Press release [Dec. 28, 2001A]

For more information, contact Melissa Cummings, Sr. Public Relations and Information Specialist - (770) 918-6400 Lisa Doty, Public Affairs Coordinator - (770) 918-6400
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MATT THOMAS APPOINTED AS NEW WRD REGIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR FOR COASTAL GEORGIA
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (December 28, 2001) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) recently selected Matt Thomas as the new Fisheries Management Regional Supervisor for Region VII. He fills the position left vacant by Carl Hall, who recently retired. Region VII encompasses the coastal area of Georgia.
"The Division is pleased with the appointment of Matt Thomas to Regional Supervisor and looks forward to the leadership he will offer in this part of the state," says WRD Chief of Fisheries Management Chuck Coomer. "Matt's extensive experience and proven record of achievement with the Fisheries Section make him an excellent choice for this position."
A WRD Fisheries Management Regional Supervisor must be able to perform several duties, including supervising the planning and implementation of studies and projects on all state waters within the region, supervising regional staff and overseeing technical assistance activities. He also must be able to prepare and administer the regional budget and federal aid program requirements, prepare recommendations for new laws and regulations and supervise regional activities to educate and communicate information about fisheries programs and aquatic resource issues to the public.
Thomas began his career with WRD in 1991 as a Fisheries Biologist in Region VI (Southeast Georgia). He became a Sr. Fisheries Biologist in 1995 while working for Region V (Southwest Georgia) where he remained until this recent promotion. He has served as past president for the Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and has more than ten years experience working on fisheries issues in Coastal plain rivers. Thomas has been involved in restoration efforts of the Gulf Coast striped bass in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin and fishery and water resource issues in the Flint River basin. He also has worked on the management of sportfish such as shoal bass and sportfish monitoring in southeast Georgia rivers. Thomas holds a bachelor's degree in Economic Zoology and a master's degree in Fisheries Biology from Clemson University.
For more information, contact the WRD Fisheries Management Office in Region VII at (912) 7272112. ###