2022 Commission Awards
Commission Awards Banquet set for Jan. 21, 2023
The annual Arizona Game and Fish Commission Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, Grande Ballroom, 11111 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85020. The event will honor the recipients of the 2022 Commission Awards that were selected at the Commission’s Sept. 9, 2022 meeting (see award recipients below). The purpose of these awards is to 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.
The banquet will begin with a social hour at 4 p.m. followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m. The awards will be presented concurrently with dinner. We are looking forward to a great celebration of all our award recipients. The cost is $75 per person. All RSVP’s are due by Dec. 16, 2022.
Registration and Sponsorship Form
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission held its first annual awards banquet on Jan. 12, 1991. Since then, nearly more than 400 recipients have been recognized with Commission awards. The awards banquet gives the Commission an opportunity to recognize individuals, groups and organizations for their contributions to Arizona’s wildlife resources.
All of the costs associated with the awards banquet must be paid for by ticket sales and sponsorship donations, including the complimentary tickets for award recipients and their spouse or guest. Table Sponsorships for organizations are available in several categories and include logo advertisement in the event program, sponsorship recognition during the introductory PowerPoint presentation, and recognition in the event press release.
2022 Award Recipients
- Award of Excellence – Brian McIntyre, Cochise County Attorney’s Office
- Youth Conservationist of the Year – Gila Ridge High School FFA Agricultural Mechanical Team
- Media of the Year – Robbie Kroger, Blood Origins
- Conservation Organization of the Year – Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society
- Conservationist of the Year – Don McDowell
- Natural Resource Professional of the Year – Scott Feldhausen
- Volunteer of the Year – Doug Beach
- Educator of the Year – Kathy Balman
- Mentor of the Year – Gabriel Paz
- Advocate of the Year – Senator David Gowan
- Business Partner of the Year – KUIU
- Buck Appleby Hunter Education Instructor of the Year – Jim Rich
- Wildlife Habitat Steward of the Year – Scott and Dawn Dunton, Dunton Ranch
- North American Model Commissioner’s Award – Kelly Alkhoury
Past Award Recipients