Arizona Senate Confirms Appointment of Kurt Davis to Arizona Game and Fish Commission
OutdoorHub 01.12.12
Phoenix, AZ– The Arizona Senate on Jan. 11 confirmed Gov. Jan Brewer’s appointment of Kurt R. Davis as the newest member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.
“Kurt possesses a wealth of expertise in government, communications and business,” said Gov. Brewer at the time she made the appointment on Dec. 8. “In addition to an eclectic professional background, Kurt is both well-liked and well-versed in issues affecting the Arizona outdoors. He will be a tremendous asset to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.”
An avid hunter and angler, Davis is currently a founding partner at FirstStrategic Communications & Public Affairs, where he specializes in strategic public policy development for nonprofit clients, issues relating to rural Arizona, and government relations. He also is on the board of directors of Great Hearts Academies, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and ASU’s Ramsey Executive Program for Public Policy.
Prior to forming FirstStrategic, Davis served as the vice president of public affairs & marketing at Northern Arizona University. Earlier, he was vice president of public affairs & corporate communications at Rural/Metro, a company that provides fire and ambulance services to communities across the country.
Before joining Rural/Metro, Davis was a deputy chief of staff and executive assistant in the office of former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In that role, he had direct oversight of executive agencies such as the departments of Transportation and Corrections. He has also served as director of intergovernmental affairs & issues analysis at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, and executive director of the Arizona Republican Party.
Davis has held a variety of state and federal appointments, including with the Arizona Board of Regents and Arizona State Board of Charter Schools, as well as with the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. He received a Bachelor of Science from Northern Arizona University in 1984.
Davis will replace outgoing Commission Chair Robert Woodhouse on the commission.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is composed of five members (serving staggered five-year terms) appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. No more than one commissioner may be from any one county. No more than three may be from the same political party. The commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Since its inception in 1929, this organizational structure has served as a buffer for the best interests of science-driven wildlife conservation during eight decades of back-and-forth political change.
To learn more about the Game and Fish Commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.
