Warden of the Year

2010 Warden of the Year Jay Harvey

Jay Harvey (center) Oklahoma Warden of the Year

Jay Harvey honored by Shikar Safari and ODWC Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties, received the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Game Warden of the Year Award along with the Shikar Safari Club International's Officer of the Year Award at the November meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission Harvey is active in many projects and programs of the Wildlife Department and has been involved in numerous public outreach events such as the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo, Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program, the Shotgun Training and Education Program and more. Harvey also has served as the Wildlife Department Youth Camp director the last two years and works closely with other Department employees both in the law enforcement division as well as other divisions. Jay is an asset to the Department, and he's made us proud, said Robert Fleenor, law enforcement chief for the Wildlife Department. Jay has community spirit and is a great asset to the youth of our state. He keeps them in the outdoors and continually introduces them to the outdoors. His qualities go above and beyond what's required in his normal duties as a game warden. Not only does Harvey have a strong working knowledge of his assigned counties and their surrounding areas, but he knows the sportsmen and landowners in the region and frequently works with other game wardens in his district. Harvey is a certified airboat operator for the Department and serves voluntarily as an airplane spotter for Department operations. Harvey attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he earned his BS in biology. He began his career at the Wildlife Department in 1986 as an hourly employee. In 1987, he was hired as a full-time employee at the Durant State Fish Hatchery and remained there until 1990. In 1992 he was hired as a game warden in Texas Co., where he remained until 1995 when he was transferred to Bryan and Choctaw counties. Harvey has been married to his wife Misty for 22 years. They have a daughter, Spencer, who is 13 years old and a sone, Jared, who is 10 years old.