Wendy Corr:
Well, hey there, folks, welcome to The Roundup. We're a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and our focus is on interesting people in the Cowboy State. Today, what an interesting person with an amazing career, and we're able to celebrate the career of this gentleman here on our podcast today.
First though, I want to make sure that you all know about the Wyoming Business Alliance, Business From the Basement podcast. It is a fantastic resource for anybody who is a business person here in Wyoming. If you have any questions, if you've got ideas, if you've got issues, stop by, take a listen to the business from the base podcast. They are just a great resource there at the Wyoming Business Alliance. So check them out.
But first you want to check this out. You want to check us out here on The Roundup, because we're talking today to Brian Nesvik. Brian just wrapped up a 30 year career in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. On top of that, he's also been a career National Guardsman, and so we get to talk to him about being a part of both of these really important, important organizations here in Wyoming.
And I just have to say, welcome, Brian and congratulations on your retirement. I hear it's going well!
Brian Nesvik:
It is, Wendy, and thank you for the opportunity to come and visit with you here today.
Wendy Corr:
Well, we are thrilled to have you on. And Brian, I want to tell people you're coming to us from Glendo, Wyoming, and there's not a whole lot of people that are there in Glendo, so you get to celebrate and really be a part of that. This is a place that's important to your family history.
Tell us about your place there in Glendo.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah. So my wife grew up on her long time family ranch here, just west of Glendo. It's been in the family for over 100 years, and we had the the fortune to be able to come here and start our own ranching operation here a little over a year ago and and so that's what we do, just here, here, west of Glendo, it's a great place to be.
Wendy Corr:
So you went from managing wild animals to managing tame animals. What's, what's your operation there?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, so we, we have a cow calf operation. And, you know, there's an opportunity to, like, a lot of, like, really, all ranchers in Wyoming, you have an opportunity to manage your land for both wildlife and for domestic animal production, and we certainly do that here, and have a tremendous value for wildlife and provide a lot of wildlife habitat.
Wendy Corr:
Wow. So you get to continue the work that you started 30 years ago. Let's go back real quickly. Let's go back 30 years and you saying, I think, I think I want to become a game warden for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Tell us about that decision. Where were you at in your life? Where you said because you were already in the National Guard by then, right?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, actually, I had made this decision when I was a 14 year old kid, that this is what I wanted to do. So that was before I joined the Guard. But I actually wanted to join the guard then too. My dad served, and my grandfather served in World War Two, and so I always had that desire to be able to serve in multiple ways.
But I literally, I was always fascinated with the outdoors and with wildlife, and I’ll never forget it. I was in Deer Creek Park, south of Casper, Wyoming when I was 14, I was on my first deer hunt. At that time, you had to be 14. It's now it's 12, but at that time, had to be 14 in order to hunt big game.
And it was my first hunt, and I was with my father and one of his longtime friends, and we had interaction with the game warden, and I listened to him talk to my father and his friend about what his day looked like, and about, you know, his office, which was the outdoors, and his pickup truck.
And I left that conversation that day, and I said, ‘You know what? I want to be a Wyoming Game Warden.’ And I focused on that.
Wendy Corr:
So that was your goal from then on. Tell us then about your path to get there. What, did you go to college? What was your path there?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah. So I went to the University of Wyoming and earned a degree in wildlife and fisheries biology and management, and then when I graduated - actually, at that time, they only offered the game warden exam every other year because there just weren't that many openings, and so I had to wait a year.
I went to work as a deputy sheriff in Albany County, and then took the game warden exam and was offered a job as basically a trainee, and started out as a game warden, and then worked all over the state as the game warden and worked my way up through the ranks.
Wendy Corr:
Now, you went and you got your degree in biology, in wildlife biology - tell us about the difficulties you had. My understanding is that, you mentioned it, you just referenced it, the fact that there weren't that many openings. It was really a difficult thing to be able to get into the game and fish department at that time. But, that changed over time. Tell us about that.
Brian Nesvik:
It really did. So when I went the first time to go take that exam, I walked into the of the auditorium at the Wyoming Department of Transportation in Cheyenne, and there were hundreds of people in there taking the test. And they were planning to hire 10 seasonal employees out of those hundreds of people. And so it was very competitive.
I was very fortunate and got offered a job after that experience, but then you really had to keep competing for your job each year until you got a permanent Game Warden district. And at that time, it took from the time I was first hired till there was an opening, it was three years before a game warden retired. And then I was fortunate enough to get that first opening that came.
