Staff

Kelly Mulvihill, Facility Director

Kelly is the facility director of the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. She supervises nature center staff and oversees the budget, planning and development of the site, fundraising and daily operations.

Kelly has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and has completed two years of work on her master’s degree. She worked for Arkansas State Parks as an interpreter for five years then as a park superintendent for a year and a half. She took on her facility director position in October 2003.

She has always been a child of nature, saying, "I enjoy being outside. I grew up walking trails, fishing and exploring the great outdoors. I look forward to introducing these experiences to kids as well as adults that have not had such opportunities."

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Jill Means, Administrative Assistant

Jill is responsible for office management duties, gift shop inventories and assisting visitors to make sure their visit is an enjoyable experience.

She has served the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission since 1999 as the secretary at the Fort Smith Regional Office until taking on her new role at the nature center.

When not at the center, Jill enjoys being with her husband Myron Means, the area manager for White Rock Wildlife Management Area, her two stepsons, Payton and Preston and three Great Danes.

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Karen Westcamp-Johnson, Information and Education Coordinator

Karen schedules and oversees school programs, teacher workshops and other special events in her region. Not only does the nature center give her an ideal place to conduct workshops, but it also offers an area to recruit newcomers to the outdoors and continue Arkansas’ natural heritage.

Karen holds an associate’s degree from Westark Community College and a bachelor's degree from Arkansas Tech University in natural science. She is working on graduate coursework in natural resource interpretation at Stephen F. Austin University and has completed all coursework towards a master’s degree in biology from the University of Central Arkansas. She worked as a park naturalist and interpreter for five years with Arkansas State Parks and taught Junior High and High School Science for three years before taking the education coordinator position at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. Karen credits her love of the outdoors and science to her childhood.

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Chad Lowe, Information and Education Coordinator

Chad leads educational activities such as school programs, schedules scout badge workshops, helps present teacher workshops and other special events as part of his education coordinator duties. He works with the local media to promote events at the nature center. He also coordinates and teaches hunter education, boating education, wildlife programs, fishing, archery, tree identification and wildlife management to visitors and students in nearby schools.

Chad holds a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife biology and was an AGFC wildlife officer for 10 years before taking this position. He enjoys every moment of his hunting, fishing and other outdoors pursuits.

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Erin Leone, Museum Program Specialist

Erin is an avid outdoors enthusiast who enjoys hiking, camping, horseback riding and skiing as well as other outdoors pursuits.

She is responsible for leading educational programs, care and maintenance of program animals, watchable wildlife areas on the grounds, and the native gardens around the nature center.

Erin has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and a master’s degree in fisheries and wildlife from Arkansas Tech University.

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Acie Conrad, Building Plant Maintenance Supervisor

Acie handles maintenance of the nature center grounds and supervises technicians at the center.

Acie has an associate’s degree in science from Eastern Oklahoma State College and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. He worked with AGFC wildlife technicians part-time prior to taking his current position.

Aside from his hunting and fishing activities, Acie enjoys spending time with family and friends, farms and raises beef cattle.

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