Greg Siekaniec will return to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in August 2016 as the agency’s Regional Director for Alaska.

Siekaniec, who had been with the Service for more than 20 years, previously served as the agency’s Deputy Director for Policy, before leaving the Service in 2012 to assume the leadership of Ducks Unlimited Canada, one of Canada’s most prominent conservation organizations.

In his capacity as Regional Director, Siekaniec will oversee the direction and day-to-day operations of the Alaska Region, the only FWS Region to manage a single state. The Region's National Wildlife Refuge system is massive, accounting for more than 50 percent percent of all refuge land managed by the agency.

Siekaniec started his career at J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge as a refuge clerk and moved up into management positions in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming in addition to Alaska.

He was also Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System from 2009 to 2011, when he led efforts to meet the challenges of the 21st century, efforts that are now being implemented and built upon today.

Just before taking the helm of the Refuge System in 2009, Siekaniec spent eight years as the refuge manager of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses more than 2,500 islands and nearly five million acres. As refuge manager, he led partnership-driven efforts to restore island biodiversity and rid islands of destructive invasive species – foxes and rats – that had nearly eradicated native seabirds and other wildlife.

Siekaniec earned a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana. He and wife Janelle continue to relish their time outdoors and look forward to returning to the wilds of Alaska.

Last updated: July 2016