At an early age, Mike Worley was drawn to the outdoors. He remembers hunting squirrels and fishing with his father, grandfather, brother and cousins. 

Now, Worley channels that passion through his role as the president and CEO of Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF) — a position he’s had for the past eight years. 

Worley’s continued aim is to help carry out GWF’s mission statement it formed in 1936 when it was founded. 

“We were founded by hunters and anglers and, though our tent has grown considerably larger, hunting and fishing are still at our core,” Worley said. “As advocates for ecological services and ecological systems, GWF has long been a leading voice in Georgia’s efforts to protect and enhance our natural systems and to protect the rights and heritage of our state’s hunters and anglers. We partner with, and sometimes challenge, our state’s wildlife agency in our advocacy work and in our services.”

Worley was born in LaGrange and grew up in Douglasville along with “a few stops around the rest of the US southland.” Currently, Worley resides in the Mansfield area. 

Prior to becoming GWF’s CEO, Worley worked for 33 years with Georgia Power. He earned a degree in biology from the University of West Georgia with the intention of working in the wildlife field. 

Through his vast experiences, Worley has always seen the value of preserving natural resources. In fact, when asked of the importance, Worley was “stumped.”

“I can hardly imagine why anyone wouldn’t think preservation of our natural resources is important,” Worley said.

His reasoning of importance was three fold. 

First, from a global outlook, Worley cited the “Overview Effect.” According to Worley, astronauts described it as “one is almost universally changed by seeing the small, but all encompassing ball of life that is our Earth surrounded by this great universe of non-life.” 

The second reason for Worley — coming from a “granular scale” — is that the natural world can help people who are “willing to benefit from it.” 

Lastly, Worley used a “Judeo/Christian ethic.” 

“Humans were given dominion over the natural world,” Worley said. “We sometimes, however, forget that ‘dominion over’ nature entails responsibility. That responsibility must lead us to our stewardship of the plants, animals and resources.” 

Worley is glad to now be a part of GWF in his current role and to live in Newton County. Worley stated living here was a “perfect fit.” 

“We are able to live in and celebrate a more rural lifestyle while at the same time having a vibrant small town feel around the Square,” Worley said. “People are friendly and the county is a far more beautiful landscape than I realized before moving here.”