CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announces that Deputy Director Eric Wiltanger has stepped in as the Interim Director for the agency effective Aug. 10, following former Director Angi Bruce’s resignation on August 6.
After retiring from 20 years of active duty Air Force service in 2010, Wiltanger began his career with the State of Wyoming. He started work with the Department of Corrections, Division of Criminal Investigations, in 2010, and in 2020, with Game and Fish as the Services Division Chief. In 2024, he was appointed to his most recent position as Deputy Director of Internal Affairs.
Wiltanger said that internal stability, fiscal responsibility, and working with the public are all key priorities as he moves into the Interim Director role.
“My focus will be to ensure the staff here have the support they need to continue fulfilling our commitment to Wyoming’s wildlife and the public,” Wiltanger said. “It is also my priority to continue working with our state’s sportsperson community. Their continued involvement and support helps ensure that Game and Fish is able to develop policies and strategies that support wildlife as well as the needs of our hunters and anglers.”
Chief Game Warden Dan Smith will step into the role of Interim Deputy Director. Smith has served with the Game and Fish Department since 2002, working as a regional Access Yes Coordinator and Game Warden in the Cody Region, where he was selected as the Regional Wildlife Supervisor in 2017. Smith took the role of Wildlife Division Chief/Chief Game Warden in 2024.
Craig Smith, the Deputy Chief for the Wildlife Division, will be filling Smith’s role as the Interim Wildlife Division Chief/Chief Game Warden. Smith has served with the Department for 28 years. Starting his career as a wildlife technician in 1998, Smith has worked throughout the state serving as a Game Warden and wildlife supervisor. In 2022, He assumed the role of Deputy Chief for the Wildlife Division.
Bruce stepped down as Game and Fish Director on Aug. 6, and assumed her new role as the Director of Special Policy Initiatives for Governor Mark Gordon immediately after.
“We want to thank Angi for her hard work and dedication with Game and Fish, and wish her all the best in her new role,” Wiltanger said.
—WGFD—
