Nominee for Board Member: Lynda LaFond

Lynda is the new Natural and Cultural Resources Manager at Minot Air Force Base. This position blends Lynda’s passion for wildlife and desire to serve with the armed forces. Lynda began her professional life serving in the United States Air Force for nearly 10 years, which includes tours in Turkey and Iraq and duty stations in Okinawa, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona. After separation, Lynda went on to pursue a career in Wildlife Management on military lands. She received her BS in Wildlife Biology and MS in Biology at Bemidji State University and a PhD in Biology at the University of North Dakota. Her MS research focused on small mammal habitat use on Grand Force Air Force Base and her PhD research focused on small mammal community ecology in salt-affected grasslands. Lynda joined the team at Minot Air Force Base in 2023 where she and her team her have worked to increase outdoor recreation opportunities for military members and their families, reduce human/wildlife conflict and increase biodiversity on military lands while supporting the military mission. Lynda has been an active member of The Wildlife Society in Minnesota and North Dakota since 2012. She celebrates that the Wildlife Society is a highly adaptive organization that diligently works to promote interagency collaborations addressing the many facets of wildlife stewardship while engaging the next generation of wildlife professionals. When not doing research or managing base wildlife, Lynda enjoys gardening, hunting with her blue heeler Koda, bird watching, and any other activity that keeps her outside. ‘My goal as a wildlife professional is to promote native species biodiversity, create outdoor opportunities with mentorship to engage military members in North Dakota’s natural resources, and advocate for more tribal engagement in wildlife law and policy planning.