And, yeah, I went to the Law Enforcement Academy during that time, and then started out in my very first game warden district in Elk Mountain, Wyoming.
Wendy Corr:
How did that experience - going to Law Enforcement Academy? How did that then serve you later on in your career as a game warden?
Brian Nesvik:
Well, I think, as most folks know in Wyoming, you know game wardens, about a third of their responsibility, a third of their time is law enforcement and making sure that folks follow all the wildlife laws and regulations. And then in Wyoming, Game Wardens have the responsibility for boating law enforcement as well.
And so it's certainly a critical part of your training in order to be well suited and to be good at enforcing Wyoming laws, to go to the Law Enforcement Academy. Game Wardens in Wyoming are certified peace officers. And so it's, it's a necessary requirement.
Wendy Corr:
That's so interesting. I don't know that very many people know that. And so, I think that's fascinating. How long were you in the game and fish department as a warden before you chose to change the angle in which you served in that department?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah. So I served as a warden in Elk Mountain, and then Pinedale, and then I went to Cody as a supervisor. And at that point in time I was about 15 years in my career, and the chief game warden at that time had been in that position for 22 years, and the one before him was 18 years.
And that job came open when Governor Mead was elected, and I had the opportunity again to compete for that job. And I thought, You know what? I love where I was at in Cody, but I thought this might be the only chance I have to do it.
And so I threw my name in the hat, and I got selected to be the Chief Game Warden. And that's when I moved to Cheyenne and really shifted from field work to more policy and Cheyenne headquarters kind of work.
Wendy Corr:
Did you regret that? Because, I mean, that takes you out of that great outdoors and puts you behind a desk. Is that something that, at the time, you thought, you know, this is worth it, I can do this. And this is for the good of everybody.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, and it was a hard decision, because I was in my dream area of Cody, and I love working in the field and being outside. But I also, you know, I really enjoyed and I had opportunities through the military to to lead, and to have, you know, impact at a bigger scale.
I love my state. I thought, you know, this is an opportunity to really influence wildlife management at a bigger scale. And so I don't regret the decision at all. It was difficult, though, to leave the field and go into more of the policy world.
Wendy Corr:
I remember when you were in Cody, and I was thinking when you left, and I'm like, oh, no, he was doing such a great job for us up here. Well, we are thrilled that you felt the calling to do that. Because administration really is a calling. It's something that you have to feel like there's an overarching purpose for what you do.
And so looking back then, now that you're there, you're in Cheyenne. You're making these changes with policy. When you got that big job, when you got the head of the game and fish department, not only do you have an impact, but you also have a big - target's the wrong word, but you get to deal with all of the good and the bad and all of the things that happen. And you've had quite a few of those challenges in your roles.
I mean, the most public one that I can think of right now, of course, is Cody Roberts and all of that, and you had to deal with the fallout of that, along with so many other things. Tell us about some of the really big issues that you dealt with while you were the head of the Game and Fish Department.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah. So certainly everything around the Endangered Species Act and Wolf and grizzly bear management, and you know, the pull and push between federal and state management. You know that was one of my biggest challenges and frustrations.
At times, we really had the opportunity to play out, though, and show success with wolf reintroduction and management, because now, you know, wolves have been delisted. I was a big part of that, wolves being delisted and falling under state management. And now the wolf population in Wyoming is doing well. It exceeds the minimum recovery criteria set by the federal government, and it's going very well.
And then on the converse of that, you know, you have the grizzly bear issue, where they're, by all accounts and measures, fully biologically recovered. But it has just been, it has been quite the challenge to get those critters back into where I think they belong, under the management of the state, so that the state can manage them, just like they do gray wolves.
Wendy Corr:
And you were actually in the game and fish department as part of it - just a game warden when the wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone. Is that correct? Do I have my timing on that correct?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, just at the very beginning. So the year I started is the year they were reintroduced, the first group was reintroduced in Yellowstone. So, yeah, I got to see it play out, the whole thing play out. And I remember all the controversy around how they went about reintroducing them into the state and then watched as the population grew, and there became conflicts.
And so it was really interesting to watch that play out, and then find success in the end. It was the rewarding part of it.
