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 - Bill Phelps
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 Bank
& Trust Company in Okmulgee.
District 3 - LeFlore, Latimer, Pittsburg, Atoka, Pushmataha, McCurtain, Choctaw, Bryan, Marshall, Carter and Love counties.
Mike Bloodworth
Hugo, Oklahoma
Mike Bloodworth of Hugo, was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry in 2007 to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Bloodworth's term will through 2015.
A lifelong resident of Hugo, Bloodworth founded an independent insurance agency in that Choctaw County community after serving as a sixth-grade teacher and elementary school principal for 10 years. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. He is also an active duck and goose hunter. In addition to his outdoor pursuits, he serves as a board member of the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, the local school board and the Oklahoma State School Board Association.
Bloodworth and wife Martha had two children, a son, Chad, who is deceased, and a daughter, Misty, who lives in Paris, Texas. The Bloodworth's have two grandchildren, grandson Ryan and granddaughter Laci.
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 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.
Oklahoma City, OK
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.
Bill Phelps -
Lawton, Oklahoma
Bill Phelps, was appointed 2002 by Gov. Frank Keating to
serve on the Wildlife Conservation Commission until 2010.
Phelps has worked for Reliant Energy Arkla for 29 years, and since 1994 has served as the vice president and general manager of its Oklahoma Division.
Phelps attended both the University of
Arkansas-Monticello and East Texas
State University majoring in agri-business.
An active member of Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Sporting Clays Association, he is committed to introducing youth to the outdoors. He serves as a board member for Habitat for Humanity and is active with both the Oklahoma State Chamber and the Lawton Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Phelps serves as vice-chairman of the Oklahoma Gas Association and is a member of the State Workforce Investment Board.
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