Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation resigns after special meeting
The director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation abruptly resigned this week after a special state wildlife commission meeting was held to discuss his job performance.
J.D. Strong, former executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, had been the director of the Wildlife Department for the past seven years.
At Monday’s regular monthly meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission, the governing body for the Wildlife Department, commissioners went into executive session to discuss the possible “employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of the Director” according to an item on the agenda.
No action was taken on Monday following the executive session but a special meeting was held Wednesday with the same agenda item. After a three-hour executive session on Wednesday, commissioners returned and voted unanimously to accept Strong's resignation. No details were publicly discussed.
The commissioners then voted to enter another executive session and returned to name Wade Free, the current assistant director at the Wildlife Department, the interim director.
Later in the day, both Strong and Leigh Gaddis, chairwoman of the wildlife commission, issued a joint statement.
After much prayer, and after more than 31 years of state service, I have decided to step down as Director of the ODWC, effective immediately,” Strong said in the statement.
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“The decision is bittersweet. I have loved every minute of working alongside the wonderful people that comprise the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, watching them passionately and skillfully nurture a better environment for our fish and wildlife, and for the Oklahomans who get to enjoy them.”
Strong went on to say that he was proud of the work accomplished in the past seven years and “as with previous exits, I’ve always tried to leave with no regrets, as well as leave the woodpile higher than I found it. My hope and belief are that is the case here."
Gaddis issued a statement that the commission has appreciated Strong’s service for the past seven years.
Another special wildlife commission meeting about the interim director’s position has been scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Monday at the Wildlife Department's headquarters in Oklahoma City. Free has been assistant director at the Wildlife Department since 2010.
Strong could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Micah Holmes, spokesman for the Wildlife Department, said Thursday neither the agency nor the commission would have additional comment.
What to know about the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission
The eight-member Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, serves in an unpaid capacity as the department's advisory, administrative and policymaking body.
The commission governs all agency operations and financial transactions. It oversees land and equipment purchases, wildlife management areas, and fish hatcheries, plus the state's hunting and fishing regulations. The commission also appoints the director of the Wildlife Department.
Strong was selected by the commission as director in September 2016 after serving six years as the executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
He was former Gov. Brad Henry’s secretary of the environment from 2008 to 2010.
In an interview with The Oklahoman in 2017, six months into his new role as director of the Wildlife Department, Strong was asked what had surprised him the most about his new job. “I thought maybe things might not be quite as political at the Department of Wildlife as they had gotten when we were dealing with water issues, but I have since learned things are mighty political when it comes to wildlife issues just like water issues.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation director resigns