Wendy Corr:
It's the long game. It really is the long game, which, when you are in administration, as you were, that's kind of what you're playing, right? Is the long game for not just those predatory species, but also for the other species under your management?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, absolutely everything - you know, things that you do today for wildlife management, oftentimes you don't see the effect of that decision for decades. You know, I think of habitat work, you know, we spend a lot of time and money on improving and enhancing habitats, and you oftentimes don't see that manifest itself in productive wildlife habitat for decades. So it is the long game, for sure.
Wendy Corr:
It is the long game. So let's move, let's shift our focus away from those really exciting carnivores, the grizzly bears and the wolves, and talk about the things that you're also trying to do, which is manage species like deer and elk and antelope and things like that.
I think particularly about a couple of winters ago, when we had that terrible, terrible winter kill. How did that affect you and your job and the way that you managed wildlife for the next couple of years?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah. Well, I'll tell you, the challenging part of that wasn't the biological part, because - and that's oftentimes the case in the director's job, is, you know, the actual biological components are, it's based in science. It's pretty straightforward. It's the people part and public expectation that becomes the more challenging parts of it.
And so that was with that particular bad winter, you know, I’ve never seen anything like that in my lifetime. I've lived here my whole life. Many people had never seen that kind of an impact in one winter. So a lot of the challenge was to try to create the right expectations for the public about, how long are we going to have to wait to see recovery, and what things are we going to have to do without. At the same time, you know, doing something that just doesn't make a lot of sense.
I remember a lot of folks, they want to do something. They saw this and they were devastated, and they want to do something to try to fix it, you know, like fix it now. And there was a lot of push to do things, like feeding things, that didn't make biological sense.
And so that was the challenge, is trying to manage the public expectation, make sure we were doing the right things on the ground, to try to speed up that recovery the best we could. And I think at the end of the day, we navigated through that well, but I won't forget it. It was a challenge for sure.
Wendy Corr:
And your successor now is having to deal with - because you left on September 11 of this year, that was your last official day as the director of the game and fish department, and that was before the big fires that devastated so much habitat in the Northeast and the northwest part of Wyoming.
Tell us, you know, I'm sure you're like, ‘Oh no, I empathize. And I'm so sorry that you have to go through this.’ What do you think? What is she going to have to go through and deal with, with that situation?
Brian Nesvik:
Well, I think that the biggest challenge that they're going to face with that particular set of fires is invasive species and things like cheatgrass and Ben Nata and Medusa head, they thrive in disturbed areas.
So when fire happens, it actually really helps those species become more prevalent, and I know that her and the governor and the rest of the cabinet have been working on and looking at what they're going to do to try to provide the right resources to try to prevent, you know, large outbreaks of additional - we already had a problem before, and now this will exacerbate the problem.
But I do know that we were even having some of these meetings with the cabinet before I left to talk about addressing invasive species. And I think that they're on a good path to try to figure out how to provide the resources and do that.
You know, the other things that are more short term is just displacement of wildlife into places where they weren't before. I think that, you know, potentially for the effects of this fire, from what I've seen, you know, there were some parts that were really hot and will take a lot longer to recover, but much of the area that was burned will recover, you know, within a couple of years.
I really hope it does, especially for the benefit of those agricultural producers that were devastated by that. I really emphasized with those folks, and with the hundreds of miles of fence they got to rebuild and having to buy a bunch of emergency hay. And so anyway, tthey've got their work cut out for them, but I think they're on the right path.
Wendy Corr:
I find it so interesting, because invasive species, I think of Russian olives, I think of things like that. And so for me, that does not seem like something that would be of a great concern to the game and fish department. That seems like more BLM and things like that. But obviously all of that works together.
And so you as the director, and Angi Bruce now as the new director, have to work with all of these various agencies.
How was that for you, over your career, and making those connections and working with all of these state, federal, local agencies. That's something that I don't think a lot of people think about when we think Game and Fish.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, and it is a huge part of the job, and it's - and actually Angi, a lot of her portfolio, before she was the director, was to handle a lot of that stuff. She was my deputy. She handled a lot of external relationships and interactions with the federal and state agencies.
And it is very complex, because just by its nature, it's, you know, it's more responsive and quicker when you're interacting with your fellow directors and other state agencies than it is when you're working with the Federal Government, who has a whole completely different set of rules and sideboards they have to follow, and legal complications that make things difficult for them to make quick, on the ground decisions.
But, and I will tell you, you know, over time, there were certainly - with the federal agencies - there were some frustrations. You know, recently it's been very well publicized, the frustrations with some of the decisions, with the Rock Springs, RMP and others.
