New Dade County conservation agent on familiar turf

Sarcoxie native Jeremy Edwards grew up fishing, camping at Stockton Lake.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – When Jeremy Edwards begins his duties as Dade County Conservation agent on Sept. 1, he will be patrolling an area he knows well. A native of Sarcoxie in nearby Jasper County, he grew up fishing and camping at Stockton Lake and is looking forward to helping protect the resources of that area that he has enjoyed since he was a youth.

“I love the outdoors and I want to protect the fish, forest and wildlife natural resources we have in this state,” he said. “If we work together to properly manage and protect these resources, future generations will be able to enjoy them like we do.

Prior to his Dade County assignment, Edwards was one of two conservation agents in Shannon County. In addition to his enforcement duties, Edwards has been involved with trapping and eradicating feral hogs, elk restoration and black bear trapping and tagging. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Edwards said he is looking forward to getting to know and working with the people of Dade County. He can be reached at Jeremy.Edwards@mdc.mo.gov or (417) 955-2389.

Want to be a Conservation Agent with MDC?

MDC is accepting applications until Aug. 29 for its next class of conservation agents.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is accepting online applications through Aug. 29 for its next class of conservation agent trainees. Selected candidates will undergo 26 weeks of intense training in all facets of law enforcement and resource management.

Those who make the grade will receive county assignments and become the face of conservation in their assigned communities – enforcing the Wildlife Code of Missouri and helping the public with issues such as nuisance wildlife and land management.

To qualify, applicants must have a bachelor's degree in a field related to the natural sciences or criminal justice.

To apply -- and for more information including salary range, duties and responsibilities, degree requirements, qualifications, and special-ability requirements -- visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/about-us/careers.

For more information, contact MDC Protection Programs Specialist Travis McLain at 573-522-4115, ext. 3261 or Travis.McLain@mdc.mo.gov, or MDC Protection Programs Supervisor Cheryl Fey at 573-751-4115, ext. 3819, or Cheryl.Fey@mdc.mo.gov.

MDC conservation agent brings experience to new job

Long-time Johnson County agent Zielke transfers to Greene County Aug. 1.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agent Kevin Zielke is bringing veteran experience to a new job assignment.

On Aug. 1, Zielke begins his new job as conservation agent for Greene County. He will work alongside fellow Greene County Conservation Agent Shannon Ohrenberg. Zielke replaces Mark Creed, who was promoted to Protection Division District Supervisor in MDC’s Southwest Region.

He may be new to Greene County, but Zielke isn’t new to the job of enforcing Missouri’s fish and wildlife regulations. He has been a conservation agent in Johnson County since 1997. Prior to that, the 1994 Texas Tech University graduate worked in south Texas managing wildlife operations on large ranches.

Greene County

During his time in Missouri, Zielke’s commitment to conservation has gone beyond catching game law violators. He is a long-time member of the Boone and Crockett Club and of the Stealth Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is also state chairman of the Missouri Mule Deer Foundation.

“I look forward to meeting the people of Greene County and working with them,” Zielke said. “I’m excited to be in a new area and protecting the great natural resources of our state.”

Beginning Aug. 1, Zielke can be reached at (417) 830-8266 or Kevin.Zielke@mdc.mo.gov . Ohrenberg, Greene County’s other conservation agent, can be contacted at (417) 766-7380or at Shannon.Ohrenberg@mdc.mo.gov . Individuals are reminded game law violations can also be reported to the Operation Game Thief Hotline, 1-800-392-1111.

Madison County welcomes new Conservation Agent Kyle Dunda

Conservation Agent Kyle Dunda.

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has appointed Kyle Dunda as the new conservation agent for Madison County. Dunda is among eight new agents in the Department’s 2015 agent graduation class. 

“My job is to protect and conserve the forests, fish and wildlife for Missouri and most importantly the local community,” Dunda said.

Dunda said he looks forward to helping local community members manage their property for wildlife, providing educational opportunities for youth, enforcing wildlife laws, and teaching hunter education.

“I am here to help people in the community through many outreach programs and to answer questions regarding wildlife,” he said.

Dunda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Conservation and Game Management from Missouri State University and started working with MDC as an agent trainee in April 2015. He is originally from Eureka, a suburb of St. Louis. His outdoor interests include hunting, fishing, trapping, driving his boat, weight lifting, and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

“I love the outdoors because it is a great place to relieve stress and get away for a bit,” he said. “I developed a passion for conservation while traveling in my teen years, and seeing all the wildlife along the journeys. I feel it is necessary to conserve nature for generations to come.”

Dunda can be contacted by email at kyle.dunda@mdc.mo.gov or by phone at (573) 934-0824.

MDC fills conservation agent position in Reynolds County

REYNOLDS COUNTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has appointed Kaleb Neece as a new conservation agent for Reynolds County. A recent graduate of the Department’s Conservation Agent Training class of 2015, Neece will work alongside Eric Long.  Neece attended Southeast Missouri State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation and Criminal Justice with the emphasis in Law Enforcement. He started working for MDC in 2011 as an hourly employee for the natural history biologist in Cape Girardeau.

