Gov. Mike Beebe on Wednesday named Ken Reeves of Harrison as the newest commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
“Ken grew up hunting and fishing in the natural beauty of north Arkansas, and has experienced our entire state’s outdoor destinations that need to be both enjoyed and conserved,” Beebe said in a news release. “His lifetime of legal experience will also serve him well as matters come before the Commission requiring thoughtful and objective review.”
Reeves, 65, is a vice president and general counsel for FedEx Freight in Harrison. The governor’s office described him as a fisherman on Bull Shoals Lake since childhood and “an avid turkey hunter” who enjoys hunting duck, deer, squirrel and quail. He is also a veteran of the Arkansas Army National Guard and has been a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Ducks Unlimited.
Reeves’ term will expire July 1, 2020. He replaces Ronald Pierce of Mountain Home.
At a Wednesday event announcing him as the new commissioner, Reeves said he wants the commission to be open and transparent in its dealings.
“I want to see the confidence of the people restored in the commission and what it does,” Reeves said, according to The Associated Press.
Lately the commission has been devoting more resources to improving lands it already owns, but Reeves said he wants the panel to continue to acquire new wilderness.
“This is about more than hunting and fishing because everybody supports the commission through their conservation tax, and they’re entitled for their interests to be considered too,” he said.
The state as a 1/8-cent sales tax for conservation.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