But I will tell you that one of the most rewarding parts of my work in this last several years was working with the Department of Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, and the NRCS and the Farm Service Agency.
They saw a need and a willingness to work with Wyoming, and they were really good to work with over the last few years, and we were able to put a lot of good conservation on the ground. They provided a lot of dollars, conservation easements, cheatgrass work, fence work, and that was a very rewarding experience to work with that particular set of agencies.
And over time, you know, at the local level, those federal agencies, I'll take the BLM as an example. You know, we had a good relationship with the folks here in Wyoming, and with the state director Raymond Archuleta. But it was complicated a lot of times by decisions that were being made outside of Wyoming and made their jobs and our jobs difficult.
And a lot of that, as you know, was well publicized, but it's a big part of the job, for sure.
Wendy Corr:
I think that's something that, over the years, and my talking with people from your agency and from other federal agencies, we in Wyoming have a great relationship with our local people, with the people that we can see every day, with our local game wardens, with our state representatives, with those things.
But it's always, when it gets higher up, that it becomes more complicated. And so I like the fact that you mentioned that, you know, it's the people here in Wyoming, they're great, but their hands are tied, just like in so many cases, yours are, when you're waiting for something to come from a federal directive.
Brian Nesvik:
That's absolutely right. And you know, just the RMP process alone is, you know, in Rock Springs, it started, I think in 1997, so that that process has been going on for - or I'm sorry it didn't start then, they were working on the ‘97 RMP, and then they started revising it, and 2006 or 2007, something like that, so that it just takes a long time to get federal policy in place.
And I misspoke. I used to work with a gentleman named Raymond Archuleta, but our state director of the BLM is Andrew Archuleta. Apologize for that.
Wendy Corr:
All right, very good. So I want to just real quickly touch on what was the most controversial thing in the last couple years, and just touch on it briefly, because it puts so much attention on Wyoming from national and international, and that was the Cody Roberts scandal issue in Daniel, Wyoming, and the the ripple effect that that had.
How did you, as the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, deal with that? Because you're getting attacked from people who know nothing about what it's like to be here on the ground, and so that, you know, I take that as a pinpoint in time, but also overall, how do you deal with that? Ignorance is is a harsh word, but it truly is. People just don't know what it's like to live and work with these animals in our backyards
Brian Nesvik:
Well, and the one thing that from the start was difficult, and we identified as something that was important to try to really message early on, was that incident was not a - it didn't have a biological impact. And that was one individual who made some very bad decisions, and one individual wolf.
The other thing that was important about that, a takeaway is, that was not predator management, and it was not hunting. Both of those activities in Wyoming, or, you know, hunting is very well regulated, and predator management, by and large, is executed by professionals and folks who are doing it in ethical ways.
And so it was important for us to all work together to message and to make sure we were on the same page, and we were, you know, we had ranchers in the room. We had other state agencies in the room, and we had all interest groups that are hunting organizations. And we, we all pretty, you know, consistently have the same thoughts about the incident.
It's very unfortunate. But this is not Wyoming. This is not wildlife management. This is not predator management. And it so, you know, ultimately, it really, it really maintained a lot of persistence in the public eye for a long period of time, which was challenging, for sure, but at the end of the day, I think that a lot of folks in Wyoming who chose to did learn a lot from the incident.
And I think there's a lot of folks, many outside of Wyoming, that didn't want to learn about it, and still, you know, they just chose to go their own way and to use it as a way to try to advance their own agendas. And so definitely something that I never thought would blow up quite as big as it did.
Wendy Corr:
Social media, and the reach of that, yes, absolutely. Well, we all know how well that you and your agents and the other state agencies handled that and the various groups, and so we're grateful for your leadership at that time. So thank you so much for that.
Speaking of leadership, I want to shift gears away from Game and Fish because I think we all associate you, Brian, with the game and fish department. What we don't associate, I think, on the whole, is the fact that you are a brigadier general with the Wyoming National Guard, and that is huge, but you've done that work quietly.
So tell us about your service in the National Guard. You took two tours overseas, you were in Iraq and you were in Kuwait, and tell me about that experience for you, and how maybe Wyoming and being from Wyoming was a benefit for you, psychologically, emotionally.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, absolutely. So it was, you know, that was a dual career that I wouldn't change a thing about it either. I retired, and I guess it's been two or three years ago. I can't remember. Time flies.
But, you know, I always had that desire to serve in that way. And I love the mission of the guard, because it was a federal mission and a state mission. You got to help the folks at home, but also stand ready in case that you're called upon to serve federally.
