^{Friedman with red drum. Provided photo.}

STAFF REPORT

DNR’s Chief of Real Estate, Steve Friedman, is retiring at the end of April after a 19-year career with the department. 
Friedman joined DNR after a 7-year stint with The Nature Conservancy. In announcing the retirement, DNR Deputy Commissioner Trevor Santos noted Friedman is leaving the state a better place thanks to his hard work. 
“Georgia’s wildlife, habitat, and outdoor recreation are in a better place now thanks to Steve’s efforts with our department,” Santos said. 
WRD Wildlife Conservation Section Program Manager Jason Lee, who worked with Friedman on countless projects to conserve coastal lands, echoed Santos.
“He’s arguably one of the most important figures in the State of Georgia for land conservation,” Lee said. “He’s directly or indirectly responsible for so, so much land conservation in his career. It’s just incredible. “
During his tenure, Friedman was responsible for the acquisition of about 100,000 acres of land along the Altamaha River corridor, 30,000 acres in the Ceylon and Cabin Bluff Wildlife Management areas, and more than 15,000 acres around U.S. Defense Department land near Fort Stewart. 
Friedman will be succeeded by Brent Womack, who most recently served as Region I supervisor for WRD’s Game Management Section, during which he oversaw 27 counties in Northwest Georgia.
— STAFF REPORT