New Mexico Wildlife

NEW MEXICO STATE GAME COMMISSION 

Last Updated: 11/14/2011

Chairman Jim McClintic

Jim McClintic is a New Mexico native, an avid hunter and angler, and a lifetime member of New Mexico Trout. He is a licensed building contractor and developer, and served on the Economic Development Commission during Governor Garry Carruthers' administration. He also was on Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez's transition team and served as chairman of the Albuquerque Municipal Development Sustainable Enhancement Team. His term expires Dec. 31, 2014.

Tom Arvas

Tom Arvas of Albuquerque is a practicing optometrist. Arvas has a long history with the Game Commission. He served under four administrations – Governors Toney Anaya, Garey Carruthers, Bruce King and Bill Richardson. He is President of the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Arvas also serves on the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and the National Rifle Association Board of Directors. He is the former president of the New Mexico Optometric Association. His term ends December 31, 2011.

William "Bill" Montoya

Bill Montoya is the former director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. He worked for the Department for 28 years, overseeing conservation and game management before taking over the director’s position. He is also the former president of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He holds a degree in wildlife management from New Mexico State University. His term expires Dec. 31, 2013.

Scott Bidegain

Scott Bidegain works at T4 Cattle Company, a family-owned and operated cattle ranch in Tucumcari. He also serves on the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association Board of Directors. Bidgeain holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from West Texas A&M University. His term expires Dec. 31, 2014.

Robert V. Hoffman

Robert Hoffman is a retired professor of organic chemistry at New Mexico State University. After retirement, he turned his attention to outdoor activities. He is a founding member, member of the Board of Directors, secretary, newsletter editor and youth hunt coordinator for New Mexico Quail LLC. He started a Las Cruces chapter of Hunters for the Hungry, an organization that procures surplus game meat, gets it processed and donates it to organizations that provide food for needy people. He is a charter member of Mesilla Valley Shotgun Sports LLC and has been an active participant in a wide variety of land use and scoping meetings with the State Land Office, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. He is an active member of Southwest Consolidated Sportsmen and a sponsor member of Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl. Hoffman is an avid hunter and fisherman who owns and trains bird dogs and hunts with them in the western United States and Canada whenever possible. He owns a small farm in Radium Springs that produces grain and sunflowers. His term expires Dec. 31, 2011.

Thomas "Dick" Salopek

Dick Salopek of Las Cruces is a third-generation pecan farmer in the Mesilla Valley.  He is an avid hunter, bowhunter and outdoorsman. He is co-owner of Tom Salopek Farms, Western Blend, Salopek 4-MP and Robledo Pecan Sorting. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Dona Ana County Planning & Zoning Commission, the New Mexico Pecan Grower’s Association, and is treasurer of the Dona Ana County Farm Bureau.  Dick has been on the Board of Councilors at Citizens Bank.  He is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Rifle Association. He holds a B.A. in Agronomy & Soil Science from New Mexico State University. His term ends December 31, 2013.

Robert Espinoza Sr.

Robert Espinoza Sr. a resident of Farmington for more than 50 years, owns and operates a metal fabricating and construction business in Farmington along with his two sons, Tiger and Benny. He currently serves as president/Executive Director of United Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife New Mexico, and is active in several other  sportsmen’s and conservation organizations, including the Mule Deer Foundation, National Rifle Association, Wild Sheep Foundation, Sportsmen and Landowners Coalition, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Safari Club International. A lifelong avid sportsmen, he devotes most of his time and efforts in promoting our hunting and fishing heritage in New Mexico and enhancing the habitat for New Mexico’s wildlife, with a big focus on promoting youth actives and opportunities. His term ends Dec. 31, 2011.