Governor Hutchinson announces Rob Finley as new Game and Fish Commissioner

June 26, 2020

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has appointed Mountain Home businessman Rob Finley as a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He replaces Chairman Ken Reeves.

Governor Hutchinson announced the appointment and introduced Mr. Finley today at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center.

“Rob’s love of the outdoors is in his blood,” Governor Hutchinson said. “His grandfather owned a fishing and bait store on Portia Bay, and by the time he was four, Rob was fishing from his grandfather’s boat launch. Rob and his cousins spent hours with their grandfather learning about fishing and hunting. His love of the outdoors inspired a passion for conservation. He and his wife, Nicki, have been successful in a variety of businesses, including outdoor retreats and lodges. In Rob, I found the perfect mix of attributes that make him a logical pick to serve as a Game and Fish commissioner.”

Mr. Finley was born on Eaker Air Force Base in Mississippi County, graduated from Cotter High School in Baxter County, and followed in his father’s footsteps to join the U.S. Air Force. After his service, he returned to Mountain Home, where he worked in the banking industry and developed a credit-insurance program for financial institutions. They own Route 66 Warranty in Mountain Home and Cranor’s White River Lodge in Cotter.

“The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is a body of seven stewards of the people’s property,” Mr. Finley said. “I take that very seriously, and I will work diligently to protect it. If I could drop the gavel 84 months from now with an increase in hunter/fishing participation and youth involvement numbers on the rise, I would consider my term a success.”

He and Nicki live in Mountain Home and have a daughter and three sons.

Governor Hutchinson thanked outgoing Chair Ken Reeves for his service on the commission.

“Arkansas is a better place because of Ken Reeves’s work as a Game and Fish commissioner,” Governor Hutchinson said. “He has been steady at the helm and charted a good course for those who love and want to preserve Arkansas’s forests and waterways.”

A video of the announcement is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNOPWiCONvY&feature=em-lbrm.