By Blake Podhajsky, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Tim Akimoff

Since 1986, the Kay Ellerhoff Spirit of ACI Award has been awarded to individuals who have embodied exemplary leadership, unwavering dedication and profound commitment and enthusiasm to the ACI membership.

And this year’s recipient, Tim Akimoff, is no different. Tim has consistently exemplified what it means to go above and beyond the call of duty. His dedication to our community is evident and his overall passion for helping others through mentorship, leadership, collaboration and the ultimate pursuit of knowledge is something to be admired. And I am not talking about just within ACI, Tim Akimoff has been a constant beacon of inspiration in the conservation communications community and on a grander scale, in the entire government social media and communications arena.

Tim works for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as their social media coordinator and he produces and hosts the ODFW’s “Beaver State Podcast”. Tim has an interesting backstory as well. He spent 7 years of his youth in Europe and at the age of 8 he moved to Oregon. Soon after getting married to his wife Cheryl, they traveled the world volunteering at refugee camps and spending time in Bosnia and New Zealand among other places. Then after two children and a move back to Oregon he received his journalism communications degree from the University of Oregon, worked for three newspapers in Oregon and Montana, and eventually dipping his toes into social media for a NBC news station in Alaska. They also spent time in Chicago as he worked for NPR affiliate WBEZ, working on their popular podcasts and managing social media. Eventually, he found his way back to Oregon where he became the social media coordinator for ODFW, back when government agencies were starting to dabble in the social media space.

I tell you all this because Tim possesses a fascinating view of the world from firsthand experiences, and is equipped with a well-rounded skillset in communications, and all this is reflected by his leadership as he has mentored and inspired many of us throughout our careers. Tim never hesitates to help others and he explores ways to give back to our community.

For instance, he created and manages the “Fish and Wildlife Social Media Coordinators” Facebook group, giving his colleagues across the country a forum to ask questions, vent and collaborate. He has also volunteered his expertise many times presenting at not only our ACI Conferences, but also the GSMCON and RBFF conferences and webinars to name a few. And just this past spring, Tim was honored at the Government Social Media Conference with the Social Media Professional of the Year.

Tim has been involved in ACI since 2016, and has since been a leader within the organization, whether it was serving on the board of directors, helping with the auction committee, or most recently, hosting ACI’s own podcast “The Outdoor Communicators”.

Congratulations Tim!