HELENA — Earlier this year, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks' enforcement division underwent a shakeup after internal reviews raised serious concerns about leadership and morale. Now, the agency has welcomed new leadership to help reset the culture within the division.
(Watch the video below to learn more about the division's new leadership)
A 2023 audit showed that wardens feared retaliation and did not trust leadership, ultimately leading to reassignment and replacement of some staff.
The agency has hired Pete Glowacki as the new chief of enforcement for Montana FWP.
“I have always been interested as an adult in the outdoors, hunting and fishing, so this has just been a natural fit for me,” Glowacki said.
In his role, Glowacki will oversee operations and training for game wardens and manage wildlife protection policies.
He is not new to the field. Glowacki has spent nearly two decades in law enforcement, including almost half that time with FWP. During his career, he’s worked as a warden, sergeant, and lieutenant, with experience in investigations, hiring, training, and administration.
Glowacki says one of his biggest assets to build on is the experience and professionalism of the nearly 130 warden staff across Montana.
“It makes things easier when I know I have a lot of competent resources to help with operational decision-making, personnel development, and to tend to some of the difficulties we could face in the future,” Glowacki said.
He plans to emphasize communication, collaboration, a continued focus on the department’s mission of public service, and filling the staffing gaps.
“While I see it being a challenge in the next year or so working a bit understaffed, I also see a lot of opportunity for progress to invest in our recruiting efforts, and training and hiring,” Glowacki said.
Glowacki has worked in every region of the state to some degree, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges facing wardens in different communities.
He added, “We are spread out through a wide state, a lot of different communities, a large workforce, and so being proactive and communicating at every opportunity just helps to overcome some of the difficulties and reach our goals and be successful.”
He says FWP enforcement is about more than writing citations. Wardens also educate the public, build community relationships, and work closely with the agency’s fisheries, wildlife, and parks divisions.
“Just working to communicate, consider where the real work gets done, and prioritize that in the field,” Glowacki said.
Glowacki takes over as chief of enforcement immediately, marking another step in the agency's effort to move forward.
