Jamie Anderson Appointed to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Jamie Anderson, a multi-generational aquaculture farmer from Lonoke, has been chosen by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for a seven-year term on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Anderson is co-owner of I.F. Anderson Farm, described by the Encyclopedia of Arkansas as the largest minnow and baitfish operation in the world.

His work extends beyond agriculture. Anderson co-founded the Arkansas Waterfowl Association, a nonprofit that combines conservation with social equity and seeks to expand outdoor education opportunities for underserved youth. Since 2017, he has served on the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Under the previous administration, he received national recognition when President Donald Trump appointed him to the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee, solidifying his reputation as a leading voice in both conservation and community engagement.

Outdoor Education and Conservation in Focus

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Anderson’s appointment on Wednesday, July 9, at the commission’s headquarters in Little Rock. Anderson is the second person she has named to the commission, following the 2024 appointment of her former campaign manager, Chris Caldwell.

In her remarks, the governor pointed to Anderson’s long record of work in conservation and outdoor education, saying his values reflect the priorities of her administration’s recently launched outdoor education initiative. She added that she was confident Anderson would use his term to safeguard and promote Arkansas’s natural resources.

“His passion for the outdoors and for educating young Arkansans ensures he will help build a future where the state’s greatest natural assets remain accessible to everyone,” Sanders said.

From Family Farm to State Commission

Jamie Anderson called his appointment to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission a dream come true, expressing gratitude to Governor Sanders for her confidence. He reflected on his lifelong connection to the state’s natural environment, noting that his bond with the outdoors is not merely recreational but central to both his personal and professional life.

Having spent more than three decades working on his family’s fish farm, Anderson said he has learned that natural resources require careful stewardship to remain sustainable. He praised the Game and Fish Commission as one of the most respected agencies of its kind in the nation.

In a time when some states have politicized agencies responsible for managing natural resources, Anderson said he takes pride in Arkansas’s commitment to what he described as a biological and common-sense approach to conservation.

Advice from Outgoing Commissioner

As Anderson steps into his new role, outgoing commissioner J.D. Neeley offered a simple but meaningful piece of guidance: “listen, listen, listen” to the commission’s staff. He praised their expertise and the breadth of the agency’s work, describing it as remarkable.

Neeley highlighted the commission’s leadership in Arkansas conservation, underscoring the significance of Anderson’s new responsibilities. The advice serves as both a welcome and a reminder of the experience Anderson can draw upon as he begins his term, carrying forward the commission’s mission to protect and promote the state’s natural resources for future generations.