Dale L. Avant serves as the chief of the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division oversees the Texas Fusion Center (the State’s primary fusion center), is responsible for the intelligence mission and the law enforcement communications functions of Texas DPS, and has oversight responsibility for establishing and maintaining the State’s targeted and strategic intelligence capabilities. Chief Avant is charged with providing DPS senior leadership, DPS Components, and federal, state, local, and private sector partners with the homeland security intelligence and information they need to keep the state safe, secure and resilient. Chief Avant is also the designated state official to the Texas Fusion Center Policy Council; is an executive board member and regional co-chair for the Southwest Region of the National Fusion Center Association (NFCA); and is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee for the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA).

Avant began his career with DPS in 1993 as a patrol officer in Austin within the department’s Capitol Region. He promoted to sergeant in 1999 and lieutenant in 2001 where he also served as the department’s first Explosive Detection Canine Coordinator.  In March of 2003, Avant promoted to captain in the Administration Division at Austin Headquarters and in September of 2003, he transferred back to the Texas Highway Patrol Division as a district commander.  Shortly after a department reorganization in 2009, Avant promoted to major in the newly created Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division. In February 2011, Avant was appointed as assistant chief of the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division and served in that capacity until his appointment as division chief in July 2019.