An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission as it is known today was established in 1944. The nine-member board is comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms after being nominated by licensed hunters and anglers, appointed by the Governor, and confirmed by the Kentucky Senate. The Commission meets at least quarterly in Frankfort, and otherwise as needed. Commission members promote fish and wildlife conservation while representing the interests of anglers and hunters. The Commission oversees the Commissioner (agency head) and budget of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly. Legislators must approve all recommendations before they become law.
Dr. Robin Floyd, of Murray, received his appointment as the 1st District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on March 31, 2021.
He was born and raised in western Kentucky, and grew up fishing, hunting and exploring nature on the family farm. Floyd is a radiologist at Murray-Calloway County Hospital. He graduated from Hickman County High School and earned degrees at Murray State University and the University of Kentucky. Floyd resides in Murray with his wife of 30 years, Kamille. They have three grown children and are members of First United Methodist Church in Murray. A long-time board member of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry and Needline of Calloway County, Floyd is also a life member of both the League of Kentucky Sportsmen and the Kentucky Hunter Education Association. His goals on the Commission are to help create more opportunities for, and foster participation in, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities.
First District Counties: Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall, and Trigg counties.
Brian Fisher of Bowling Green received his appointment as the 2nd District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on Dec. 5, 2018.
Brian currently serves as general manager of the Hughes and Coleman law firm, where he is responsible for oversight and management of the company’s operations. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Master of Business Administration degree in 2013. He is a long-standing member of Ducks Unlimited and a member of the National Rifle Association.
Second District Counties: Allen, Butler, Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, Hopkins, Logan, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson, Todd, Union, Warren, and Webster counties.
Ralph Swallows, of Louisville, received his appointment as the 3rd District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on Oct. 25, 2018.
He is a registered investment advisor for the Kentucky Financial Group Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications and Human Relations from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. He sought a seat on the commission out of his love of the outdoors. "I have fished and hunted as long as I can remember, and always loved being in the wild," he said. "We have a wonderful heritage in this state and passing it onto the next generation is of great importance." He founded and organized the Wild Game Feed at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, and has partnered with Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry to help provide more than 1.5 million meals through the promotion of the Sportsman’s Challenge. His memberships include the Fern Creek Sportsman’s Club and the Derby City Fly Fishers. He serves as vice president of the Trevecca University Alumni Board.
Third District Counties: Breckinridge, Bullitt, Jefferson, Meade, Oldham, Shelby, and Spencer counties.
Brian Mackey, of Sonora, received his appointment as the 4th District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on Aug. 14, 2021.
Mackey studied production agriculture at the University of Kentucky and is a retired professional firefighter.
A lifelong hunter and angler, he also farms the same land in Hardin and LaRue counties that he grew up on, striving to incorporate wildlife habitat and management on a working grain and cattle farm.
In 2018, Mackey received the Embry Lay Wildlife Stewardship Award from the Hardin County Natural Resources Conservation Service.
He is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, National Deer Association, Boone and Crockett Club, Appalachian Outdoorsmen’s Association, the Kentucky chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and NRA. He also serves on the board of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry and is a Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports certified coach in Hardin County.
"My goal is the proper management of our resources on private, as well as public land, for future generations."
Fourth District Counties: Adair, Barren, Cumberland, Edmonson, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Hart, Larue, Marion, Metcalfe, Monroe, Nelson, Taylor, and Washington counties.
Josh Lillard, of Hebron, received his appointment as the 5th District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on Aug. 14, 2020.
Lillard is a lifelong resident of Boone County and an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys fly-fishing, hunting, hiking and kayaking, among other activities. A 1996 graduate of Larry A. Ryle High School who holds an associate degree from Thomas More University, Lillard is active in several sportsman’s clubs. He serves as a board member of Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers. In addition, he is president of the Dutchman’s Rod and Gun Club, secretary of the Fifth District Federation of Kentucky Sportsmen and member of Northern Kentucky Quail Forever and Elsmere Sportsman’s Club. "I’m very excited for the opportunity to represent my fellow sportsmen and sportswomen of the Fifth District and for the opportunity to work closer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to help promote the outdoor activities that I have grown to love in our great state," Lillard said. "I hope to inspire others to continue to pass on our traditions of fishing, hunting and trapping to the youths of the Fifth District so that one day they can pass these traditions on to their own children."