In 2013, he moved to work on a feral hog eradication project for nine months in Wayne County. He then took a full-time position in MDC’s Forestry Division as a resource assistant in New Madrid until he joined The Department’s Agent Academy in April 2015.

“I enjoy southeast Missouri and the Ozarks and it’s great to know I get to stay in the area,” Neece said. “The Missouri Ozarks are beautiful and it’s a great place to be.”

Neece said he’s always been fascinated by the outdoors, even as a child.

“I love hunting and fishing,” he said. “In the summertime, my family would go camping at Sam A. Baker State Park. We would hike and ride our bikes. The outdoors was an endless possibility for me.”

As an adult, Neece has developed an interest in primitive archery.

“I enjoy taking a standing tree and crafting it into a bow that I can hunt with,” he said. “Things like that give me a connection to the land and make the outdoors come alive. Now I look forward to being in Reynolds County and helping others to enjoy the outdoors as well.”

To reach Reynolds County Conservation Agent Kaleb Neece, email him atKaleb.Neece@mdc.mo.gov or call him at 573-561-6313.

Samantha Rhoades named new conservation agent for Osage County

OSAGE COUNTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has appointed Samantha Rhoades as a new conservation agent in Osage County. Rhoades is among eight new agents of the Department's agent graduate class of 2015.

Rhoades received her bachelor's degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture with a concentration in Conservation Law Enforcement from Mississippi State University in December 2014. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she lived in Nesbit, Mississippi, since she was three years old. She moved to Missouri to become a conservation agent trainee in April 2015.

"I enjoy deer hunting and squirrel hunting," Rhoades says. "I like to go hiking with my dogs and play sports with friends. I love the outdoors because there is always something new to see when you step outside. There is so much to see and the only way to see it is to get out and see it."

Rhoades added that being outdoors is like being in a comfort zone.

"Everything about nature is fascinating to me and I love to learn about plants and animals and how they fit into our natural world," she says. "I feel conservation is very important because there are many beautiful places that future generations will not be able to see if we do not take care of it. Growing up and being outdoors most of the time was a big part of my upbringing and I want to ensure that my children and other people's children have the same opportunities I had to go explore and learn new things."

Rhoades said that she is here to be a member of the community people can trust. "I want to be an aid to people who use our outdoor resources and to those that want to," she said. "I want to help get people more interested in the outdoors."

Contact Osage County Conservation Agent Samantha Rhoades atSamantha.Rhoades@mdc.mo.gov or by calling 573-690-3989.

Related articles

• MDC to hold hunter education class in Hermitage (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Conservation agents new to counties, not to jobs

Keith Wollard 

Wollard, Green begin duties in Polk, Cedar counties Oct. 1.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agents Keith Wollard and Tyler Green are bringing veteran experience to new job assignments.

On Oct. 1, Wollard will begin his new job as conservation agent for Polk County. He will work alongside fellow Polk County Conservation Agent Susan Swem. Wollard replaces longtime Polk County agent Brian Boyd, who retired earlier this year.

Also on Oct. 1, Green will begin his new duties as conservation agent in Cedar County. He will share duties with fellow Cedar County Conservation Agent Derek Farwell. Green replaces Joshua Shadwick, who resigned earlier this year to pursue further academic studies at the University of Arkansas.

They may be new to their counties, but neither Wollard nor Green are new to the job of enforcing Missouri’s fish and wildlife regulations. Wollard has been Wright County’s conservation agent for 30 years. In those three decades, Wollard’s commitment to conservation has gone far beyond catching game law violators. He has worked with private citizens and other agencies on conservation programs to improve habitat for turkey, quail and other game species in Wright County. He is also a founding member of the Mountain Grove National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) chapter. Earlier this year, Wollard was named the NWTF’s Wildlife Officer of the Year at the organization’s national convention in Nashville, TN.

Tyler Green

Prior to coming to Cedar County, Green was a conservation agent for three years and a volunteer in MDC’s Protection Division for eight additional years. His most recent assignment was conservation agent in Knox County. Green said his new assignment is bringing him back to the part of the state he’s most familiar with.

“I feel as if I’m coming home when I come to southwest Missouri,” said the Webb City native. “This is where I grew up and learned to love Missouri’s abundant natural resources. I’m excited to work with the citizens and I look forward to serving alongside our excellent MDC staff.” Green is a 2004 graduate of Webb City High School and a 2008 graduate of Missouri Southern State University.

Both agents will work out of their homes. Beginning Oct. 1, Wollard can be reached at (417) 777-1035 and Green can be reached at (417) 327-5378. Individuals are reminded that game law violations can also be reported to the Operation Game Thief Hotline, 1-800-392-1111.