Larry Voyles named new director of Arizona Game and Fish Department

[cmc]

http://www.azgfd.gov/artman/publish/article_711.shtml

 

Larry Voyles named new director of Arizona Game and Fish Department

 

News Media

Jan 28, 2008

 

 

Larry VoylesPHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission today announced it has hired Larry Voyles as the new director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, effective when current director Duane Shroufe retires in March.

 

Voyles has been with Game and Fish for nearly 35 years and is currently supervisor for the department’s Yuma region, which handles field operations in southwestern Arizona.

 

“We’re thrilled to hire someone with Larry’s depth of experience and accomplishments,” said Commission Chairman Bill McLean. “He brings more than three decades of experience in wildlife management to the director’s position, as well as the respect of colleagues and the public.”

 

Voyles joined the department in 1974 as a wildlife manager (game ranger), serving in the Wellton, Wickenburg and Prescott districts. He subsequently served as the department’s law enforcement training coordinator and wildlife enforcement program coordinator before being promoted to supervisor of the Yuma region in 1988.

 

“This is truly a great honor,” said Voyles. “The Arizona Game and Fish Department is recognized as one of the world’s leading wildlife management agencies, and I look forward to continuing our tradition of innovation and dedication to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

 

Voyles was one of two finalists considered by the Game and Fish Commission in today’s public session. The commission received more than 30 applications after conducting a nationwide search. Initial interviews were conducted with six people.

 

“We were fortunate to have several qualified candidates to choose from,” said McLean. “The process has been arduous, but we’ve found what we’re looking for—someone with a proven record of strong management skills and an in-depth understanding of Arizona’s natural resource issues.”

 

Voyles, of Yuma, will lead an agency that employs more than 600 employees and is funded at more than $85 million per year from multiple funding sources, primarily the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, federal assistance from an excise tax on hunting and fishing gear, and several other sources such as the Heritage Fund (lottery proceeds), Wildlife Conservation Fund (tribal gaming revenue), watercraft licensing, and state wildlife grants.

 

He will work side-by-side with Shroufe until the latter’s retirement in order to ensure a smooth transition and will fill out the remainder of Shroufe’s original five-year contract through January 2009. In December, Shroufe requested, and was granted, commission approval to retire early this coming March after serving as director for nearly 20 years.

 

“You don’t just replace a Duane Shroufe,” said Voyles. “He led the agency through an amazing period of growth, quality improvement and accomplishment. He set the bar high, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue that legacy.”

 

Voyles holds a B.S. in wildlife biology from Arizona State University.

 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department director is appointed by and reports to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. The director serves as the department’s chief administrative officer and is responsible for the general supervision and control of all activities, functions and employees of the department.

[missedagain]

Does anybody know where Mr. Voyles stands on any of the issues important to sportsmen?

[.270]

i don't like how they say shrouffe is gonna mentor him. oh well, one thing about it, he ain't shrouffe. other than that, time will tell. hope he's good, but..............Lark.

[Diamondbackaz]

I'm figuring this guy is in his mid to late fifities and will only stay 3 to 5 years. Just long enough to bump up his multiplier for retirement.

[DesertBull]

Come on man, he hasn't even made one decision yet and we are running him down?

[KGAINES]

I agree with DesertBull, we have to give hime a chance, and it is my understanding that this is the guy that we wanted, the other candidate was more like we had. I do wonder how the other candidate is going to take this, wasn't he the deputy director here in Phoenix, I would hate to see backstabbing going on in the dept. I see he went to ASU and has been in the AZGFD since 1974, that has to be better than some midwesterner, or someone from California coming here to run our dept.

[.270]

like monte walsh said to chet, "needlin' folks is what i do". until he does something i like, i'm gonna run him down. just because if for nothin' else. looks like he was born and raised with the azgfd. don't know if that's good or not. we'll see. but for now, until he fixes something and shows us he can really lead and put this train wreck back on the track, it's needle time. wasn't shrouffe from maine or some other foreign place? Lark.

