Governor Laura Kelly announced that she has appointed Chris Kennedy as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) effective March 18, 2024. Kennedy is preceded by Secretary Brad Loveless whose tenure with the Department began in January 2019. He brings nearly three decades of experience in wildlife and natural resources, beginning with his first internship out of high school at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conducting water quality and quantity research projects across Arkansas, Kansas, and Louisiana. In 1996, Kennedy joined the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), where he remained until this appointment to succeed Loveless.