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Award recipients will be honored at annual banquet on Saturday, Jan. 22.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission selected 17 recipients of the 2021 Commission Awards at its Sept. 24 meeting in Greer, Ariz. The award winners will be honored at the annual Commission Awards Banquet on Jan. 22, 2022, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix.

The Commission Awards recognize Arizonans who have contributed significantly to the conservation of the state’s wildlife, its outdoor heritage, and the mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

This year's recipients are the following:

• Award of Excellence – Bullhead City Manager Toby Cotter and Commissioner Lisa A. Atkins

• Youth Conservationist of the Year – Noah Carrillo

• Media of the Year – Brian Kae and Tom Fergus, Fox 10 Phoenix KSAZ-TV

• Conservation Organization of the Year – South Eastern Arizona Sportsmen Club

• Conservationist of the Year – John Koleszar

• Natural Resource Professional of the Year – Sid Slone

• Volunteer of the Year – Al Sue

• Educator of the Year – Gregory Brooks

• Mentor of the Year – Catherine Thompson

• Advocate of the Year (two nominations) – Senator Sine Kerr and Chuck Podolack

• Business Partner of the Year – Discover Gila County

• Buck Appleby Hunter Education Instructor of the Year – Jessica Manuel

• Wildlife Habitat Steward of the Year – Ian Tomlinson

• North American Model Commissioners Award – Ben Avechuco

For more information about the Commission Awards and a link to the banquet ticket order form, visit https://www.azgfd.com/agency/commission/awards/.

The first Commission Awards event was held in January 1991. Since then, more than 400 people have been recognized for their dedicated work toward securing Arizona’s wildlife for generations to come.