The Pennsylvania Game Commission has appointed a new director of the Northwest Region Office in Franklin.

Jesse Bish, who has served the Northwest Region through his entire career with the game commission, took the reins as director Dec. 23.

Bish fills the vacancy created when former Northwest Region Director Rich Cramer retired.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans said Bish has accumulated a wide range of experience, and has served the agency in several capacities, including habitat management. He brings all of that to his new role, Burhans said.

Bish earned an associate degree in wildlife technology after attending Penn State University’s DuBois campus. He entered the Ross Leffler School of Conservation in 2012, and upon graduation in 2013 as part of the 29th class, was assigned to Clarion County as a game warden.

With the game commission, Bish started as a deputy game warden in Jefferson County in 2009. He then was hired full-time as a game lands maintenance worker in 2010, serving in Clarion and Jefferson counties, before entering the training school in 2012. Upon graduation from the training school in 2013 he was assigned as a district game warden in Clarion County. He was promoted to land management group supervisor in 2016 in his prior Clarion/Jefferson counties district where he served as a maintenance worker. In May 2023, Bish was promoted to northwest region land management supervisor, overseeing habitat management for the entire region before his promotion to northwest region director in December.

Bish says one of the immediate challenges he faces is fostering increased public education and understanding of management practices used on game lands.

He says one of his immediate goals is to maintain a healthy work environment for regional staff while bringing the teamwork concept to the next level.

The Northwest Region comprises Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.