The National Wildlife Refuge Association selected Levy County’s Andrew Gude as refuge manager of the year, earning the Paul Kroegel Award.  

Gude recently retired as manager of the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges, and a local support group for refuges nominated him for the award.  

The nomination listed his long-time commitment, style of dealing with people, effective building of coalitions to advance the refuges’ mission and outstanding vision in management.  

Mike Allen, director of the UF’s Nature Coast Biological Station in Cedar Key, highlighted a hydrologic restoration initiative championed by Gude, saying it would improve flow in local creeks, the Suwannee River and the Gulf of Mexico. 

In a press release, former mayor of Cedar Key Sue Colson said Gude is the type of manager that every public official would want working in their area.  

“He makes it clear that what is good for wildlife conservation is good for the community, its economy, its resilience, and its quality of life,” Colson said. “In my book, Andrew is more than the Refuge Manager of the Year. He is the Refuge Manager of our dreams.”