York surgeon Michael Mitrick named to Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners

• The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has filled two vacancies.
• One of those vacancies was filled by York's Michael Mitrick.
• Mitrick is an orthopedic surgeon at OSS Health in York.

A Yorker has been named to one of the most important positions in the Pennsylvania outdoors community.

Michael Mitrick has filled one of two lingering vacancies on the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. The other position was filled by Stanley Knick Jr., of Dupont.

Mitrick was selected from Region 6, which includes Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder and York counties. This position was left vacant when former Game Commissioner Ronald Weaner’s term expired.

Knick was selected from Region 7, which includes Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Commissioners are selected from eight geographic areas of the Commonwealth to ensure uniform representation throughout Pennsylvania.

Mitrick grew up in Illinois, where his father introduced him to rabbit and pheasant hunting. He continued to hunt pheasants throughout his college years. When he moved to Pennsylvania in 1981, deer hunting quickly became his new passion. He has held a Pennsylvania hunting license every year since moving to the state.

Mitrick is a member of several sportsmen’s organizations including Starview Sportsmen’s Association, York Riflemen and S&M Hunting Lodge.

TOM VENESKY COLUMN: Millions could be owed to struggling Pa. Game Commission

When he’s not enjoying the outdoors, Mitrick can be found working as an orthopedic surgeon at OSS Health in York.

In addition to hunting in Penn’s Woods, Mitrick has hunted and participated in outdoor recreational activities in several other states and countries.

“These experiences have given me a broad perspective while fostering my ever-deepening appreciation of Pennsylvania,” Mitrick said in a news release. “I hold Pennsylvania and its great outdoors very near and dear to my heart.”

Agency executive director Bryan Burhans said the agency welcomes the addition of Mitrick and Knick.

“The wildlife-management issues that confront the agency’s Board of Commissioners are more complicated and farther-reaching than at almost any other time in the Game Commission’s history,” Burhans said in the news release. “The time required to be a Game Commissioner today is daunting and the decisions they are making will span generations. It obviously is not an easy stay.”

Mitrick and Knick each will serve four-year terms.

Information for this story was provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.