Oklahoma wildlife agency presents multiple staff awards; technicians and biologists honored

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation used its commission meeting to recognize employees and program partners for service and conservation accomplishments.

Awards presented included Zeke Cox as 2024 Technician of the Year, Michael Jolley as the 2024 Fisheries Professional of the Year, and game warden Justin Cornett as the Game Warden of the Year. Amanda Thomas received the agency’s Spirit Award for 2025. The awards were accompanied by short summaries of nominees’ work and, in some cases, project metrics and financial impacts.

Zeke Cox — identified by presenters as the department’s 2024 technician of the year from the Northeast Region — was credited with planning more than 400 acres of food plots, spraying 420 acres for invasive species control, conducting burns across nearly 5,000 acres and maintaining 345 acres of wetland units, including pump repairs during waterfowl season. Presenters said Cox supervised youth hunts, ran duck-blind drawings on short notice and regularly conducted outreach and school programs. Cox told commissioners he was "glad that I could serve the wildlife department and take care of creation, be a good steward of it and our WMAs."

Marcus Thibodeaux, a senior biologist, was presented with the Harold C. Stewart Conservation Excellence Award by the Oklahoma Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The nomination letter read at the meeting credited Thibodeaux with securing and overseeing roughly $168,000 of projects covering 63 acres at Black Kettle WMA and about $100,000 on 2,035 acres at Packsaddle WMA; projects focused on eastern red cedar removal and habitat improvements for Rio Grande wild turkey.

Michael Jolley was honored as the 2024 Fisheries Professional of the Year. Presenters highlighted his role in launching a statewide habitat initiative that has placed more than 200 artificial habitat structures at Lake Eufaula and other reservoirs, and described partnerships that helped the program save department funds. Jolley credited colleagues and regional staff in his acceptance remarks.

Game warden Justin Cornett, a Caddo County warden and member of the agency’s wildlife investigations team, was recognized for investigative work and community outreach. Presenters said Cornett completed roughly 150 wildlife cases in the past year and contributed to a volunteer investigations team that assists other wardens.

Amanda Thomas received the Spirit Award for 2025 in recognition of her work as shooting-range coordinator and for attention to detail, volunteerism and federal-aid work. Presenters described her as a "get it done" coordinator who has contributed to range development and cost savings for the agency.

Why it matters: commissioners and department leaders presented the awards as recognition of on-the-ground labor, partner coordination and public outreach that support management of WMAs, fisheries and law-enforcement operations across the state.