Governor Dennis Daugaard has chosen Kelly Hepler as the next secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. He replaces Jeff Vonk, who retires in January.
Kelly Hepler was born and raised in west river South Dakota. He went to college in Montana and has spent his career working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, currently serving as assistant commissioner. Nathan Sanderson is Governor Daugaard’s Director of Policy and Operations. He says South Dakota will benefit from Hepler’s experience in Alaska.
“Their fishing industry alone is a five billion dollar industry,” Sanderson says. “And that was one of his main areas of responsibility for several years. And so he understands budgeting, he understands how to work with really large projects, he understands how to work with a variety of different stakeholders to achieve positive results for everybody. I think that there are just a variety of aspects of his experience that are going to fit in really well here in South Dakota.”
Sanderson says Hepler will most likely begin his job as Game Fish and Parks Secretary in February or March.