On October 28, 2010, at the 37th Annual Natural Areas Conference held in Missouri at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Rick Thom received the Natural Area Association’s highest honor, the George B. Fell Award.
The NAA awards the George B. Fell Award to an individual who exhibits the highest qualities of the natural areas profession and who has significantly advanced natural area identification, protection, stewardship, or research. This award is given in honor of George B. Fell, a founder of The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Land Institute and a founding NAA member and officer who dedicated his life to the protection of natural areas and the conservation of natural diversity.
Executive Vice President of the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation since 2007, Rick Thom was selected for the 2010 Fell Award to honor his exceptional achievements in natural community conservation, Natural Areas protection, and conservation planning and implementation for plants, animals, and their habitats.
Rick retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation in 2006 after 28 years of service. He held positions that included Natural History Division Chief and Wildlife Diversity Chief. Rick has worked in Missouri and nationally to develop conservation programs and to secure long-term funding for all wildlife conservation. When Rick came to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) in 1978 he applied his background in program administration, wildlife, and natural community conservation to his job of MDC’s first Natural Areas Coordinator.
“There were lots of people who were better naturalists than I,” said Rick. “What I really brought that others didn’t was experience in administration and procedures needed to set up and expand a ‘natural areas program.’ Without administrative knowledge you can’t create lasting institutions that will outlive an individual.”
In 1988, Rick became the Assistant Chief of the Natural History Division and in 1995 he was promoted to Division Chief. He emphasized partnership with conservation and environmental organizations such as the Missouri Prairie Foundation, Audubon Missouri, and The Nature Conservancy, to promote natural community management, restoration, and land acquisition projects, and to expand Missouri’s system of designated natural areas.
Rick served on the Missouri Natural Areas Committee as a staff person or member, including chairperson, for his entire career with MDC. His leadership in bringing citizen birders, botanists, and other naturalists to play an active role in conservation partnerships with state natural resource agencies has been a model for other state natural resource agencies. Thom recognized that conservation expectations were different across the agency and within conservation partner groups. He worked across division lines, teaching and learning and helping MDC grow its wildlife diversity conservation programs. He reminded staff that being “catalysts for conservation” was more important than individual success. His philosophy of “integration” of natural resource disciplines and expertise promoted broad and inclusive conservation values within Missouri.
Rick’s dedication to “all wildlife” conservation in Missouri was recognized by the Conservation Federation of Missouri in 2000 when it selected him as the Professional Conservationist of the Year. In 28 years with the Department of Conservation, he developed MDC’s wildlife diversity efforts into a nationally recognized, comprehensive program that was fully integrated within the agency’s broad mission, values, and actions.
He was a charter organizer of the Natural Areas Association, and began his career as field naturalist for the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission under the supervision of George B. Fell.
Rick holds degrees in biology (Northern Illinois University), forestry (University of Illinois), and public administration (University of Missouri).
Rick lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Karen. The couple has two grown daughters and one grandchild. In his free time, Rick enjoys fishing, hunting, birding, hiking, canoeing, and other outdoor pursuits.
