MADISON, Wis. — Governor Tony Evers appointed Adam Payne on Tuesday to serve as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Payne will take over on Jan. 3. He currently serves as county administrator for Sheboygan County. He previously worked as executive director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association and spent five years with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
“I have always had a passion for protecting and enhancing our natural resources and am an avid outdoorsman,” Payne said. “I look forward to working with a strong and diverse team of DNR staff, the Board and its many partners and stakeholders.”
Payne replaces former DNR head Preston Cole, who retired last month. Cole served as secretary of the department since Evers took office in 2019.
Payne will still face confirmation in the state Senate, which isn’t always a guarantee. Currently, six of Evers’ 13 cabinet secretaries have not been confirmed by the Senate, which allows the upper chamber to fire them at-will as they did with Evers’ first secretary for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Brad Pfaff.
Evers has a handful of cabinet secretaries that he will need to replace in his second term.
“We think we can fill those positions with good people, and good people will be approved by the Legislature,” the governor said.
COPYRIGHT 2022 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
