About Us
SWAG is a consortium of wildlife management experts that have unique qualifications in many disciplines related to wildlife populations and wildlife habitat in the American Southwest and Mexico.
Key personnel include:
James C. deVos, Jr. - Owner
Jim has worked on wildlife management and research issues in the Southwest for more than 40 years; much of this time as part of the Management Team of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. In this capacity, Jim has developed extensive expertise in project design and implementation, interagency and interpersonal interactions, fund solicitation and grant writing, and positive natural resource conflict resolution. Jim has been the team leader in development of complex environmental documentation under the auspice of the National Environmental Policy Act. Project management experience includes predator management research, wildlife habitat restoration and measurement, wildlife health projects, and preparation of environmental compliance documentation.
Areas of Primary Expertise:
- Development and review of NEPA documents
- Predator management and conflict resolution
- Interagency-coordination
- Successful grant preparation and administration
- Evaluation of wildlife management programs
- Design and implementation of projects to improve wildlife populations or the habitat upon which they depend
Publishing, Affiliations, and Awards
- Jim has published over 300 articles in scientific and popular literature sources
- Owner - Southwest Wildlife Advisory Group
- Adjunct Research Scientist - Texas Tech University
- Over 50 awards from local, national, and international collaborators for conservation efforts in the American Southwest and Mexico
Dr. Ole Alcumbrac, D.V.M - Senior Advisor
Dr. Ole Alcumbrac is the Director of Wildlife Health Services, which specializes in immobilization and capture of native and exotic species. He provides clinical and consultation services for private and public collections. As a Consulting Veterinarian for the Arizona Game & Fish Department, the White Mountain Apache Tribe and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Dr. Alcumbrac has led health aspects of the Mexican Wolf Project, the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Program, and Bighorn Sheep disease studies. Ole has extensive clinical experience that aids in assessing health status in a wide variety of wildlife species.
Areas of Primary Expertise:
- Design and implementation of wildlife health research and management programs
- Design, collection, and interpretation of wildlife health-related surveillance data.
- Providing wildlife-health consultation related to species conservation programs.
- Design and implementation of wildlife capture and marking protocols.
Dr. Warren Ballard, Ph.D.
Warren Ballard joined Texas Tech in 1998. He earned his doctorate from the University of Arizona, his master’s from Kansas State University and his bachelor's degree from New Mexico State University. He has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Research Award from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, The Outstanding Achievement award from the Texas chapter of the Wildlife Society, the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research Award and has been named a Wildlife Society Fellow by the National Wildlife Society. He is a widely-published author and has served on numerous committees within his discipline. Warren has extensive wildlife management agency experience achieved by his working with the Arizona and Alaska Game and Fish Departments. Dr. Ballard is one of the most widely published scientists in the field of wildlife management with more than 1,000 published articles on diverse conservation issues.
Areas of Primary Expertise:
- Design and implementation of natural resource research projects
- Effective interagency coordination
- Student development
- Interpretation and publishing of complex conservation studies in a fashion that is recognized for their scientific quality as these reports have received many awards for quality
- Student development and designing effective staffing protocols for field oriented wildlife programs.
