As John David “JD” Neeley wrapped up his seven-year tenure with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, he described his time as like “jumping on a moving train” – one that kept rolling long after he stepped off.
At his final Commission meeting, Neeley symbolically passed the baton to incoming commissioner Jamie Anderson of Lonoke. Later, he took a quiet moment at AGFC headquarters to reflect on his time, calling it “the funnest seven years of my life.”
“You don’t have a sense of appreciation for the full depth of what this agency does until you’re inside it,” said Neeley, a forester and broker from Camden. “From collared lizards to butterflies, it’s all conservation. The agency doesn’t just manage hunting and fishing – it touches every Arkansan.”…