National Wildlife Refuge Association Hires Boylan
OutdoorHub 07.10.14
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is pleased to welcome Mike Boylan to the staff as the new Regional Representative for Region Seven. Boylan is based in Eagle River, Alaska and will be facilitating communication between the Region, local NGOs, other nonprofits, the local community, and the Refuge Association about issues dealing with Government Affairs and Conservation Programs.
“Mike’s extensive background working with the Refuge System, and his expertise in the challenges that Alaska refuges face make him the perfect fit as our Region 7 Representative,” said David Houghton, President of the Refuge Association. “Mike has a unique understanding of the refuge system and will be an outstanding asset to the Refuge Association team.”
After a 35-year career working for the National Wildlife Refuge System in Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, California, Alaska, and the D.C. Headquarters, Mike retired as Refuge Supervisor in Alaska in December 2012. In his 12 years as Refuge Supervisor, Mike provided guidance on management strategies, policies, budgets, and personnel decisions to 12 of Alaska’s 16 refuges including such iconic landscapes as Arctic, Yukon Delta, Kodiak, Kenai, and Alaska Maritime. Boylan was responsible for overseeing 60 million acres of Alaska’s 80 million acres of refuges and had provided leadership on many different initiatives. Boylan also helped form a consortium of federal and state agencies to support the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) of the University of Alaska to recruit and educate Native students in wildlife biology leading to careers in the Service and other agencies, businesses, and organizations. B
oylan was awarded the Department of Interior’s Meritorious Service Award in 2009. Prior to returning to Alaska, Boylan was the Refuge System’s first Chief of Visitor Services in the Washington HQ and helped develop the Friends Initiative, the CARE group, and the original publication, Banking on Nature: The Economic Benefits to Local Communities of National Wildlife Refuge System Visitation. He assisted the Service’s International Affairs Program by hosting training opportunities in the U.S. and led Service delegations to China and Russia.
“I am looking forward to taking on this new challenge with the Refuge Association while continuing to support and advance the National Wildlife Refuge System in a Region that I am already so connected with.”
Mr. Boylan has a B.A. in Journalism from Wayne State University, M.S. in Ecology from Ohio State University, and MPA in Public Policy from University of Southern California. His interest in wildlife viewing and photography has taken him to Ecuador and the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Brazil, Nepal, Tanzania, and South Africa. He lives in Eagle River, Alaska, 30 miles from Anchorage on a 6 acre mountain hideaway within the 500,000 acre Chugach State Park.
Boylan can be reached at mboylan@refugeassociation.org or 202-417-3803 ex. 22.
