WYOMING – The Lander Region this week welcomed Mitch Renteria as the new South Riverton Game Warden. Renteria replaces Brad Gibb who recently retired.

Renteria is a native of Lincoln, Neb. He graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School and attended college at Southeast Community College and the University of Nebraska. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Management with a minor in Grasslands Ecology and Management.

Renteria began his career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in December 2015 when he was hired as a game warden. He graduated from the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in March 2016 and was assigned to the Laramie Region as a warden trainee. Like most warden trainees, he spent the summer of 2016 working law enforcement and watercraft safety at Glendo Reservoir. He then advanced to the Cheyenne Game Warden position in winter 2016, before his current transfer to Riverton.

Renteria says his primary goal for the job is to be available to the public.

“I’m here to serve the public and to be accessible to the hunters, and to serve and protect the wildlife. I encourage the public to contact me regarding any questions or issues that arise,” Renteria said. “I look forward to becoming involved in the local community and serving the people of the Lander Region.”

Prior to working for Game and Fish, Renteria spent six summers working at Yellowstone National Park as a Biological Sciences Technician. His duties included controlling invasive weed species, removing hazardous trees and working on human-wildlife interactions. He also volunteered as a backcountry ranger in Yellowstone.

Renteria comes from a long line of outdoorsmen so his calling to become a game warden comes as no surprise. “I’ve always been interested in the outdoors and I grew up hunting and fishing,” he said.

Renteria lives with his wife Tracee and their Labrador retriever, Bridger.