boating programs, visit the ODNR web page at ohiodnr.com -