Sara Parker Pauley

Pauley grew up in Columbia, Missouri{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-02-25|title=Sara Parker Pauley|url=https://comomag.com/2021/02/25/sara-parker-pauley/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=COMO Magazine|language=en-US}} and was interested in conservation from a young age. She received her secondary education at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri.{{cite news |last1=Gabert |first1=Shelley |title=Sara Parker Pauley: A Trailblazer for Conservation |url=http://www.hermagazinemidmo.com/sara-parker-pauley/ |publisher=Her Magazine |date=9 January 2017}} Pauley attended the University of Missouri earning both a bachelor's degree in journalism and a law degree.

After her education, Pauley worked for the conservation engagement company D.J. Case & Associates{{cite news |last1=Rendall |first1=Jessica |title=Sara Parker Pauley named to lead Department of Conservation |url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/sara-parker-pauley-named-to-lead-department-of-conservation/article_1f960534-85c1-11e6-b3ea-db70386004e9.html |publisher=Columbia Missourian |date=28 September 2016}} and as a policy analyst for the Missouri Department of Conservation. In 2010, Pauley was appointed to serve as director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,{{Cite news|year=2011|title=Gov. Nixon selects Sara Parker Pauley as director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources|language=en|volume=72|page=28-29|work=Missouri Wildlife|issue=1|url=https://issuu.com/missouriwildlife/docs/vol72_no1_2011|access-date=2022-01-22}} a position she held for six years. In 2016, Pauley was appointed as director of the Missouri Department of Conservation,{{Cite web|last=Wagner|first=Micki|date=October 3, 2016|title=Bozoian appointed new director of Department of Natural Resources|url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/bozoian-appointed-new-director-of-department-of-natural-resources/article_64c97474-8977-11e6-9805-cb597d2d1f0c.html|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Columbia Missourian|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2016-11-07|title=Sara Parker Pauley Selected as Missouri's New Director for Department of Conservation|url=https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2016/11/sara-parker-pauley-selected-missouris-new-director-department-conservation/|access-date=2022-01-10|website=Hunting, shooting, fishing and adventure for women by women|language=en-US}} a position she retains as of 2022. She is the first woman to hold the position of director.{{Cite web|last=Nelson|first=Alisa|date=2016-09-29|title=First female named as Missouri Department of Conservation Director|url=https://www.missourinet.com/2016/09/28/first-female-named-as-missouri-department-of-conservation-director/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Missourinet|language=en-US}} She has led the effort to establish the Boone County Nature School at Three Creeks Conservation Area.{{Cite web|last=McKinney|first=Roger|date=October 22, 2021|title=Boone County Nature School goes from vision to verge of reality|url=https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/education/2021/10/22/boone-county-nature-school-groundbreaking-hank-waters-family-columbia-public-schools-conservation/6109617001/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Columbia Daily Tribune|language=en-US}} and views this as one of her favorite projects.

In 2020 she was elected to a one-year term as president of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Wes|date=September 19, 2020|title=MDC chief to lead Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies|url=https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/missouri/2020/09/19/missouri-department-conservation-mdc-sara-parker-pauley/3484188001/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Springfield News-Leader|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Slayton|first=Margaret|date=September 27, 2020|title=MDC director adds to her achievements|url=https://www.newspressnow.com/sports/outdoors/mdc-director-adds-to-her-achievements/article_7190b29c-fe0a-11ea-b05d-8fda7aa708c9.html|access-date=2022-01-22|website=News-Press NOW|language=en}}

Pauley has also served as an executive-in-residence at the University of Missouri.{{Cite web|title=College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources // Sara Parker Pauley|url=https://cafnr.missouri.edu/executive-in-residence/sara-parker-pauley/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=cafnr.missouri.edu}} She has spoken about water quality issues and natural areas while in that role.{{Cite web|last=Shaver|first=Shannon|date=October 5, 2016|title=Natural resources director to speak on water quality in Columbia|url=https://www.komu.com/news/natural-resources-director-to-speak-on-water-quality-in-columbia/article_51310b6b-edf5-5f76-aa69-8567b1d5dab3.html|access-date=2022-01-22|website=KOMU 8|language=en}}

