Commission

ralph.brokaw@wyo.gov

Ralph Brokaw describes serving on the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission as a dream come true.Brokaw is a fifth-generation rancher in Arlington west of Laramie. His father was one of two final candidates to be appointed to the Commission, but was not chosen due to the rule-making body’s political party balance.

Brokaw looked back on that and thought one day he would like to be part of the Commission. He got his wish in March 2019. Brokaw represents District 2 for Albany, Carbon and Sweetwater counties. “My past experiences with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department were with my local game warden and regional office. Being on the Commission you see the work that is being done year-round and the magnitude of the job,” Brokaw said. “We’re involved in a lot of stuff. It’s a huge machine. I had no idea the department was that big.”

Wildlife has always been a passion for Brokaw. He studied wildlife management at the University of Wyoming for two-and-a-half years, but ultimately returned to the family ranch and never left. During high school Brokaw rode along with game wardens to learn about their work. As a senior in high school and a freshman in college he worked for Game and Fish through UW’s Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. 

At the ranch, the Brokaw family worked closely with Game and Fish and UW on various wildlife and habitat studies. “I’ve always had good relationships with Game and Fish personnel,” Brokaw said. He hopes to bring his “real-world” experiences from what he’s seen on his ranch to help Game and Fish and the Commission tackle future challenges, which include the ongoing development of Wyoming’s chronic wasting disease management plan, gaining state management of endangered species such as grizzly bears and the ever-changing fiscal demands so the department and Commission can continue to conserve wildlife and serve people.

Brokaw also said engaging new hunters and anglers, especially among kids, is important to Game and Fish’s future. “Kids are so distracted these days and pulled in so many directions,” he said. “With mom and dad working so hard, I don’t see kids introduced to the outdoors like I was. Kid recruitment is huge.”

richard.ladwig@wyo.gov
 

Public service and wildlife have been a big part of Richard Ladwig’s life. Throw in his life experiences and it seemed like a natural fit for Ladwig to be a member of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission.

Ladwig is in his third year on the Commission. He represents District 6 made up of Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties. Prior to that, Ladwig was the County Commissioner in Niobrara County for 20 years. After he completed his last term as county commissioner, Ladwig was approached about serving on the Commission. “It is a learning process I don’t think will ever stop,” said Ladwig of serving on the Commission. “There’s always something going on. It is a way bigger job than I thought it was. I’ve been exposed to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in more ways than I ever thought possible.

“When you look at the department as a whole, it’s a large operation. To be on the team that helps take care of that is a privilege, and one that only seven people have.” Ladwig’s great grandfather homesteaded and started a ranch north of Manville in Niobrara County in 1893. Ladwig spent a lot of time at the ranch until it was sold. Hunting and fishing have been a big part of his life. Ladwig said the ranch was the first to be enrolled in the Game and Fish’s Access Yes program in Niobrara County.

Ladwig served in the Air Force for 22 years, and part of that time he was stationed in Alaska. While there, he took on additional duties as a military wildlife agent. Some of his work included license checks, fish sampling, bird counts and water flow studies. He also took some wildlife management classes — all valuable experience for his term on the Commission. Ladwig said one of the biggest accomplishments of the Commission and Game and Fish during his time is the development of a chronic wasting disease management plan for Wyoming. “That plan is still ongoing and we don’t have all the answers, but we are on track to do some magnificent things for Wyoming if we keep going with it,” he said.

Ladwig knows several challenges face the Commission and Game and Fish in the future. Some of those on the table now include the management of elk feedgrounds and work on trapping regulations. Some challenges have yet to be discovered, but Ladwig said he and the Commission will be ready when they do. “I want to help keep Game and Fish going and keep things going for the public,” he said.

mark.jolovich@wyo.gov

About seven months into his six-year term on the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Mark Jolovich said he’s been “bombarded” with information.

“It’s like fighting a tsunami, but I’m loving every minute of it,” said Jolovich of the duties and responsibilities of serving on the Commission thus far. Jolovich was appointed to the Commission March 1 by Gov. Mark Gordon. He represents District 1, which encompasses Goshen, Laramie and Platte counties. Jolovich is a Wyoming native who lives in Torrington and has owned a water distribution company for nearly three decades with his wife, Becky.

“I’m working on retiring so I can help with Game and Fish projects,” he said with a wry smile. Jolovich was a long-time committee member of the 2Shot Goose Hunt in Torrington. It was there when a committee member from the 2Shot Goose Hunt first approached him about serving on the Commission. Jolovich said he was too busy with his own job. Then, former Commissioner Pat Crank reached out to him about the Commission.

“After an hour on the phone with Pat he talked me into applying. At the end of February the governor called and asked if this was something wanted to do. I said yes,” Jolovich said. Jolovich has always been “an outdoors guy,” who began working on his grandparents farm in the summers. It’s where he said he learned how to work. He hunted with his dad as a kid before he was old enough to go out on his own. Jolovich felt he had a good sense of what the Wyoming Game and Fish Department does, but he learned of the vastness of the work when  appointed to the Commission.

