July 11, 2017
Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed Stan Jones of Walnut Ridge to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today at the AGFC’s Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock.
Jones is a farmer and avid outdoorsman who was born and raised in Clover Bend, Arkansas, where his family has farmed for five generations. Although rich in farming heritage, Jones has expanded his family’s original 80-acre farm into thousands of acres of rice and soybean fields as well as prime habitat for a variety of wildlife species. His passion for duck hunting led to his second career as a successful guide for more than 30 years, and the culmination of his dream in Stan Jones Mallard Lodge.
“To me, the appointment of a Game and Fish Commissioner is one of the most important appointments a governor can make,” Gov. Hutchinson said. “When I look for a (Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner), I look for someone who values deep in their heart the hunting culture we have in Arkansas. They respect that culture, they want to preserve that culture and want to pass it along to the next generation. I also look for someone who understands the importance of protecting the habitat we have.”
Hutchinson said he has worked for the last two years, interviewing and getting to know Jones for the possibility of becoming a Commissioner.
“I’ve spent a lot of time around Stan in the last two years in the duck woods and around him,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve seen how he knows the habitat. He appreciates and works to protect it, and that is the essence of a Game and Fish Commissioner.”
Jones commented on the excellent work the AGFC had done in the past and thanked Hutchinson for the honor to serve on the Commission.
“I think the Game and Fish is doing something pretty good, and I’m in awe of what the Game and Fish has done in the past,” Jones said. “By that same token, I want to leave it better than I found it. My commitment to you is to leave this Commission and The Natural State better than I found it.”
Jones is an owner of Banded outdoor sporting apparel, Avery Outdoors and the Stan Jones Mallard Lodge. He is a graduate of Arkansas State University and serves on the Chancellor’s Cabinet. Jones was a member of ASU’s 1970 undefeated, untied National College Division Champion football team, which was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. He serves on the Red Wolves Foundation 500 Club and the Clover Bend Historical Society.
Jones’ term will expire in 2024. He replaces Fred Brown of Corning, whose term expired in June.