New director

[Alex4200]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jun1618a/

[wapiti hunter2]

This sucks. This guy interviewed me for a job at Ecology 10 years ago. He told me to my face that I had no chance for the job because I didn't have a PE license. The job was for an environmental geologist with no PE requirement and I was over qualified for the position. He also told me that people without a PE really were not scientists since engineers have a better grasp of it because of their math education. I almost puked. The other two in the interview tried to crawl under the table since they both wanted to hire me.

I'm not holding out hope here. It is all about good old boy politics.

[JimmyHoffa]

Well, he works for you now.  A few fishermen were able to boot the last one....

[huntnphool]

 Degree from WSU, no chance the current cougar plan gets revised now

[Katmai Guy]

Is he any good for Washington sportsmen?

[Wacenturion]

Quote from Commission chairman.......

"All of the commissioners look forward to a fresh start for WDFW under Kelly's leadership, particularly in the approach our agency takes to improving our working relationships with the Legislature, native American tribes, and the people of Washington to manage the state's wonderful fish and wildlife resources," said Commission Chairman Brad Smith.

Do you see the word "sportsman" anywhere in that statement?  It seems to me to be self explanatory if one considers his background and experience.  Pretty much an environmentalist I would guess.  So to answer your question.....probably not.

[j_h_nimrod]

This sounds ominous to me...  What people do early in their career is frequently where their heart lies...

 “He also worked several years during the 1980s as a private-sector environmental consultant.“

[j_h_nimrod]

 

[Tbar]

Common theme.

[KFhunter]

merged

[trophyhunt]

How much more can they work with tribes? Really?

[Special T]

Of the top 3 I think this is the best choice. That's not to say I think it is the best choice of the whole pool.
Store and quan were the other 2 choices in the top 3. In the discussions I've heard Store is part of current issues and Quan wasn't a good option for sportsmen.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Special T]

Quote from Commission chairman.......

"All of the commissioners look forward to a fresh start for WDFW under Kelly's leadership, particularly in the approach our agency takes to improving our working relationships with the Legislature, native American tribes, and the people of Washington to manage the state's wonderful fish and wildlife resources," said Commission Chairman Brad Smith.

Do you see the word "sportsman" anywhere in that statement?  It seems to me to be self explanatory if one considers his background and experience.  Pretty much an environmentalist I would guess.  So to answer your question.....probably not.

The chairman is a friend to sportsmen. I cannot say that for all the commisioners.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Special T]

This sucks. This guy interviewed me for a job at Ecology 10 years ago. He told me to my face that I had no chance for the job because I didn't have a PE license. The job was for an environmental geologist with no PE requirement and I was over qualified for the position. He also told me that people without a PE really were not scientists since engineers have a better grasp of it because of their math education. I almost puked. The other two in the interview tried to crawl under the table since they both wanted to hire me.

I'm not holding out hope here. It is all about good old boy politics.

commissioners. Makes me cry because I know of at least one person on the broad list whom would have been a great asset.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Magnum_Willys]

Career Environmentalist.  That doesn't sound good. 

[dreamunelk]

As heavy handed as Ecology is with landowners I am a little concerned.

[Stein]

Career Environmentalist.  That doesn't sound good.

That's what I noticed, zero experience in biology, fish or game.  Plus, not even a real engineer to boot wapiti hunter.   

[wapiti hunter2]

So he is a geological engineer, with a career in the Dept. of Ecology. Perfect for the head of WDFW. I get the logic from way out here in Yelm.

Seriously, I am really trying to see how he was the best candidate. If I had a pool where he was the best, I would rewrite the job description and hunt again. Has anyone seen the job posting/description? Shouldn't there have been at least something about experience managing wildlife?

[nwwanderer]

   In a meeting with him a couple years back where some new research was introduced.  At the end he was asked to comment, said he did not learn a thing

[bearpaw]

After Unsworth was in a while I was almost wishing we had Anderson back, I'm afraid by this time next year we'll all be wishing we had Unsworth back, I fear even darker times ahead for hunting in Washington! This is a downward spiral! 

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see any indicators this will be good for the hunters of Washington!

[wolfbait]

So he is a geological engineer, with a career in the Dept. of Ecology. Perfect for the head of WDFW. I get the logic from way out here in Yelm.

Seriously, I am really trying to see how he was the best candidate. If I had a pool where he was the best, I would rewrite the job description and hunt again. Has anyone seen the job posting/description? Shouldn't there have been at least something about experience managing wildlife?

Unsworth supposedly had a background in wildlife management, he worked for IDFG for several years, look where that got us.