And you know, my whole first half of my career, the guard did not serve on federal missions. I mean, the guard largely was absent from Vietnam, and from Vietnam until the desert or the Gulf War and early 90s, there really wasn't any kind of guardsmen. Just didn't get deployed overseas.
And that really shifted after 9/11 and so I saw that change throughout my career. A lot of folks that I enlisted with never expected to be deployed, and boy, one day, we got a call, and it was when I commanded my unit on the first tour.
It was a short notice deal. I think we had about five weeks and a lot of unknowns. We were headed to Baghdad, Iraq, and at that time, it was very volatile. We were being sent on a mission that we had not trained for. We were artillerymen, and they sent us to be security forces and to do convoy security.
And, you know, the really cool part, it was one of the biggest challenges of my life, for sure, because of the uncertainty. And, you know, unlike other leadership positions when you're commanding a unit in combat, your decisions each and every day may mean somebody lives or dies, and that weight is tremendous. It's very difficult to even describe.
But I was able to go with 180 great Wyoming patriots, and I can tell you that the Wyoming units consistently - and this isn't just by Nesvik measure, but by others - always performed extremely well.
And we showed up there - for a unit our size, the average number of wounded in action was 17, and the average number of killed in action was three. And we, we didn't lose anybody, you know, we certainly had some wounded, but we didn't lose anybody. We brought everybody home.
And I learned a lot that really helped shape my leadership philosophy in the way that I led throughout the rest of my military and Game and Fish career. At the time, you know, it was very tough and challenging, but I wouldn't change any of that, either.
You know, those families, or those soldiers and my family, they endure a lot, but I think at the end of the day, it makes everybody stronger. It did make the second time I deployed, which was about four years later - I will tell you those experiences there set me up, and more prepared me for the second time, and it wasn't nearly as volatile and it wasn't nearly as uncertain the second time around.
And I had more responsibility. I commanded a battalion, and so I had 680 soldiers, and they weren't all from Wyoming. I had them from Hawaii and well, all over the country, but that actually was, by and large, not as difficult, because the theater was more developed, and I knew what to expect.
But it all was, you know, an absolute honor to be able to serve the people of Wyoming, with Wyoming soldiers and citizens. The absolute honor in my life to be able to do that. So I don't regret any of it. It was great. I love to lead.
And so when I did get back from that last tour, I continued to serve and and like you said, ultimately ended up being able to be the assistant adjunct General for the state and command the Army National Guard, which was a hell of an opportunity, for sure.
Wendy Corr:
That's phenomenal. How long were your deployments, Brian, for both those?
Brian Nesvik:
So the first one was about 15 months total time gone, and the second one was 12 months.
Wendy Corr:
So you all left families at home, and they had to deal with those deployments. And how did that shape your family and your and your relationships with your family?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, well, I think it made us all a lot stronger. It was definitely challenging. There were hurdles along the way. When I left on the first one, my youngest daughter was three weeks old, and so that whole first year of her life, I knew her through video and pictures.
And at that time, Skype was the thing. And so occasionally I could get on Skype and see them. But you know, it was definitely challenging for everybody, but at the end of the day, it made everybody stronger, too, and really appreciate what we have, and appreciate the country we live in, and appreciate those people that live next to us. You know, in Wyoming.
Wendy Corr:
That's fantastic. We're getting close to the end of our time here, so I want to give you a chance to celebrate. We want to celebrate some of the greatest joys that you had in your 30 year career with Game and Fish, and your 35 year career with the Wyoming National Guard.
What were some of the highlights, the things that you carry with you every day? That just make everything that you've done worth it.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, so I, you know, I think going back a long ways to just the opportunity to work in the field. One of the things that I really found that I was fairly good at early on was being able to protect wintering mule deer, and I had the opportunity to catch a lot of bad guys that were trying to steal wildlife.
And I absolutely, you know, those are - on a grand scale, when you start comparing it to migration policy for the whole state, I mean, it's a much smaller kind of an impact, but there was a lot of short term reward in that to being able to go out and protect those critters that our state, people of our state value so much, you know.
And when you're in a job like that, where you're out and about, over the years, I had several times where I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I was able to save somebody's life. And that, that's something that you don't ever forget.
And having the opportunity to work with, you know, incredible teams and build incredible teams. The people at Game and Fish are just outstanding people. I can't say enough about that. When I think back, I think about people and those folks that I got to work with. I loved this whole study of leadership and what makes people tick, and how some people lead differently than others. And so I did.
