BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Governor John Bel Edwards on Wednesday announced the retirement of a long-time member of his cabinet.
According to the May 4 news release from the Governor’s Office, Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning will officially retire on May 15 of this year.
Browning was a fire marshal for a total of 14 years, which made him the longest serving state fire marshal in Louisiana’s history.
Edwards praised his efforts, stating, “Butch has been a valued member of my cabinet, helping lead our state through some of the strongest hurricanes and severe weather on record. His expertise and knowledge were crucial to helping work with the business community as we navigated ways in which to keep communities safe during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.”
The governor went on to welcome Daniel H. Wallis as Browning’s successor.
As an experienced member of the fire service, Wallis has spent nearly 30 years with the Zachary Fire Department where he was recognized as Firefighter of the Year during his first year on the job.
He eventually become fire chief in 2000 and served as deputy state fire marshal.
In his news release, Governor Edwards stated, “I hope that the dedicated men and women of this agency continue to be held to the utmost appreciation and gratitude for the great work that they do every single day and I am confident Dan Wallis will exceed the successes that we have brought about to this agency together.”