WDF&Wolves are in a race to the bottom, needs to be a lawsuit to change the direction, expose the corruption.

[Bob33]

"The public has high expectations for WDFW, and I'm excited about being in a position to deliver the results they deserve."

I suspect a vast majority of the public doesn't even know what WDFW is. For those who do I doubt their expectations are high.

If he manages well and listens to the right people, he can succeed. Given that only 4% of our population hunts, our voice is small.

[Tbar]

So he is a geological engineer, with a career in the Dept. of Ecology. Perfect for the head of WDFW. I get the logic from way out here in Yelm.

Seriously, I am really trying to see how he was the best candidate. If I had a pool where he was the best, I would rewrite the job description and hunt again. Has anyone seen the job posting/description? Shouldn't there have been at least something about experience managing wildlife?

Unsworth supposedly had a background in wildlife management, he worked for IDFG for several years, look where that got us.

WDF&Wolves are in a race to the bottom, needs to be a lawsuit to change the direction, expose the corruption.

Good luck trying to get hunters in this state to mobilize.  More likely to cannibalize and further the agenda.

[WSU]

Degree from WSU, no chance the current cougar plan gets revised now

I have a degree and would change the plan in a heart beat. Hopefully he improves things.

[huntnphool]

Degree from WSU, no chance the current cougar plan gets revised now

I have a degree and would change the plan in a heart beat. Hopefully he improves things.

 The point being he is a like minded coworker and friend of Wielgus.

[CAMPMEAT]

$165,000 a year for what, screwing the hunters/fisherman ? That is a total ripoff..........

[bigtex]

The WDFW Director (and most agency directors) are people managers, not resource managers. Especially at WDFW where the Commission really controls the agency and most of the things we complain about. The Director isn't deciding limits, seasons, etc.

Agency directors are politicians there's no doubt about it. The WDFW Director needs to be good at working with the legislature (which Unsworth sucked at, former WDFW LE Chief Bjork was fantastic at it), budgeting, and managing his people (again what Unsworth sucked at.) If he is good at those three things it'll be a great improvement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Bushcraft]

Listen folks…Hunters and anglers should breathe a great sigh of relief that Kelly Susewind was chosen out of the remaining three of the final cut to lead WDFW. Out of 19, there were several applicants hand-picked by left-wing enviro whackos that would have been absolute disasters for the future of hunting and fishing in this State.

I can assure you that Dirctor Susewind is a serious hunter and angler and will take our input seriously.  He has taken on a tremendously challenging job and will need our help and input.  Let’s give the guy a chance!  While you’re at it, tell the Commissioners that we appreciate them not making a horrible decision by hiring some of the others on the slate of applicants. We literally dodged a bullet.

As SCI's Regional Representative for this state, as well as an International Director, I can assure you that the backgrounds of nearly all the applicants for WDFW's Director position were researched extensively. We make it our business to know these sorts of things for the benefit of all hunters and anglers and our influential allies.  Read into that what you will. 

With that said, please consider joining SCI (and 1 of the 6 chapters near you!), so that we can continue to grow our already significant influence for hunting and hunters in Washington and beyond.

www.sci-washington.com 

Best regards,

Allen

[WSU]

The response seems positive from the fishing and hunting groups and folks that know him.  I'm hopeful he'll do a good job.  Hopefully he figures out who to listen to and who to ask tough questions of (and then send packing). 

[bobcat]

Allen- that's great news! It was a question I hadn't seen answered yet, if the new director was a hunter and/or fisherman. Thanks for posting that.

I wonder why the WDFW didn't mention that in the news release?

[ctwiggs1]

Thanks for your input on this Allen!

[Oh Mah]

yeah this shows a lot. 

[Bob33]

Come on, Allen. We all know he’s nothing but a good old boy environmentalist with zero experience in biology, fish or game. And a friend of Weilgus to boot.

It’s true – just check out the posts on Hunt WA.

[Bushcraft]

Allen- that's great news! It was a question I hadn't seen answered yet, if the new director was a hunter and/or fisherman. Thanks for posting that.

I wonder why the WDFW didn't mention that in the news release?

It's anyone's guess as to why they didn't mention that he is an avid sportsman.  Perhaps they didn't want to get Inslee's panties in too much of a bunch.

[bearpaw]

Allen- that's great news! It was a question I hadn't seen answered yet, if the new director was a hunter and/or fisherman. Thanks for posting that.

I wonder why the WDFW didn't mention that in the news release?

It's anyone's guess as to why they didn't mention that he is an avid sportsman.  Perhaps they didn't want to get Inslee's panties in too much of a bunch.