Fifth District Counties: Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, and Trimble counties.
Jerry Ferrell, of Richmond, received his appointment as the 6th District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on Nov. 23, 2021.
"I plan to represent the 17 counties in the 6th District to the best of my ability," he said. "I’ve got my job cut out for me, but I’m looking forward to doing it. I’m going to dig in and get this done. I’m passionate about it."
A lifelong angler and small game hunter who participates in bass fishing tournaments throughout Kentucky, Ferrell holds a business administration degree from American National University and graduated from Richmond Madison High School.
He served in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of sergeant, and is a retired controller at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown. In his retirement, he drives a bus for Madison County Schools and works at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Lexington.
Ferrell is the first African American appointed to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission.
"I’m thankful. I feel blessed," he said. "I’m committed, and I want to do this thing right. I want to represent not only being the first Black commission member, but show kids and others that things are possible and dreams do come true. I want to show everybody that this is a moment in time when things are changing for the better for a lot of us."
Sixth District Counties: Anderson, Boyle, Casey, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Powell, Rockcastle, Scott, and Woodford counties.
Paul Horn earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1994. He has worked in Eastern Kentucky for 22 years since college. He has held positions as a mining engineer, chief engineer, and Chief Operating Officer of mining operations. For the past 16 years he has been employed by Booth Energy. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Kentucky Coal Association. Paul is a member of the Auxier Freewill Baptist Church. He is also a member of several local fish and game clubs, as well as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He has enjoyed hunting and fishing since he was a child and wants to ensure the resources of Kentucky’s fish and wildlife for future generations. Paul resides in Prestonsburg with his wife Stacy, and 8-year-old son Derek.
Seventh District Counties: Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Harlan, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike counties.
Doug Morgan, of Morehead, received his appointment as the 8th District representative on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission on May 2, 2019.
A lifelong sportsman, he grew up in Carter County hunting on the family farm and fishing Tygarts Creek. Morgan is past treasurer and past president of the Kentucky Houndsmen Association and served as vice chairman on the State Advisory Committee for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also worked extensively with the Cave Run Kids Fishing Derby, serving as its treasurer for two years. Morgan has been a certified 4-H black powder coach, recipient of the Kentucky Long Rifle Woodsman of the Year award, and National Rifle Association-certified Chief Safety Range Officer. "I am honored to serve the sportsmen and sportswomen of the 8th District," he said. "I look forward to collaborating with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and working alongside my fellow Commission members. Youth involvement is very important, and one of my goals during my term is to enhance opportunities for youth to utilize the outdoor resources in their communities."
Eighth District Counties: Bath, Bourbon, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Lewis, Mason, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Rowan, and Wolfe counties
Dr. Karl D. Clinard, a Pulaski County native, retired in 2014 from his Orthodontic practice. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kentucky and his doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Louisville. He also completed his specialty training in Orthodontics at the University of Louisville. He holds memberships in several sporting organizations including, life memberships in the NRA and Ducks Unlimited. Dr. Clinard serves as a Board of Trustees member of Campbellsville University and as a Deacon at Beacon Hill Baptist Church in Somerset. He has hunted in several states in the lower 48, as well as Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Russia." I am humbled and honored to represent the sportsmen and women of the 9th district. I enjoy working with the other commission members, as well as the dedicated employees of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. I believe we have a common goal of maintaining, improving, and sharing Kentucky's fish and wildlife resources with fellow Kentuckians as well as tourists who visit our great state." Karl and his wife, Tara, have two grown daughters and several grandchildren.
Ninth District Counties: Bell, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne, and Whitley counties.