May 2023 - 10

NEWS
Commission elects new officers,
welcomes new members
CHEYENNE - A new president and vice
president, along with two newly-appointed
members are now part of the Wyoming Game
and Fish Commission.
Ralph Brokaw was elected president of the
Commission and Richard Ladwig vice president.
The new members are Rusty Bell and
John Masterson. They made their Commission
debut in their new roles in March.
The seven-member Commission serves
as the policy-making board of the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department. Members are
appointed by the governor and serve six-year
terms. No more than five members can be
from the same political party.
Brokaw was appointed to the Commission
on March 1, 2019, and was vice president
since May 2022. Brokaw represents District 2,
made up of Albany, Carbon and Sweetwater
counties. Brokaw is a fifth-generation rancher
in Arlington.
" It is such an honor to be on the Commission,
and then to have my fellow Commissioner's
support to be the president is a humbling
and exciting honor, " Brokaw said. " I want
to continue the good work of the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department. Being an agriculture
producer, it is important to me there is a
solid relationship between private landowners
and wildlife managers. That relationship is
what makes Wyoming's wildlife world class. "
Ladwig joined the Commission March 1,
2019. He represents District 6 and Crook,
Niobrara and Weston counties. Ladwig was
a county commissioner in Niobrara County
for 20 years.
Bell, a Gillette native, represents Campbell,
Johnson and Sheridan counties, and also has
local government experience as a Campbell
County commissioner. Bell was a member
of the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce, created
by Gov. Mark Gordon to study top-priority
wildlife policy issues in the state. The taskforce
presented conclusions and recommendations
to the Commission, Wyoming Legislature and
governor. The taskforce concluded its duties in
late 2022. Bell owns his own taxidermy studio,
Rusty's Taxidermy, in Gillette.
" I have no doubt that those life experiences
will help me greatly, " Bell said. " The taskforce
was 16 meetings over 18 months and took a
deep-dive into hard issues in Wyoming. My
experience as a Campbell County commissioner
taught me a great respect for Game and
Fish employees. They are the ones interacting
with the public every day and what makes
Game and Fish the best wildlife department
in the world. "
Masterson represents Converse, Fremont
Rusty Bell served on the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce
prior to being appointed to the Wyoming Game and Fish
Commission. (Photo courtesy of Rusty Bell)
and Natrona counties. He has been a wellknown
member of the legal community in
Wyoming for decades and currently is a lawyer
in Casper. Masterson has worked for county
and district courts in Natrona County, and
as an assistant district attorney in Casper. He
also worked in the United States Attorney's
" My experience as a Campbell County commissioner taught me a great respect for
Game and Fish employees. They are the ones interacting with the public every day and
what makes Game and Fish the best wildlife department in the world. " - Rusty Bell
10 | May 2023
John Masterson brings a wealth of legal experience to the
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. (Photo courtesy of
John Masterson)
" I grew up with this deep appreciation
for the wild things in this state. It is a part
of who I am and is part of our culture and
heritage. " - John Masterson
Office for the District of Wyoming. Masterson
worked some cases that involved Game and
Fish and the Lacey Act, which combats illegal
trafficking of wildlife, fish and plants. Masterson
served as counsel to former Gov. Dave
Freudenthal, and served as the deputy director
of the Office of State Lands and Investment
for Wyoming.
" I grew up with this deep appreciation for
the wild things in this state. It is a part of who
I am and is part of our culture and heritage, "
Masterson said. " To be allowed to participate
in the oversight of all of that is one of those
inflection points in your life. I hope I am up
to the task because the responsibility is huge.
I want to do right by the state I love. "
- Robert Gagliardi, WGFD
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MORE ABOUT
THE WYOMING
GAME AND FISH
COMMISSION.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/About-Us/Game-and-Fish-Commission/Meet-the-Commissioners
May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2023
