COLUMBUS, OH -- Eric Reed, of Westerville, has been promoted to an assistant law enforcement administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft. He is currently a state watercraft officer.
In his new position, Reed will help coordinate statewide boating law enforcement and water rescue programs; the marine patrol grant and equipment loan programs; water release program; and ODNR's participation in the national vessel safety check program.
Reed, 26, is a graduate of Westerville North High School and The Ohio State University. He first joined ODNR in 1998 as an Ohio State Parks naturalist. He joined the Division of Watercraft as a seasonal watercraft officer in 2000 and later became a fulltime officer, serving in Cleveland and Delaware.
The ODNR Division of Watercraft administers Ohios boating programs, including watercraft registration and titling operations, and provides grants to local communities for enforcement, education and boating access facilities. State watercraft officers investigate boating accidents and related fatalities, and enforce state boating laws. These and other Division of Watercraft programs are funded through a portion of the state gasoline sales tax in addition to boat registration and titling fees.