Terry was born to Lee Francis and Mary Ellen Cleveland on November 16, 1946, in Carbon County, Wyoming. At an early age he developed a keen interest in the outdoors, and spent much of his youth hunting and fishing in southern Carbon County. After graduation from Rawlins High School, he attended Colorado State University where he graduated in 1969 with a B.S. with honors in Wildlife Biology. That same year he commenced employment with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as a Special Deputy Game Warden in Elk Mountain. Following a six month stint on active duty with the Wyoming National Guard, he returned to work for the Game and Fish Department in April 1970 as the Game Warden in Jeffrey City. He subsequently served as a game warden in Greybull and Saratoga before becoming the Regional Wildlife Supervisor in Casper and in 1996, was promoted to the Assistant Chief of the Wildlife Division in Casper. In 2003, he was named Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department retiring in 2008 following a 39 year career. As Director, he was active in addressing brucellosis is in elk and wild bison, enhancing landowner relationships with the Department, and working with the Wyoming Legislature to address legislative and monetary needs of the  agency. Gray wolves and grizzly bears were delisted during his tenure though wolves were subsequently re-listed following his retirement.

Terry is a charter member of the Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society and a charter member and past president of the Wyoming Game Wardens' Association. He is a certified wildlife biologist with the Wildlife Society. During his career, he received the Director's Award and the Peer Recognition Award from the Department and was named the Wildlife Officer of the Year from Wyoming by Shikar Safari International in 1984. He has received the Phillip W. Schneider Lifetime Achievement Award, the  highest recognition bestowed on an individual by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Terry was very active in the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, as well as the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, chairing and serving on various regional and national committees.

Following his retirement from the Department, Terry served as the interim executive director of the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming as the Foundation sought a new permanent President and Chief Executive Officer. He remains on the Board of the Foundation and Chairs of the Advisory Committee for the Building the Wyoming We Want initiative.