AgriLife Extension names new wildlife specialist
Dr. John Tomecek is headquartered at San Angelo
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. John Tomecek, 325-653-4576, john.tomecek@ag.tamu.edu
SAN ANGELO – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has named Dr. John Tomecek as the new wildlife specialist headquartered at San Angelo.
Dr. Jim Cathey, AgriLife Extension associate department head in the department of wildlife and fisheries sciences in College Station and Tomecek’s supervisor, said the new specialist will serve as a resource for county staff and will coordinate all of AgriLife Extension’s wildlife-related educational efforts within the 23-county West Central Texas District.
“We are very pleased John has joined us in manning this key appointment,” Cathey said. “He has a strong background in a number of wildlife-related educational areas on both youth and adult levels. The area he serves is some of the state’s richest in terms of wildlife recreational importance and diversity.
“John has exhibited the energy and positive drive this job requires. He’s also technologically savvy and has made strong inroads in terms of interagency cooperation, both within the Texas A&M University System as well as with our external partners. Overall, I see a very bright future here, not only for John, but also under his direction, for AgriLife Extension’s wildlife educational presence as a whole.”
Tomecek earned a doctorate in wildlife ecology and management from Texas A&M University at College Station; a master’s in Slavic languages and literature; and two bachelor’s degrees, both Summa cum Laude in anthropology and Czech language and culture, all from the University of Texas at Austin. His academic honors include being named to the University of Texas presidential and dean’s honor rolls for 12 semesters.
While pursuing his degrees, Tomecek served as a graduate research assistant and associate. He also served as a natural resources and grazing consultant, hunter education instructor, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Master Naturalist volunteer, and student AgriLife Extension associate.
Tomecek has authored a number of AgriLife Extension articles with topics ranging from coydogs to aging deer and from white-tailed deer food plots to tree selection.
According to his resume, he also has been involved in garnering a number of grants and fellowships on a wide array of topics totaling almost $200,000.
Tomecek’s service activities include serving as president of the Association of Graduate Scientists in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, as a delegate to the Graduate Student Council, both at Texas A&M; and as a conclave judge for the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Tomecek fills the position previously held by Dr. Dale Rollins, who retired from the post in 2013 and who now serves as AgriLife Extension’s statewide coordinator for the Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative at San Angelo and as director of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch at Roby.
