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Mr. Ron Garavelli

Mr. Ron Garavelli started his career with the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission in 1977, working at the Commission's Turcotte Fish Hatchery. There, he and his technicians were the first to tank-spawn striped bass in the state and successfully produced hybrid striped bass the following year. In 1979, he moved north taking on the fisheries management duties centering on the four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control reservoirs: Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada Lakes. Bass fishing was increasing in popularity and he was the first biologist in Mississippi to propose the concept of "slot" limits as a bass management tool, which proved successful for Sardis Lake. During this time, he often wrote articles for local newspapers about his research and management activities using the pseudonym Marsh Banks.

Mr. Garavelli was promoted to Fisheries Bureau Director in 1986, a position he held until his retirement in July 2013. The accomplishments of the Fisheries Bureau under his leadership are numerous. His hard work was also instrumental in transforming the MDWFP State Lakes system into one of the premier public fishing programs anywhere which has yielded benefits to fishing enthusiasts for years. His leadership skills in natural resource management, including expanding the production of Florida largemouth bass, have been proven through having Mississippi recognized as a destination location for both trophy largemouth bass and crappie. This has resulted in Mississippi lakes becoming favorite destinations for Mississippi anglers as well as for anglers from neighboring states.

Mr. Garavelli has also been instrumental in the development of the fisheries program for the National Forests in Mississippi. He coordinated efforts to provide fisheries improvements on Forest Service lakes through the construction of boat ramps and fishing piers as well as aquatic weed control and fish stocking. As a result of his efforts, the National Forests in Mississippi have been recognized for excellence in recreational fisheries management by receiving multiple "Rise to the Future" awards from the Chief of the Forest Service.

Ron parlayed the Wallop-Breaux expansion of the Sport Fish Restoration Act into additional staff including a fulltime boating access construction crew and a fisheries research team. One of the many traits of a good leader is they surround themselves with other successful professionals that share in the same "hard work" ethic, and Ron's vigilance in this area has yielded strong leadership at the MDWFP Fisheries Bureau. Additionally, he directed state funds to be used for support of research projects at Mississippi State University, The University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Ron's efforts as Bureau Chief also included outreach and education. Concerned with the paucity of fishing opportunities for children, he expanded the youth fishing rodeo program from a single event to a program reaching 7,000 or more children a year. Ron was also a driving force behind the Community Assistance Program which provides fishing opportunities for anglers in urban areas.

Perhaps his crowning achievement, one that was close to his fish culture roots, was the opening of the North Mississippi Fish Hatchery in Enid. The new state-of-the-art facility, complete with a visitor center, stocked its first fish in 2006. Its chief output, the Magnolia crappie, a triploid-hybrid, was also the brainchild of Ron Garavelli. Since his retirement in 2013, Ron remains active in Mississippi fisheries and is currently on contract with the MDWFP as fish production manager of the North Mississippi Fish Hatchery.

Finally, Ron has also been a great supporter of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. The Fisheries Bureau has printed the Chapter program for the last several years, including the 2012 Southern Division program, with Ron's approval. He encouraged staff participation in AFS, including Chapter and Divisional leadership roles. The Chapter's two panels at the North MS Fish Hatchery would simply not be without Ron's approval.