Inductees

Francis Skalicky still smiles about almost not applying for the position he now calls “the best job anyone could ever hope to have.”

He recalls the fall of 1995 when he learned of a new position – media specialist – the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) would have at its Southwest Regional Office in Springfield. Skalicky also remembers what he said when someone at that MDC office asked if he was going to apply.

“I said I had given it some thought, but I think I’ll pass,” he said. It’s not that Skalicky, who at that point had an 11-year career as a newspaper sportswriter under his belt, wasn’t interested in the outdoors.

Growing up on a farm in Polk County had given him an appreciation of the outdoors – an appreciation that had grown during his time as the Springfield News-Leader’s outdoors and recreation writer. It was just that the profession he knew best was newspaper reporting and he was unsure about his ability to make the switch from story writer to story teller.

“Going from the known to the unknown is always a scary leap,” he said.

However, Skalicky made that leap, applied for the job, and Missourians have benefited ever since. It’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame  proudly inducted Skalicky with the Class of 2020 during the inaugural Outdoor Sports Luncheon presented by the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company.

Since becoming MDC’s Southwest Regional Media Specialist on Jan. 1, 1996, Skalicky has coordinated countless media stories, written many newspaper and magazine articles, and spoke to numerous groups about why Missouri’s outdoor resources are so special.

Skalicky’s main duties are with MDC’s 17-county Southwest Region, but he’s proud to have been involved in communication efforts of some of Missouri’s larger conservation efforts in recent decades such as:

• The state’s first elk reintroduction in 2011, and succeeding reintroductions in 2012 and 2013.
• A bear research project that began in 2010 and involved radio-collaring bears, collecting fur from hair-snares and getting data from winter dens. This was the most complete study of bears in Missouri up to that time.
• A five-year study of quail in Missouri in which radio transmitters were attached to more than 1,300 birds and more than 500 nest sites across 14,000 acres of public land were monitored.

Skalicky admits being the “information person” for these types of projects is not the same as being the biologist that works with wildlife and collects data, but the role of messenger is important, too.

“People need to know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what this data means to Missouri’s citizens,” he said.

His time in the field has also allowed Skalicky to develop a deep admiration for the scientific talent that surrounds him at MDC. Whether he’s watching biologists attach scales to a 370-pound sedated bear and gently lift it to be weighed or following a biologist who’s listening for radio telemetry “beeps” that mark active quail nests or hearing MDC fish hatchery staff explain the intricacies of raising trout, Skalicky is always “wowed” by his co-workers’ knowledge.

“I work with the best people,” he said. “Whenever I have a question about something I’m going to be interviewed about, there’s always someone I can talk to or e-mail that has the knowledge I need.”

When Skalicky joined MDC in 1996, the media specialist position was new at the Springfield office, but MDC already had media specialists in St. Louis and Kansas City. Skalicky learned from his media peers elsewhere in the state and from co-workers who had previously done media work in Springfield.

Two MDC staffers, Jim Schroeder and Ken Drenon, helped his career. Schroeder, who handled site administration, had worked with media. Drenon, later the MDC’s first ombudsman, was a valuable resource in Skalicky’s early years, as Skalicky made numerous calls to MDC’s main offices in Jefferson City as he sought guidance.

Skalicky also credits his wife Michele and daughters Anna and Kate with shaping his communicative skills. It’s easy to talk about how the outdoors can be enjoyed by a family when you have a family that enjoys the outdoors. Skalicky said his family’s outdoor outings have provided good memories – and good meals.

“When it comes to campfire cooking, my wife takes a back-seat to no one,” he said. “When we’re camping, I build the fire, give the iron skillet to Michele and then me and the girls just stand back and watch the magic happen.”