AUSTIN The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has appointed agency veteran Ronald Swenson to the post of executive chief of enforcement, where he will oversee the agency’s 200-plus commissioned peace officers working across the state in support of public safety.
Swenson, who previously served as head of the agency’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), succeeds former Executive Chief Victor Kuykendoll following his retirement in August.
“Chief Swenson has been a huge part of TABC’s success in law enforcement over the past 18 years, and I know he’ll be a great fit to lead law enforcement efforts,” Thomas Graham, TABC executive director, said in a news release. “He is a proven leader, an outstanding peace officer, and a true Texan. I have the utmost confidence in Ron and in the entire TABC law enforcement staff. This is an exciting time for our agency.”
Swenson got his start at TABC in 2005, starting as an enforcement agent at the agency’s Odessa El Paso office. He was later promoted to oversee the SIU and the unit’s investigations into human trafficking, narcotics trafficking and other organized criminal activity. Following that, he was appointed as deputy chief of law enforcement for the agency’s Investigations Bureau, which includes SIU as well as the agency’s criminal intelligence, financial crimes, victim services, and Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies (TRACE) units. Before joining TABC, Swenson served with the Horizon City Police Department for 11 years.
Swenson is a graduate of the FBI National Academy – 212th session, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Covert Operations School and the Governor’s Executive Development Program. He holds a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Master Peace Officer Certificate as well as a TCOLE instructor certification. He also serves on a number of task force boards, including the Austin-area FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Texas Violent Gang Task Force and Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council.