Jolovich is committed to learning rapidly and is eager to get involved with everything he can during his time as Commissioner. “I want to do all I can and do right by the people of Wyoming and the Game and Fish Department,” Jolovich said. “Being in business for myself for 26 years, and being very successful, I’ve learned to watch the bottom line and to treat people right. That’s the way I look at serving on the Commission.”

john.masterson@wyoboards.gov 

John Masterson is from Natrona County and graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law and began his legal career working for the County and District Courts in Natrona County. He later transitioned into private practice and then became an Assistant District Attorney. Masterson moved on to become a lawyer in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.

In 2003, then-Governor David Freudenthal appointed him to serve as legal counsel and federal/state relations coordinator with the Governor’s Office. In his final months of service to the state, Masterson served as the deputy director of Wyoming’s Office of State Lands and Investments. He participated directly in policy making, oversight and administration of over 3.5 million acres of state surface lands and 4.2 million acres of minerals.

Masterson has been a longtime supporter of the Wyoming State Bar, serving on the Board of Law Examiners, the Board of Professional Responsibility, the Board of Officers and Commissioners, the Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, the Legislative Developments Committee, the Editorial Committee for the Wyoming Lawyer and the Wyoming Lawyer Assistance Program Advisory Committee. He is also a past president of the Wyoming State Bar. Masterson was appointed to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in March of 2023 for District #7

kenneth.roberts@wyo.gov

Kenneth Roberts was thrilled when he was asked to serve on the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission by Gov. Mark Gordon. A week or so after accepting the position, Roberts was already in Cheyenne at his first Commission meeting.

Roberts, the Clerk of the 3rd Judicial District Court in Lincoln County, was selected by Gordon to represent District 3, which encompasses Lincoln, Teton, Sublette and Uinta counties. “The Game and Fish Commission, to me, is the crown jewel of the State of Wyoming — bar none,” Roberts said. “You realize the magnitude of serving on the Commission really fast, then you realize how great of an organization it is and how everybody is so into it for the right reasons. It’s such a policy-driven board. You want to create good policy. You want to create good budgets. You want to make sure you’re serving the people of Wyoming.”

Roberts shares a passion for the outdoors like many Wyomingites. “I show up at the boat ramps with everybody. I show up on the streams with everybody. I drive up the country with everybody,” he said. “I want access and opportunity for everybody.”

Roberts also wants to see the older generation of outdoor enthusiasts get more involved in mentoring youth, such as with hunter education. He also feels the quality of employees across the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is high and wants to help make sure they stick around. “Having good policy is one thing, but you need the personnel to run it,” Roberts said. “I’d like to help maintain and keep our employees, because they all are awesome and know exactly what’s going on. What can we do as a Commission to help that out?”

Roberts represents one of the most diverse districts when it comes to Wyoming’s outdoor spaces with challenges such as elk feedground management and the battle against invasive cheatgrass. Roberts said the vastness of Game and Fish and the responsibility of the Commission can be overwhelming, but he’s embraced it. “It’s an absolute honor. I hope I’m a good steward, and I hope I do my part to represent Wyoming,” he said.

rusty.bell@wyoboards.gov

A Gillette, Wyoming born and raised entrepreneur, Rusty Bell turned his hobby of taxidermy into a business in 2008. Rusty’s Taxidermy provides full-service commercial and custom taxidermy for both foreign and domestic customers - and you never know what you might find in his shop! He attended the Second Nature School of Taxidermy, and is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists. Rusty and his wife Toni have been married 21 years and have two sons. Their family hobbies include hunting, fishing, bow fishing, traveling, and boy scouts.

ashlee.lundvall@wyo.gov

The outdoors help people find themselves. Ashlee Lundvall knows that better than most. It’s why she returns to Wyoming’s open spaces time and time again – and the reason she advocates for under-represented groups to explore hunting, fishing and wildlife. 

Lundvall joined the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission this spring, bringing a history of working with conservation groups to help get more people outside -- including those with disabilities. Ensuring that access is important and personal. In the summer of 1999 a ranching accident left her with a broken back and permanently paralyzed. Recreating in the outdoors –  she said –  was something that helped her heal. 

Lundvall has advocated for women and equal access for all people to the outdoors for over two decades in Wyoming so others can benefit from her experiences. She hoped to eventually broaden that involvement, and it happened sooner than later when she was appointed to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission this year by Gov. Mark Gordon. “This appointment was a complete surprise,” Lundvall said. “I was always looking for opportunities to work on a large scale, but this role wasn’t on my radar yet. I have learned there is a lot of healing to be found in the outdoors, and I want to do what I can to share that with others.”

Lundvall represents District 5, which encompasses Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. Lundvall is one of three new commissioners this year. She said the learning process has been like drinking out of a fire hose, but also rewarding.

“There are so many moving parts working for wildlife and habitat in Wyoming,” Lundvall said. “I constantly remind myself that I don’t have to have all of the answers because I can call on our amazing resources at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and partnering organizations for information.

“It’s overwhelming at times, but I am thankful for the opportunity to do my part to serve.” Lundvall said being a woman with a disability allows her to bring another perspective to the Commission, and hopes she brings something “unique” to the group during her time.Lundvall said with many varying opinions across the state about wildlife and habitat management it is important the Commission makes sure everyone feels heard and represented – even if the outcomes don’t make everyone happy. “Decisions aren’t always popular, but when you truly have Wyoming’s best interests at heart you can feel good about the calls you have to make.”