2024 MNAFS Election

 2024 MNAFS Officer Voting  Now Closed

Voting closes one hour prior to the MNAFS annual  business meeting.

Elections are being held for the following MNAFS Officer and Executive Committee positions:

  • President Elect
  • MNDNR
  • Open

For more information, please contact our Nominations Committee Chair Andy Hafs (andrew.hafs@bemidjistate.edu).

Candidate Bios:

2024 President Elect

Tom Jones, MNDNR

Photo provided by Tom Jones.

As it appears that I am running for the chapter president-elect, it also appears that I should provide some background information.

I grew up in southern California, and received my first undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley back when phones had rotary dials instead of cameras.  After working for a computer company in Silicon Valley, I went to the University of Montana to study aquatic insects (I was flyfishing as soon as I could hold a rod).  While there, I caught a large northern pike on a trout stream, and switched to fisheries.  I left Montana with a second B.S. and an M.S., both in Wildlife Biology, even though I studied fish.

After several temporary fish and wildlife related jobs, and subbing for science classes in Duluth high schools, I ended up in the DNR as a fisheries specialist in Windom in 1991.  I did time as the Anadromous Trout and Salmon Specialist on Lake Superior, Assistant Area Supervisor at International Falls, Large Lake Specialist for Mille Lacs, wrote the Fish Habitat Plan in 2012, and am currently the Fisheries Treaty Coordinator in the Fisheries Research Unit.  My areas of interest are creel surveys and aspects of recreational fisheries.

My AFS involvement began in grad school in the 1980s.  My first official service was as the MN DNR ex-com rep in the 1990s.  I have served on the organizing committees for the national AFS meeting in Minneapolis in 2012 and the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference (virtual) in 2021.  I am a Certified Fisheries Professional, and served on the Board of Professional Certification from 2007-2014.  But my favorite AFS service is donating fishing trips on Mille Lacs as fundraisers.

My single plank at this time is based on a belief in the cliche that our youth is our future.  As such, I would like to increase the profile of our student members by adding a student representative to the EXCOM.

Outside of the fisheries world, I am married (32 years) and have two grown kids out of the house (mostly).  We have a 5-month chocolate lab puppy (a youtube starlet), two cats, and we raise chickens and often pigs.  Major hobbies include hunting (mostly archery deer, occasionally bear, some birds), fishing (mostly walleye, some bass and catfish, saltwater flyfishing when I can), birding, curling, and fighting buckthorn.  Minor hobbies include cosmology and philosophy of bias and critical thinking (OK, that last part makes me sound boring, I hear it now).  Finally, we also own a small business hiring people with disabilities to assemble industrial water filtration products.

2024 MNDNR Representative

Matt Ward, MNDNR

Photo provided by Matt Ward.

I completed undergrad at UW-Stevens Point and grad school at South Dakota State University.  Over the past 20 years, I have worked for Duluth, Lake Superior, Walker, and Grand Rapids Area Fisheries in various roles.  I also spent two years based out of the Glenwood DNR office for my grad school project.  I am currently the Area Fisheries Supervisor in Hinckley.

I have two daughters, Emma (13) and Lily (8).  My wife Angela and our daughters enjoy camping at state parks, visiting National Parks, hiking, riding bikes, and fishing.

In my free time, I take turns driving my two daughters in circles between dance, figure skating, 4-H, theater, swimming, basketball, soccer, and church youth group activities.  I am also a basketball and soccer coach and one of the church youth group leaders.  I enjoy fishing, looking for shed antlers, and bow hunting.

 

2024 Open Representative

Nathan Mielke, MNPCA

Photo provided by Nathan Mielke.

I was born and raised in central Minnesota and completed my undergraduate degree in ecology at Saint Cloud State University. I have had several temporary positions in natural resources before taking my current position with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as an Environmental Specialist (stream fish biologist). With this position I have traveled throughout the northern half of the state collecting biological data on streams to assess water quality for the past 13 year.

My wife (Molly) and I live in Breezy Point with our two kids (Luella-7 & Henry-3). We enjoy spending our time together by traveling across the US, canoeing, hiking, biking, and watching the Twins WIN (tough to say after the ALDS). I’m a self-proclaimed whitetail fanatic and enjoy traveling around the Midwest and Western US in pursuit of deer with archery equipment.