Nicole Wood named new Missouri Conservation Commissioner
By Rachael Herndon Dunn on July 2, 2018
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Conservation Commission is getting a new member.
Gov. Mike Parson on Monday announced the appointment of long-time conservationist and outdoor enthusiast Nicole Wood of Bonne Terre to the Missouri Conservation Commission, where she joins Commissioners Don Bedell, Marilynn Bradford, and David Murphy.
Wood is the director of operations at Woodland Operations and Maintenance, where she is involved in the daily management of 20,000 acres of land in the Missouri Ozarks.
Wood has served on the boards of the National Wildlife Federation, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Parkland Hospital Foundation, and the National Wildlife Federation Endowment.
She and her family share a passion for the outdoors, which began as a child during family hunting and fishing trips.
Wood also has a family history of commitment to conservation with her father, Howard Wood, serving as commissioner from 1997 to 2003.
The Missouri Conservation Commission controls, manages, and regulates all wildlife resources of the state, with the responsibilities of the commission being:
Appointing a director of the Department.
Serving as the Department's policymakers.
Approving Wildlife Code regulations.
Strategic planning.
Budget development and major expenditure decisions.
"Nicole's passion for the outdoors and her strong business acumen will be extremely beneficial to the Commission's ongoing work in strategic planning, budget guidance, and Wildlife Code regulations," said Missouri Department of Conservation Director Sara Parker Pauley.
Wood's term would expire June 20, 2023, but first, her appointment will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.
"Missouri has the best Department of Conservation in the United States and, to be part of that as a commissioner is an incredible honor," Wood said. "I look forward to working with all the commissioners, staff and citizens on continuing to make the Department the best in the country."
Rachael Herndon Dunn
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.