As a lifelong Kansan and sportsman, Jake has spent his entire career working for wildlife in the state. He is currently the Wildlife Division Director for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP).

As the agency charged with regulating outdoor recreation and fish and wildlife resources, KDWP’s mission aligns well with the goals of PLJV. Both organizations understand that successful conservation programs are those that work for working lands, which makes it easy to collaborate on common goals. As part of the board, Jake enjoys the information sharing on projects, issues, and solutions that cross state boundaries.

Prior to his current position, Jake served as the Private Land Programs Coordinator for KDWP. He has also worked on the production of the public access atlases, development of spatially linked contract database management systems, start-up of a new limited public access program, and coordination of state and federally funded private land habitat programs. Jake holds a bachelor’s degree with a research emphasis on natural resources and environmental science, a master’s degree in geography, and graduate certificate in geographic information science from Kansas State University.

Jake and his wife live in rural Barber County, Kansas, with their three children.