BATON ROUGE — Governor Jeff Landry has appointed a new commissioner of the Office of Motor Vehicles following a resignation and ongoing issues within the department.
State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams has been named the new commissioner, replacing Dan Casey, who resigned last week. Adams will be succeeded as State Fire Marshal by his deputy chief, “Ed” Branch, Landry announced.
When Casey resigned, Landry did not specify whether ongoing technical issues at the OMV contributed to his departure.
In announcing Adams’ appointment on Monday, Landry stated that Adams is well-qualified to modernize the outdated OMV system.
“He is committed to modernizing the outdated OMV system to better serve the people and ensure it operates efficiently moving forward. I am excited to see Bryan Adams step into the role of Commissioner, and I am confident he will work tirelessly to ensure the OMV serves the people as it should,” said Governor Landry.
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For months, OMV offices across the state have faced significant delays. Landry has attributed these issues to the department’s 50-year-old software system.
A week before Casey’s resignation, Landry declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing problems.
The state is in the process of replacing the outdated system, a transition that could take several years. However, Landry’s emergency declaration will allow the state to bypass certain procedures to expedite the process.
In addition to the outdated system, OMV records were also impacted by a global cyberattack in 2023.
Landry’s announcement also indicated that Adams “intends to return to the State Fire Marshal’s office following his service at OMV.” It remains unclear how long Adams will serve as commissioner.
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