LEAVENWORTH, Wash. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has selected Bill Gale as Complex Manager at the Leavenworth Fisheries Complex in Leavenworth, Wash. Gale has worked in the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Pacific Region program since 2001.
The Leavenworth Fisheries Complex includes the Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, Entiat National Fish Hatchery and Winthrop National Fish Hatchery.
“Bill is a long-term fixture in the Pacific Region's Fish and Aquatic Conservation program, having worked throughout the Region since 2001,” says Kyle Hanson, Deputy Assistant Regional Director of the Region’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program. “We are excited that he has taken on this new role and look forward to his continued leadership in the program and the region."
Originally from the Midwest, Gale earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Illinois State University. He moved to the Pacific Northwest to attend Oregon State University where he earned his master’s degree in fisheries science (physiology). His federal career began with U.S. Geological Survey at the Columbia River Research lab in Cook, Wash., where he worked on a variety of research projects focused on environmental physiology. In 2001, he moved to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working first as a fish biologist at Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery and then at Abernathy Fish Technology Center, where he worked as a research physiologist. In 2008, Gale accepted a position as the deputy project leader at the Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Leavenworth, Wash. He has remained at the Mid-Columbia office, working his way up to project leader in 2021.
Gale says his journey as a biologist sprang from an innate curiosity about the natural world. As a child, he spent countless hours exploring nearby woods, streams and farm ponds where he turned over rocks and caught frogs and crayfish. “I was lucky to have parents who were patient and tolerant of a child who was curious and independent, who would generally show up home late and was almost always some degree of wet and muddy,” he says.
In his free time, Gale and his wife, Jen, enjoy a busy family life that includes their three children, ages 9 to 28, and an exuberant 3-year-old chocolate lab, Rory. In those rare moments to himself, Gale enjoys heading outdoors to ski, backpack and canoe, or heading to the shop for some woodworking time.
Gale says he looks forward to working with a tremendously talented team in his new role.
“Having worked in the complex for the past 15 years, I know it’s a workplace with a strong and supportive culture. Without exception, the staff are dedicated and work with a clear set of values. Everyone at the complex works hard to address difficult environmental problems while supporting Tribal goals, meeting mitigation obligations and advancing the conservation of aquatic species and their habitats in eastern Washington. I quite honestly can’t think of a better team to work with on these difficult challenges, and I am excited to step into this new role,” Gale says.
For more information on the Leavenworth Fisheries Complex, go to https://www.fws.gov/fish-hatchery/leavenworth.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit https://www.fws.gov/about/region/pacific and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and YouTube.
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