AFWA Welcomes Kurt Thiede as the New Chief Operating Officer

Washington D.C. (January 7, 2026) The Affiliation of Fish & Wildlife Companies (Affiliation) is happy to announce that  Kurt Thiede has accepted the place of Chief Working Officer, efficient January 1, 2026.  

Mr. Thiede has spent the previous 5 years because the Director of Authorities Affairs with the Affiliation and can retain the  Authorities Affairs portfolio till a substitute may be discovered. Previous to working for the Affiliation, Thiede spent 18 years  with the Wisconsin Division of Pure Assets- serving because the Deputy Secretary from 2015 to 2017 and served as  the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Safety Company Area 5. All through his 20-year state and  federal profession he has promoted collaboration, artistic problem-solving, commonsense decision-making, and energetic  stakeholder engagement. 

“This can be a high-profile management place of immense significance to the work of the Affiliation and state fish and wildlife  businesses,” stated Paul Johansen, Chief of the Wildlife Assets Part of the West Virginia Division of Pure Assets  and President of the Affiliation. “Kurt Thiede has a powerful dedication to, and file of success in, managing the  vital work of the Affiliation.” 

“Kurt is a considerate skilled and collaborative chief that has been instrumental to the success of the Affiliation’s  authorities affairs workforce over the previous 5 years,” stated Ron Regan, Govt Director of the Affiliation. “I’m excited to  see him thrive on this new and difficult function on the Affiliation.” 

“I’m very excited to tackle the Chief Working Officer duties for the Affiliation,” stated Thiede. “I’ve the  utmost respect for the roles of states in managing the fish and wildlife inside their jurisdictions and have loved  representing their pursuits with coverage makers in Washington, DC. As COO I sit up for making certain that the mission,  imaginative and prescient, values and enterprise of the Affiliation is performed with integrity to fulfill the wants and expectations of our  group and our members.” 

Mr. Thiede has a Bachelor of Science diploma in wildlife administration and biology from the College of Wisconsin-Stevens  Level, and in 2016 he acquired an excellent alumnus award from their college of pure assets. He’s knowledgeable  member of the Boone and Crockett Membership. He’s energetic within the open air and enjoys looking, fishing, tenting, hen watching,  pictures, and mountain climbing along with his spouse, and three youngsters.

The Affiliation of Fish & Wildlife Companies represents North America’s fish and wildlife businesses to advance sound, science primarily based administration and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats within the public curiosity. The Affiliation represents  its state company members on Capitol Hill and earlier than the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation  coverage and funding and works to make sure that all entities work collaboratively on an important points. The Affiliation  additionally supplies member businesses with coordination providers on cross-cutting in addition to species-based packages that vary 

from birds, fish habitat and power growth to local weather change, wildlife motion plans, conservation schooling, management  coaching and worldwide relations. Working collectively, the Affiliation’s member businesses are making certain that North American  fish and wildlife administration has a transparent and collective voice.