Hamilton named Fish and Wildlife regional director

Veteran U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Sam D. Hamilton ('77) has been named director of the service's Southeast Region, which covers 10 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The Starkville native most recently was geographic regional assistant director for the Southeast Region. In addition, he was the region's senior policy adviser for endangered species, wetlands conservation, and habitat restoration.

In his new position, Hamilton will be responsible for facilities that include 112 national wildlife refuges, 19 national fish hatcheries, 15 ecological services field offices, and 28 law enforcement offices. The Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats.

"Throughout his career, Sam Hamilton has shown outstanding professionalism and leadership in dealing with some of the more difficult conservation issues we face," said Fish and Wildlife national director Jamie R. Clark. "He has served in some of our hot spots and won the respect of wildlife conservation professionals and state and local leaders who have worked with him."

In recent months, Hamilton has served as the agency's acting assistant director for ecological services in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career, he worked for the service for seven years in Mississippi and Alabama.

In 1986, Hamilton won the Alabama Wildlife Federation's Water Conservationist of the Year Award for his efforts in restoring historic river flows and fisheries to the Coosa River.

He began his career with the Youth Conservation Corps at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge near Starkville. His experiences there triggered an interest in conservation that led to his career with the service.