BATON ROUGE – State Fire Marshal H. "Butch" Browning will retire May 15th. He was first appointed to the role in 2008.

He will now become the executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals.

""This is a bittersweet day for me as I am so proud to look back on what this agency has become over the past 14 years, but also that I will not be as integral of a part of its bright future, though I will remain its strongest cheerleader from the sidelines," Browning said in a statement.

Gov. John Bel Edwards called Browning a "valued member" of his cabinet.

"Not only has Butch provided tremendous service for our state during times of crisis, but he has extended a helping hand to other states when they have faced emergencies," Edwards said in a statement. "His impressive work is known across the country, and I am certain that he will continue to be a great leader."

Dan Wallis, Browning’s deputy assistant secretary, will become the state’s next fire marshal.

Wallis was with the Zachary Fire Department for 30 years, where he was named chief in 2000, before he joined the fire marshal’s office in 2008.

"I will work diligently with the men and women of the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Louisiana fire service and all other public and private partners of this agency, especially our esteemed law enforcement agencies, to provide progressive, efficient and accessible service to the people of this great state," Wallis said in a statement.