JERSEY SHORE - Barry Zaffuto recently was named the new director for the state Game Commission's Northcentral Region office.
Zaffuto, who previously served as the Southwest Region land management supervisor, fills the vacancy created when Dennis Dusza retired on April 13.
"Barry has a wide range of experience in the area of land management and oil, gas and mineral operations on state game lands. This was a critical requirement for this position as it is one of the major challenges in the region," said commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe.
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ZAFFUTO
As regional director, Zaffuto will be responsible for all Game Commission information and education programs, wildlife management and law enforcement activities in the agency's 10-county Northcentral Region.
The region is comprised of Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga and Union counties.
He also will oversee habitat improvement projects and all other land management activities on the 326,138 acres of state game lands in the region.
Zaffuto began his career with the Game Commission in 1985, as a wildlife conservation officer trainee in the 19th Class of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation, and was part of the last RLSC Class to graduate from the former training facility in Brockway, Jefferson County.
Upon graduation in 1986, he was assigned to serve as a WCO in Warren County.
From 1988 until 1995, Zaffuto served as a land management group supervisor, where he was responsible for habitat improvement activities and State Game Lands in Cambria and Indiana counties.
In 1995, Zaffuto was promoted to federal aid supervisor for the Southwest Region and, in 2000, transferred to serve as the land management supervisor for the Southwest Region.
He served on the Flight 93 Task Force that assisted in creating the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Somerset County. Additionally, he spearheaded the acquisition and creation of State Game Land 93 adjacent to the site to honor the heroes and protect the boundaries and integrity of the memorial.
Prior to employment by the Game Commission, Zaffuto was employed for nine years with the federal government, primarily with the National Park Service, as well as with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Zaffuto and his wife, Debbie, currently reside in Ebensburg, Cambria County. They have two adult children: Jason and Stephen.
The Northcentral Region office is along Route 44, just south of Jersey Shore. The telephone number is 570-398-4744.