I was able to participate in building a couple different leadership development programs, one nationally, one regionally, in the West, and then one in Wyoming. And I really enjoyed that work. That was something that you can really see the fruits of your labor from, you know, and it's a long game thing too.
But those were definitely some of the things- you know, the migration corridor policy that we ended up being able to get put in place in Wyoming is one of Governor Gordon's highest priorities when he came into office, and we were able to navigate through some very diverse opinions and a lot of different stakeholders, and able to get something in place that is the Wyoming way, and has worked really well.
That certainly comes as a highlight of the work we did on building all these wildlife crossings in the state. I mean, that's a lifetime kind of work. It's really cool to see that stuff happen. That's a lot of fun.
And it kind of, you know, it mitigates the effects of all those other things that I used to tell people, you know, the problems that land on my desk are the ones that nobody else could solve, and some of them you really don't want to mess with, that you’ve got to. So those are the ones that come to mind, Wendy.
Wendy Corr:
That is fantastic. That's awesome. Two more topics I really want to touch on. Number one, we talked about how when you first joined Game and Fish and you applied for Game and Fish, it was almost impossible to get into the Game and Fish Department. Now there's staff openings all the time. What would you tell people about the joys, and encourage people to consider a career with Wyoming Game and Fish Department?
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, I'll tell you that, you're right. Things have definitely changed, and the demographic or the way that you know this generation, the work, the generation that's entering the workforce now views careers and what they do every day, they view it differently than when I started.
And so what I would tell those folks is, is that this work in wildlife outside - it's a long term endeavor. It is a lot of work, and it's not an eight to five Monday through Friday job, but it is extremely rewarding. And you know, we have, while we've had some challenges this last several years, we have continued to hire some exceptional people. And so the future is bright there.
You know, there's a pendulum, and I think this too will come back to where it's fully - you know, right now, the only challenge, really, the biggest challenge in Game and Fish, is with their ability to hire Game Wardens. Most of the other positions are fairly easy to recruit for. They recruit really good people, but Game Wardens have been tough. Turnover has been high. There's been a lot of retirements.
And so, yeah, that's definitely I never thought I would see that in my career, because it was so hard and competitive when I started, and then to have to deal with that challenge at the end was a surprise to me.
Wendy Corr:
So that is something we encourage. If you know a young person, if you know a person who's looking for that direction, who loves being outdoors, apply to be a game warden in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Brian Nesvik:
Absolutely the best decision I ever made. And deciding to marry my wife.
Wendy Corr:
Okay, hey, that's important. Very good. Shout out. Good job. But the other really good decision that you made was to retire when you did. You chose to retire when you did, and it was the right decision for you, and you have an amazing retirement ahead of you. Tell us what's next in your life, Brian.
Brian Nesvik:
Yeah, so, you know, I've taken this last couple of months to spend a lot of time outside, and that's one thing I really missed when I went into the more policy work. And so I do want to continue to serve.
I'm going to continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the wildlife fund. I'm continuing to work on an executive committee for one of the leadership development programs I help start.
And you know, beyond that, I don't know. I'll probably continue to do some stuff. We're going to continue to run our ranching operation here but other than that, I don't know what I might do. I'll be doing something, but it's probably not going to be living in a hotel 50% of my nights and spending 1000s and 1000s of miles in a truck every month.
Wendy Corr:
So you get to actually go back to what you loved in the first place, which is being out there in the outdoors and managing wildlife and your and your ranch!
Brian, this has just been a fantastic conversation. Thank you so much for giving us your time today and for sharing your thoughts with us here on The Roundup. We are grateful for your service, both at the Game and Fish department and at the Wyoming National Guard - and thanks for giving us your years and good luck to you.
Brian Nesvik:
Thank you, Wendy. I sure appreciate the discussion we had here today.
Wendy Corr:
Absolutely. Folks, thank you for tuning in. What a fantastic conversation. I hope you got as much out of it as I did. This has just been a lot of fun.
Don't forget Wyoming Business From the Basement podcast from the Wyoming Business Alliance. Check them out as well.
But until then, come back and see us next week. If you've missed any of these conversations, you can go back on our YouTube channel. You can go to cowboystatedaily.com and you can find any of these conversations. This is conversation number 49 for The Roundup, so you've got lots of material to go back and see what you've missed.
Have a wonderful week. Take care.
