Board of Commissioners

Commissioner Knick has been an avid hunter and angler for 54 years and enjoys hunting on state game lands in northeastern Pennsylvania. He has also hunted in New York, Wyoming, and Alabama. Knick was raised on a dairy farm and believes the lessons learned there helped him better understand animal management and habitat. Knick retired from Knick Fence Company in Dupont and also worked for Northeast Arborists of Pittson and Mark’s Landscaping of Dupont. As a commissioner, Knick wants to focus on Pennsylvania’s youth.

His term expires February 9, 2026.  

Commissioner Sankey of Tyrone, Blair County, was confirmed as a member of the Board of Commissioners on December 15th, 2021. Sankey was selected from District 4, which includes Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties.

Sankey grew up in Clearfield County, and she spends the bulk of her free time outdoors. She enjoys hunting, hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, and biking. Sankey learned about managing soil and water resources, fish migrations and wildlife tagging and tracking in high school environmental science and biology classes, which further piqued her interest in conservation, and she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Practice and Policy from Juniata College in 1999. She then earned a master’s degree in Project Management from the Pennsylvania State University. Since 2011, Sankey has been teaching in the Energy and Sustainability Policy Program at Penn State’s University Park campus.

Her term expires December 15, 2025.

Originally from Elimsport, Commissioner DiMarco grew up on a dairy farm and has been a hunter since 1959. He’s a member of the Grays Run Hunting and Fishing Club, has mentored three sons in the hunting and trapping traditions, and has been a Hunter Access Program cooperator since 1974.

DiMarco graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business education from Shippensburg College in 1969 and went on to earn a master’s degree in student personnel management in 1972 from Pennsylvania State University. DiMarco began his career in 1969 as a teacher in the Loyalsock Township School District. He became assistant high school principal in 1989 then principal in 1994, before retiring in 2009 with 40 years in public education.

DiMarco also purchased his home farm in 1974 and gradually rented and leased additional acres, raising corn, soybeans, squash, and alfalfa as well as 75 head of Angus steers annually. He currently owns and operates 330 acres. 

His term expires December 15, 2025. 

Commissioner Koppenhafer of Warren, Pennsylvania is a dedicated mother, hunter, conservationist, and small business owner. A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, she has served on the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners since her confirmation in November 2019, nominated by Governor Tom Wolf.

With extensive experience as a wildlife biologist for various conservation-based NGOs, including the National Wild Turkey Federation, Koppenhafer has managed significant funding resulting in thousands of acres impacted on the Allegheny National Forest.

Passionate about preserving outdoor traditions, she actively engages her family (husband and two children) in hunting and supports hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation programs. 

Her term expires July 2, 2028.  

Commissioner Fredericks is serving his second term on the board. He served a prior term from 1991 to 1999. He’s the sixth individual to s​erve a second term as a commissioner. During his prior tenure on the board, he served as chairman of the Wildlife Management Bureau committee for six years of his eight-year term.

Fredericks was born and has lived his entire life in Washington County. He’s a lifelong hunter and trapper, and has hunted all big and small game, but now really enjoys hunting for ruffed grouse. Fredericks graduated from Penn State Mont Alto campus in 1972 with a degree in forest technology. In 1992, he attended Colorado State University for a structured course in wildlife management designed for individuals who have been politically appointed to a position to affect management policy for wildlife resources. Now retired, Fredericks had a 42-year career as an environmental engineer and manager of conservation properties and activities for CONSOL Energy, where he was responsible for coordinating natural-resource management on 500,000 acres in several states.

Fredericks is a member of many sportsmen’s organizations and conservation groups, including the NRA, Ruffed Grouse Society, National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited, to name a few.

His term expires November 15, 2026. 

Commissioner Foradora grew up in Brockway in Jefferson County, where the hunting tradition runs deep in his family. He’s been hunting since he was 12, more than 40 years. He enjoys hunting all game and trapping in Pennsylvania, but, like many hunters, deer are his favorite, followed by turkeys. When he’s not hunting, fishing or trapping, Foradora can be found in his insurance-business office in DuBois, where he puts his accounting and economics degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania to use.

Foradora is a member of the NRA and the Eastern Wild Sheep Foundation.

His term expires November 15, 2026. 

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

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

His term expires February 9, 2026.  

Commissioner Pride, of Cochranville, Chester County, is the first African American appointed to the board and founder of Legacy Land & Water Partners. He’s also Lead Coach with the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers and Outdoor Partners, which strives to grow diverse participation in outdoors and conservation activities by introducing and training urban, suburban, and rural area youth and their supporting adults in fishing, boating, archery, hunting heritage, agriculture, conservation, and wildlife education activities. His 17 years of experience with the organization serve him well on the board, where he focuses on recruiting new hunters from all backgrounds.

Pride, who is an alumnus of the Episcopal Academy and attended Temple University’s Fox School of Business for economics and marketing, grew up in Philadelphia and has a solid grasp on the diverse population of Pennsylvania’s largest city, where many have come from areas where hunting and the outdoors were important.

His term expires July 6, 2026.  

Commissioner Schwalm, of Bethlehem, Lehigh County, was confirmed to serve the newly-created seat on the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Board of Commissioners in 2022.

Schwalm grew up in Branchdale, Schuylkill County, and has extensive experience in the outdoors. He has been a hunter in Pennsylvania for 52 years and has hunted in 20 states and three Canadian provinces. He is a Hunter-Trapper Education Instructor and actively involved in mentoring youth hunters, in addition to involvement in many conservation organizations. He is especially proud of his involvement with the Jerry Zimmerman National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter JAKES event.

Schwalm has a bachelor's degree from Bloomsburg University in Education and is employed by LB Water in Selinsgrove as a sales consultant, where he'll put his business experience and sense of responsibility to work on the board.

"It's an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Game Commissioners. As a hunter and conservationist, I feel it is my responsibility to give back. I'm excited to work with the other commissioners to continue creating opportunities to recruit, reactivate and retain hunters and conservationists." – Commissioner Schwalm, District 9

His term expires July 6, 2026.