Page 13 - 2020 Jan/Feb Outdoor Oklahoma

NEW CHIEFS IN LAW, WILDLIFE, ADMINISTRATION

Col. Nathan Erdman, Chief of Law Enforcement Department has in enhancing fish and wildlife resources to
Game Warden Nathan Erd- ensure there are resources for future generations.”
man has been promoted to Storck graduated from Shawnee High School. She attend-
Chief of the Law Enforcement ed Oklahoma State University and majored in finance with
Division. Erdman previously minors in accounting and Japanese. She started her career
served as Assistant Chief of at the Office of State Finance as a budget analyst for Nat-
the division since 2016. ural Resources and subsequently for Common Education,
The Law Enforcement Higher Education and Career Tech. She then joined the
Division is responsible for Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation where
upholding the laws and reg- she was Director of Policy and Planning. While there, she
ulations that protect Okla- completed her Master’s in Business Administration from
homa’s wildlife resources. OSU with a focus in Human Resources, Business Law and
Game wardens are certified Accounting. She then transitioned to Director of Policy
peace officers sworn to pro- and Communications for the Secretary of Environment and
tect wildlife and the public’s then Chief of Administration, CFO at the Oklahoma Water
interests in the outdoors. Resources Board. Recently she was with YMCA of Greater
As Chief, Erdman oversees the division of about 120 peo- Oklahoma City.
ple, the largest of the Department’s five divisions.
“I’m just lucky I’ve got 117 of the finest employees that I Bill Dinkines, Chief of Wildlife
could ever want,” he said. “I’m up here to work for them; try- Bill Dinkines has been
ing to make sure that they have everything that they need.” promoted to Chief of the
Erdman said he knew early in his life that he wanted to Wildlife Division. He pre-
work as a game warden. “I grew up in the country, hunting viously served as Assistant
and fishing.” Chief of Wildlife since 2000.
Erdman earned a fish and wildlife management degree The Wildlife Division has
at Northeastern State University, and was hired as a game about 90 technicians and
warden shortly after he graduated. His first assignment was biologists who are respon-
in Beaver County in the Panhandle, where he spent 13 years. sible for management,
He then transferred to his home Okfuskee County in 2007. maintenance, research and
A year later, he was promoted to Supervisor in District 4, conservation activities on
where he worked until becoming assistant chief in 2016. He more than 100 Wildlife Man-
has worked for the Wildlife Department for 24 years. agement Areas. They also
provide assistance to land-
Amanda D. Storck, Chief Financial Officer and owners in managing wildlife.
Chief of Administration “It is an honor and a privi-
Amanda D. Storck has lege to work with and for the
joi n e d t h e Ok l a hom a great employees we have in Wildlife Division. We have
Department of Wildlife accomplished many things in my 29 years with ODWC, and
Conservation as the Chief I’m excited to see what we can do in the years to come not
Financial Officer and Chief only conserving wildlife and but also ensuring future gener-
of Administration. ations have the same opportunities to enjoy the outdoors as
“I am pleased to come we have,” Dinkines said.
back to work for the citizens Born and raised in Oklahoma, he developed an appreciation
of the great state of Okla- for the outdoors from childhood experiences hunting, fishing,
homa supporting the staff camping, and time spent outdoors with his father. He knew at
operations of the servants at a young age he wanted to work for the Wildlife Department.
ODWC that manage and pro- After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlife
tect fish and wildlife, along ecology at Oklahoma State University, he joined the Depart-
with their habitats.” Fifteen ment in 1991 doing telephone surveys. Six months later, he
years of her state career have was hired as the Southeast Region Wildlife Biologist. In
been focused on the State’s 1996, he became Southeast Region Wildlife Supervisor.
natural resources. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and “I have always said this really isn’t a job, it’s a passion, and
look forward to addressing some of the top initiatives the a blessing to get to do what we do!”

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