The Game Commission Board of Directors Wednesday approved the appointment of R. Matthew Hough as the agency’s deputy executive director.
Hough’s appointment will become official at 4 p.m. on Friday when Executive Director Carl G. Roe’s retirement becomes effective.
Hough has 33 years of service with the Game Commission. He entered the Ross Leffler School of Conservation in June 1981 and was part of the school’s 18th graduating class. He served as a wildlife conservation officer, first in Westmoreland County, then in Washington County. And in 1992, he began working out of the Game Commission’s Southwest Region office. There, he served through the years in several positions including federal aid supervisor, information and education supervisor, law-enforcement supervisor and, ultimately, regional director.
Hough was named the Game Commission’s deputy executive director in 2010. As deputy executive director, he is responsible for the day-to-day operational supervision of the agency’s six regions.
Hough plans to retire in the not-too-distant future. The Board of Game Commissioners will continue its search for a candidate to serve in the post beyond Hough’s term.
Hough says he will strive to maintain stability within the agency. Among the tasks he plans to take up initially is conducting a full review of the agency’s finances to make sure the Game Commission will continue to prosper going forward.
It is essential that the agency’s workforce remain at full complement and all of the many programs to benefit wildlife stay on track and continue to achieve results, he said.
“I am very pleased the Board of Commissioners has shown its confidence in me by unanimously approving my appointment, and I will work tirelessly to continue the many successes the Game Commission has achieved over the years,” Hough said.
Hough grew up in Washington County, where he graduated from Trinity High School in 1975. He earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management from West Virginia University in 1980.
Hough and his wife Jodi now reside in the Orrtanna area in Adams County. They have four children: Nathan, Mackenzie, Whitney and Tanner.