Pauley has talked about her work in multiple venues. In 2021, she elaborated about the collaborative effort needed for conservation efforts in an article in a Nature Conservancy publication,{{Cite magazine|title=Missouri Conservation is a Shared Responsibility|url=https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/MO-IMPACT-Fall-2019.pdf|date=2019|access-date=January 22, 2022|publisher=The Nature Conservancy|volume=19|page=7}} and shared changes in how people think about conservation.{{Cite web|last=McKean|first=Andrew|date=2021-06-16|title=Q&A: New President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Talks About an Evolving Conservation Model|url=https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/fish-wildlife-association-president-qa/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Outdoor Life|language=en-US}} She spoke before the United States Senate in support of the 2021 Recovering America's Wildlife Act,{{Cite web|last1=Fischler|first1=Jacob|title=Billions targeted to state wildlife conservation under bipartisan push in Congress|url=https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/11/billions-targeted-to-state-wildlife-conservation-under-bipartisan-push-in-congress/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Kansas Reflector|date=11 December 2021 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Gerber|first=Cameron|date=2021-12-09|title=Blunt advocates for wildlife recovery bill on Capitol Hill|url=https://themissouritimes.com/blunt-advocates-for-wildlife-recovery-bill-on-capitol-hill/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Alex|date=2021-03-05|title=A bipartisan push could change state wildlife protection |url=https://michiganadvance.com/2021/03/05/a-bipartisan-push-could-change-state-wildlife-protection/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Michigan Advance|language=en-US}} and has worked with Senator Roy Blunt to share the bill with people from Missouri.{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Clayton|date=November 5, 2021|title=Blunt touts conservation bill|url=https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/government/blunt-touts-conservation-bill/article_7c852434-3e6f-11ec-a99f-df45580a920d.html|access-date=2022-01-22|website=News-Press NOW|language=en}}

Parker is included in a 2021 book by Francis Nenik that details the administration of Donald Trump.{{Cite book|last=Nenik|first=Francis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gA4nEAAAQBAJ|title=Tagebuch eines Hilflosen: Skizzen aus dem Amerika Donald Trumps|date=2021-04-01|publisher=Matthes & Seitz Berlin Verlag|isbn=978-3-7518-0030-3|language=de}}

In 2012 Pauley was named one of two "Conservation Partners of the Year" by Bass Pro Shops.{{Cite web|date=2013-01-21|title=Bass Pro Names Conservation Partners of 2012|url=https://www.bigfishtackle.com/bass-pro-names-conservation-partners-of-2012/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Fishing Reports and Forum {{!}} BigFishTackle.Com|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Riehl|first=F.|date=2013-01-10|title=Bass Pro Shops Awards Conservation Partners Of The Year|url=https://www.ammoland.com/2013/01/bass-pro-shops-awards-conservation-partners-of-the-year/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=AmmoLand.com|language=en-US}} In 2016, she received the President's Award from the Environmental Council of States.{{Cite web|title=President's Award|url=https://www.ecos.org/about-ecos/awards/presidents-award/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)|language=en-US}} In 2017, the Columbia Public Schools Foundation named Pauley as an outstanding alumni.{{Cite web|last=|date=2017-10-27|title=CPSF Honors 2017 Hall of Leaders|url=https://cpsf.org/cpsf-honors-2017-hall-of-leaders/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Columbia Public Schools Foundation|language=en-US}} In 2019 she accepted the Governor's Award for Innovation on behalf of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Discover Nature Schools program.{{Cite web|title=MDC Discover Nature Schools wins Governor's Award for Innovation|url=https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MODC/bulletins/2438602|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Missouri Department of Conservation|language=en}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://comomag.com/2021/02/25/sara-parker-pauley/ Como Magazine interview with Pauley] February 25, 2021
• [https://hermagazinemidmo.com/sara-parker-pauley/ HER Magazine profile]
• {{cite podcast

| url=https://driftwoodoutdoors.com/podcasts/2020/09/ep-54-director-of-the-missouri-department-of-conservation-sara-parker-pauley/

| title=Ep. 54: Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation: Sara Parker Pauley

| website= Driftwood Outdoors

| publisher=

| host=Brandon Butler and Nathan “Shags” McLeod

| date=September 2020

| time=

| access-date=

}}

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Category:University of Missouri alumni

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American women

Category:Conservationists

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:University of Missouri School of Law alumni

Category:Hickman High School alumni

Category:American conservationists

Category:People from Columbia, Missouri