[CouesWhitetail]

Here is what Pete Cimellaro, president of the AZ Deer Association, says about Larry Voyles. I don't really know Larry, but sounds like he was a very good choice.

 

 

To All: This evening the Commission chose Larry Voyles as the new Director for the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Kudos to the Commission for hiring someone who can heal the agency as well as its relationship with sportsmen.

 

Those of us who know Larry and have had the privilege of working with him, have received the absolute best news we could have hoped for. He deserves our congratulations and support!

 

Pete

[Coach]

This may be a good chance for those of us who have been disappointed with G&F decisions over the past few years to write some letters and make sure he knows exactly where we stand. It seems that a lot of "constructive criticism" has fallen on deaf ears, but maybe with some new leadership in place we'll get a little better response.

[.270]

dangit, just when i was gettin' so good at bein' negative..........Lark.

[mattys281]

like monte walsh said to chet, "needlin' folks is what i do". until he does something i like, i'm gonna run him down. just because if for nothin' else. looks like he was born and raised with the azgfd. don't know if that's good or not. we'll see. but for now, until he fixes something and shows us he can really lead and put this train wreck back on the track, it's needle time. wasn't shrouffe from maine or some other foreign place? Lark.

 

 

He's already done something I like: he's been in Az long enough to see the good ole days the old timers lament over losing & he's witnessed the decline of our deer herd everyone talks about.

 

I'm very pleased to see a local guy get the job.

 

Matt S.

[.270]

one more thing, you guys best get ready for it, fixin' this wreck is gonna take a lotta stuff that is gonna make a buncha folks mad. i'd hate to inherit a mess like this. the past 20 or so years the azgfd has managed the bottom line, not game. they've let game suffer in order to "provide more opportunity". if they get back to real live game management by using good data and info and by listening too good biologists and then implementing their recomendations, something that hasn't been done for a long time, everyone is gonna hafta get used to things being a lot different for awhile. like i say, if this guy does something that makes me happy, then i might, just maybe, get back into helpin' things out. but it it just status quo, well things ain't gonna get better that's for sure. Lark.

 

p.s. a sheep tag would go a long ways to makin' me happy too.

[GameHauler]

Hope you get one Lark.

Just stay out of the Rockie country till you get a Desert.

Lets just hope Larry has the right stuff to pull everything back together.

[Huntn coues]

I'm not to sure about AZ declining a whole bunch as far as quality.

 

Every year Az continuously puts BIG animals on the walls and in the books.

 

Now I may be speaking out my butt but maybe a combination of the weather and varmits over the past few years has alot to do with the decling Mule deer heards?

 

I know people are saying it has to do with hunter oppurtunity but that has just started happening recently ( I think) If I am wrong please let me know your opinion.

 

IMO if they want to have the Mule deer numbers explode just shut down a unit or two here and there for a year or two

and that probably would help out a bit. ( but that would decrease hunter opportunity ) AAAaaaaarrrrgggghhh.

 

Never mind! Nothing makes sense. BLA BLA BLA

[missedagain]

I'm not to sure about AZ declining a whole bunch as far as quality.

 

Every year Az continuously puts BIG animals on the walls and in the books.

 

Now I may be speaking out my butt but maybe a combination of the weather and varmits over the past few years has alot to do with the decling Mule deer heards?

 

I know people are saying it has to do with hunter oppurtunity but that has just started happening recently ( I think) If I am wrong please let me know your opinion.

 

IMO if they want to have the Mule deer numbers explode just shut down a unit or two here and there for a year or two

and that probably would help out a bit. ( but that would decrease hunter opportunity ) AAAaaaaarrrrgggghhh.

 

Never mind! Nothing makes sense. BLA BLA BLA

 

It is impossible for anyone who really takes some time to study tag allocations in arizona over the last few years to take our g$f seriously. They have blatantly disregarded thier own policies to sell more tags, it makes me sick