Commission Board Members

District 1 -M. David Riggs
District 2 - Bruce R. Mabrey
District 3 - Mike Bloodworth
District 4 - Harland Stonecipher -Chairman
District 5 - Ed Abel
District 6 - John P Zelbst
District 7 - Mart Tisdal - Secretary
District 8 - John D. Groendyke  Vice Chairman

District 1  - Ottawa, Delaware, Craig, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Washington, Tulsa, Pawnee, and Osage counties. 

M. David Riggs -
Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Gov. Brad Henry appointed M. David Riggs to the  Wildlife Conservation Commission where he will serve as the District 1 Commissioner. Riggs's term will expire in 2013.

A lifelong resident of Sand Springs, Riggs is a partner in one of the state's largest law firms - Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis. Riggs also served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1971 to 1987 and in the Oklahoma Senate from 1987 to 1988.

Riggs is active in a number of local conservation organizations including serving of the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy and serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the Sutton Avian Research Center.
 
He graduated from Phillips University in Enid in 1959, received a Masters of Arts form the University of Oklahoma in 1962 and graduated first in his class at the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1968.

District 2 - Adair, Sequoyah, Cherokee, Wagoner, Muskogee, Haskell, McIntosh and Okmulgee counties.

Bruce R. Mabrey -
Okmulgee, Oklahoma

Gov. Brad Henry appointed Bruce R. Mabrey to the  Wildlife Conservation Commission in 2006. Mabrey's term will run through 2014.

A lifelong resident of Okmulgee, Mabrey has been the executive officer of a family owned bank holding company with ownership in several eastern Oklahoma banks. He is currently the executive vice president of Citizens Security Bank in Okmulgee.

District 3 - LeFlore, Latimer, Pittsburg, Atoka, Pushmataha, McCurtain, Choctaw, Bryan, Marshall, Carter and Love counties.

Mike Bloodworth
Hugo, Oklahoma

District 4 - Creek, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Seminole, Pottawatomie, Pontotoc, Hughes, Johnston, and Coal counties.

Harland Stonecipher
Centrahoma, Oklahoma

Harland Stonecipher, who has served on the Commission since 1993. His current term expires 2016.

An avid sportsman and hunting dog enthusiast, Stonecipher is also the founder and chief executive officer of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., a company that is listed on the New York Stock exchange.

District 5 -  Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain, Garvin, Murray and Payne counties.

Ed Abel
Oklahoma City, OK
 

Ed Abel  was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry in 2009 to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Abel's term will run through 2018. Abel also served as a Wildlife Commissioner from 1994 to 2002.

Abel himself is a lifelong sportsman. His father introduced him to the outdoors at a young age through activities like squirrel hunting.

Abel is the founder and senior partner of what is now Abel Law Firm, founded in 1976.  He has served as chairman and member in many law association committees and organizations, including the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, American Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Oklahoma County Bar Association and others. He was active in the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 and has been the recipient of several awards for outstanding legal contributions.

Abel received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1963 and his Juris Doctor Degree from The University of Oklahoma Law School in 1966.

Abel has been married almost 31 years. He and his wife have four children — three daughters and a son — as well as three grandsons.

District 6 - Blaine, Kingfisher, Canadian, Caddo, Grady, Comanche, Stephens, Jefferson and Cotton counties.

John P Zelbst
Lawton, Oklahoma

John P. Zelbst, was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry in 2010 to the Wildlife Conservation Commission until 2018.

“Wildlife is the peoples’ treasure and I’m committed to helping ensure sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts have access to their wildlife resources,” Zelbst said. “I come from a long ranching background. In fact, my son will be a fifth generation rancher, so I know the importance and value of being connected to the outdoors and environment.

“A concern of mine is that our young people aren’t as connected to the outdoors as they used to be and many know very little about the environment. Outdoor recreation and activity leads to a higher quality of life, so it’s important we work on getting children involved in the outdoors.”

Zelbst has 30 years experience as a trial lawyer and is the managing partner at Zelbst, Holmes & Butler law firm. The firm serves Oklahoma City, Lawton, Edmond, Norman and with the assistance of local counsel, all of the United States. Zelbst’ legal career has focused solely on representing people who have been injured, wronged, falsely accused and mistreated.

A member of the Oklahoma Association for Justice (formerly the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association), he served as the Association’s President in 2000. He also holds the distinction of having secured $24 million in the largest known personal injury verdict in state history.

Along with other professional memberships, recognition and awards, he was awarded the title of Oklahoma Super Lawyer for the years 2006-2010, Superlawyers.com; and is a member of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, 92nd Edition, Martindale Hubbell and is also Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Zelbst received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cameron University in Lawton in 1976 and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa, College of Law, in 1980. He is a graduate of and a board and faculty member of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, DuBois, Wyo.

Zelbst and his wife, Cindy, own and reside on the U2 Ranch in Meers. They have a son, Clay, and are actively involved in cattle operations on the ranch. He also supports numerous civic and community development programs, and currently chairs both the Comanche County Board of Trustees and the Comanche County Memorial Hospital Trust.

District 7 -  Ellis, Dewey, Roger Mills, Custer, Beckham, Washita, Kiowa, Greer, Jackson, Harmon and Tillman counties.

Mart Tisdal -
Clinton, OK

Mart Tisdal of Clinton, was named by Gov. Brad Henry in 2007 to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. to serve the remainder of the district seven Wildlife Commission term vacated by Wade Brinkman’s resignation.

Tisdal, whose current appointment on the Commission runs until 2011, was born and raised in Clinton and founded Tisdal Law Firm, a general practice legal office which has oil and gas, environmental law and complex litigation among its areas of focus.  He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to receiving numerous professional awards, he has served as the president of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. He is also a veteran, having served on active duty in the U.S. Army, field artillery, from 1971-73.

An avid quail hunter, Tisdal says he has many fond memories of growing up in western Oklahoma. Tisdal also enjoys turkey hunting, fishing, golf, running, snow skiing, and just being outdoors. He also has a keen interest in wildlife conservation. Tisdal and his wife, Marian, have a daughter, Julia, and son, Logan. He says sharing Oklahoma’s outdoor heritage with the next generation is an important part of the future of conservation.

 

District 8 - Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Woodward, Woods, Major, Alfalfa, Grant, Garfield, Kay and Noble counties.

John D. Groendyke -
Enid, Oklahoma

John Groendyke, who has served on the Commission since 1976, was reappointed by Gov. Brad Henry in 2004 to serve an additional eight-year term.

Groendyke is chairman of the board of Groendyke Transport, Inc. Founded by his father, H.C. Groendyke in 1932, it is one of the nation's largest motor carriers of bulk commodities serving the continental United States, Canada and Mexico.

John graduated from Wentworth Military Academy where he attended high school and junior college. He received his bachelor of science degree in business from Oklahoma State University.

For ODWC information, contact the Wildlife Department by email