Fisheries, Wildlife Technicians of the Year Honored at December TWRC Meeting

NASHVILLE --- The 2011 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Fisheries and Wildlife Technicians of the Year were recognized at the December meeting of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission.

 

Rick Hollifield, of the Erin State Fish Hatchery and Jerry Pugh, of Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, are the recipients of this year’s awards. This marks the second year that the Agency has presented the Technician of the Year awards.

 

A 30-year employee with the TWRA, Hollifield began working at the Erwin State Fish Hatchery under the YACC Program in 1979.

 

 After working part-time for a couple of years, he became a wildlife technician at Buffalo Springs State Hatchery. He worked in the position for 10 years before transferring back to his hometown of Erwin where he has served now for almost 20 years.

 

Hollifield continues to come up with new ideas and ways to implement them in his position. He has conducted trout stocking duties at the hatchery for the past eight years and never lost a fish in the stocking process. Due to a manpower shortage at the Erwin Hatchery, he has picked up additional duties during the past few years.

 

Pugh was named the 2011 Wildlife Technician of the Year earlier this fall at the Wildlife Managers Meeting in Paris.

 

This past year, Pugh volunteered, trained, and served as a crew chief during deer thermal survey efforts in several counties in TWRA’s Region III. He also worked on various other projects at other WMAs within the region. He volunteers in other efforts as well.

 

Pugh is very visible in his community. He routinely provides information and provides assistance to Catoosa visitors throughout the year.

 

---TWRA---

Photo Captions:

Wildlife Technician