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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Taressa Wise has the job she has dreamed about since she was a child.
Wise is the new Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agent for Greene County. She will work alongside fellow Greene County Conservation Agent Corporal Kevin Zielke. She replaces Shannon Ohrenberg who was promoted to Lieutenant in MDC’s Protection Branch in the Southwest Region in 2022. Wise’s new MDC assignment is an opportunity for her to work in a familiar part of the state. The Galena native is a graduate of Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield and College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. Just as important as returning to familiar turf is the opportunity to work in a field that has interested her since she was young.
“I have always loved nature and I enjoy conserving our outdoor resources for future generations,” she said. “I’ve known I wanted to work for MDC since I was young and now, I’m excited to serve the citizens of Greene County and Missouri.”
Prior to her current assignment, Wise was an MDC Protection Branch volunteer in 2019. She also worked for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as an interpreter at Table Rock State Park in 2021.
Both Wise and Zielke work out of their homes. Wise can be reached at 417-766-7380 and Zielke can be reached at 417-830-8266. The public can also report game law violations to the Operation Game Thief Hotline, 1-800-392-1111.
