In October of 2008, Geoffrey Haskett assumed his duties as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska Regional Director. Haskett brings a wide range of experience to the job; experience gained both within the Service and without, and both in Alaska and elsewhere in the United States. Most recently, he served in Washington, D.C. as the Assistant Director for the National Wildlife Refuge System. He came to that position from the Service’s Southwest Region, where he was Deputy Regional Director since 1997.

Haskett served as the Assistant Regional Director for Refuges and Wildlife in the Southeast Region from 1994 to 1997. In this capacity, he was responsible for directing the Service's wildlife and realty activities for the National Wildlife Refuge System in the 10 Southeastern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and also served as Geographic Assistant Regional Director for the Region's Southeastern ecosystems.

Before that, Haskett served in the Service's Washington Office from 1988 to 1994, originally as Branch Chief of Operations for the Division of Realty, and ultimately serving for 3 years as the Chief of Realty for the Service, and Secretary to the Department of the Interior's Migratory Bird Commission.

From 1985 to 1988, Haskett worked for the National Park Service in Alaska as a Supervisory Realty Officer, where he served as Deputy for the Alaska Lands Program. From 1980 to 1984, he was responsible for the Bureau of Land Management's Realty and Resource Program for 3.5 million acres of public land in the Burns District, high desert country of Oregon. He started work with the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1979 in the Portland Regional Office.

Geoffrey Haskett holds a master's degree in public administration (1980), is a graduate of BLM's Oregon/Washington Management Development Program (1985), completed the Federal Executive Institute's Leadership for a Democratic Society (1993), completed the Center for Creative Leadership Development Program (1997), and attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executive Fellows in 2001. Mr. Haskett was also the recipient of the Secretary of the Interior's Meritorious Service Honor Award in 2003.

Gary Edwards is currently the Deputy Regional Director for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s, Alaska Region.  He has served in that capacity since May of 1999.  Gary began his career with the Fish and Wildlife Service in August of 1983 in Washington, D.C., when he left the State of Arizona to take the position of Deputy Associate Director for Fisheries.  In 1989, he became the Assistant Director for Fisheries, a position he held until going to Alaska.

Before joining the Service, Gary worked 18 years for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.  He started his career with the State as a Wildlife Manager along the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Colorado.  He held several positions with the Department and was the Deputy Chief of the Wildlife Management Division when he left to join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1993.  In addition to his State and Federal Service, Gary served 31 years in the Army National Guard, for the State of Arizona and the District of Columbia.  He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1997.

Gary earned his B.S. degree from the University of Arizona and a M.S. degree from Arizona State University.  His thesis was titled, “Life History of Striped Bass in the Colorado River.”  He is also a graduate of Command and General Staff College, which he completed in residence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Other accomplishments include: published research that lead to Arizona’s Urban Fishing Program; development of the National Recreational Fisheries Policy and corresponding Executive Order on Recreational Fisheries; establishments of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, of which he served as the first Co-Chair; and development of Executive Order 13112, Invasive Species.

Gary is married and he and his wife Jan have two sons.

Last updated: March 6, 2009