Huge relief, thanks for the info, I had thought we got the bullet! Glad to read your info! 

BTW:  I'm a life member of national and a life member of Spokane! 

[DOUBLELUNG]

My guess would be that he has a history of firing problem employees (or other track record of solving personnel problems), given WDFW's recent personnel issues failings. 

I think we got lucky getting a sportsman, that doesn't mean he's good, but if he didn't have those qualifications odds are less that he'd be good. 

Hopefully he's good at interacting with Washington legislators, I do think that is good experience a Washington state bureaucrat is most likely to have. 

Hopefully, he will put together a robust contingency plan of how to do the best job possible with the financial resources available, and not just the unending squawk of not enough funding and handwringing that has defined WDFW since Koenings took the helm.  That will require prioritizing mission over positions if that is what it takes to have the funding to accomplish the mission.  I'd much rather have a staff of 1,500 with the resources to do the job in the field, than a staff of 1,900 sitting at PCs and sending emails because they don't have gas money to get out in  the field.  I've seen both realities.

[Bushcraft]

We can take care of the legislators. He needs to take care of personnel management.  Some more than others. 

[James]

"The public has high expectations for WDFW, and I'm excited about being in a position to deliver the results they deserve."

I suspect a vast majority of the public doesn't even know what WDFW is. For those who do I doubt their expectations are high.

If he manages well and listens to the right people, he can succeed. Given that only 4% of our population hunts, our voice is small.

Agreed we are a small part of the population in that regard, but  Sportsmen/women fund a huge percentage of WDFW's budget either directly or indirectly. I think that's where much of the contempt between sportsmen and WDFW come from, we pay our way, but others that don't pay their dues get more sway than they should.


I hope this guy comes in and kicks arse and takes names; makes WDFW the competent, respected, steward of fish, game, wildlife and sportsmen that we deserve. But my fear is it's going to take a lot more than a director change to get there.
 

[pianoman9701]

My benchmark for his effectiveness will be how he approaches predator management and what his goals are for more effective monitoring and response to problem animals, overpopulation control, and moving toward delisting the Canadian grey wolves everywhere they can be delisted. In my opinion, proper predator management now is a key component to having healthy ungulate herds (and predator populations) going forward.

[idahohuntr]

I'm moderately optimistic with this guy. They need a leader to hit the reset button on a department that has lost its way so its good to see it wasn't an insider. I like that this guy is a hunter/angler...but there is such a crisis of leadership at WDFW I would take a strong leader over a friendly hunter who is ineffective.  He needs to restore the focus on serving sportsmen and doing their core missions well...get rid of the butterfly biologists and the wolf facilitators and all the other distractions.  Every piece of paper or briefing he gets he should mandate the first sentence must describe how this information/action/whatever he's being briefed on benefits hunters and anglers of Wa state.  If he doesn't get a satisfactory answer...get the hell out.  This is how a leader can change the culture of an inept department with no focus or vision on the things that matter.

[bearpaw]

  that would be nice

I'm much more optimistic about this choice knowing that he is a sportsman. No doubt the guy has a very tough job to do, the agency is a mess in so many ways, nobody is happy with WDFW, but the right person with some leadership, management, budgeting, and negotiating skills could be very successful because there is so much room for improvement. I really wish him good luck and hope he can fix some of this mess!

[CAMPMEAT]

Move outta state...........

[bearpaw]

Move outta state...........

That's probably the smartest and easiest answer. 

[baldopepper]

I'm surprised they could find anyone crazy enough to take that job.  No win job, so many different, adamant opinions about how wdfw should be run and what priorities it has that at best you might be able to satisfy about  1/3 of the people with strong opinions. Just look at our own forum here that is made up of people with at least some thoughts in common-introduce a post with even a little controversy and you get a ton of very strong opinions and some very vile responses.  Good luck to him, hope he's thick skinned and wearing a hat with a bunch of miracles he can pull out of it. .

[bearpaw]

I'm surprised they could find anyone crazy enough to take that job.  No win job, so many different, adamant opinions about how wdfw should be run and what priorities it has that at best you might be able to satisfy about  1/3 of the people with strong opinions. Just look at our own forum here that is made up of people with at least some thoughts in common-introduce a post with even a little controversy and you get a ton of very strong opinions and some very vile responses.  Good luck to him, hope he's thick skinned and wearing a hat with a bunch of miracles he can pull out of it. .

  Totally agree, but there is so much room for improvement that a talented and smart leader could really build quite a lot of respect from all sides.

[KFhunter]

Thanks for the info Allen 

I'm now cautiously optimistic and hoping for the best.