BROOKINGS – The secretary of Game, Fish and Parks, Kevin Robling, will be the guest speaker at an infolunch held by the Brookings Wildlife Federation at noon Friday at the Outdoor Adventure Center at 2810 22nd Ave. S.

Robling has led the GFP for about one year. He will bring the Brookings group up to date on GFP programs and policies, and reflect on his first year as head of the GFP.

Robling, a farm boy from Lydia, Minnesota, said, “My father introduced me to the outdoors and took me hunting and fishing starting at a very young age. When I was 12 years old, I remember learning about wildlife biology through 4-H, and I have pursued that passion ever since.”

Robling earned a master’s degree (2008) from South Dakota State University, studying deer with Jon Jenks. Robling has worked for GFP as a wildlife biologist (Sioux Falls), and big game biologist (Rapid City), a special projects coordinator for GFP in Pierre, then deputy secretary for several years, then interim secretary, and finally as secretary.

He received several performance awards from GFP and was named the 2016 Wildlife Manager of the Year by the South Dakota Bowhunter’s Association.

“It is our job as a department to conserve our state’s outdoor heritage, connect people to the outdoors, and to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations,” he said.

The BWF is affiliated with the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation. The BWF is in its 42nd year of supplying conservation information and activities to the Brookings community. For more information, contact BWF President Bob Kurtz at 605-695-1361.