Johnson County officially named Brad Freidhof as its new conservation director on Feb. 19, and he has big shoes to fill.
Freidhof had been interim director since June 2024, when the previous director, Larry Gullet, took administrative leave due to stage four esophageal cancer. On Sept. 6, 2024, Gullet died, leaving behind big shoes for the entire conservation department to fill.
When Gullet first assumed his role as executive director, he hired Freidhof in the newly created role of Conservation Program Manager. In this role, Freidhof helped develop the Johnson County trails program, which aimed to develop a network of multi-use trails that gave residents recreational opportunities across the county.
“I wrote over $6 million in grants for a lot of trail projects that we had here in Johnson County. I also assisted with the conservation bond that we passed in 2008 and tried to gain as much knowledge from Larry in the time I had with him as possible.” Friedhof said.
Conservation Board Vice President Carolyn Buckingham recalled Larry’s contributions to Johnson County Conservation.
“Larry was a true visionary,” she said. “He dedicated his career to implementing ecological restoration projects and improving landscapes for clean water and clean air. He really was a visionary in terms of dedicating his life to the land and making sure people had a connection to it.”
Conservation Board President Bill Waldie recalled Gullet’s encouragement for residents to safely enjoy the outdoors during the shut-in atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We saw more people at Kent Park during COVID than we have ever before,” he said. “Back then, people needed to get outside and enjoy it, and the other things Larry had put together really helped people learn about the outdoors and not just sit around their computers all day long.”
Despite his diagnosis, Gullet had wished to continue his work in conservation until it was physically impossible. On June 7, 2024, Freidhof began his work as the interim director.
“I hate moving up or being promoted in those circumstances, but it was the cards we were dealt,” he said. “I was glad to be able to step in and fill that role while he continued his battle with cancer.”
RELATED: Former Johnson County Conservation director leaves legacy of Land Back
By the time of his passing, Gullet had been serving as the conservation director for 11 years.
“We had a very strong work relationship,” Freidhof said. “I’ve been in the Conservation Department here in Johnson County since 2002, and so I had a lot of history. A lot of the knowledge that I had carried from previous years I was able to share with him.”
The 2008 conservation bond, totaling $20 million, and the 2024 conservation bond, totaling $30 million, passed through a county-wide public vote and are part of ongoing efforts to protect the county’s natural resources and expand outdoor recreation.
Friedhof hopes to use the bond and his new appointment to make the county sustainable for future generations. He emphasized the importance of being sustainable in the most fundamental ways, whether in raising livestock or protecting and recharging high-quality groundwater.
“They don’t recharge in our lifetimes. They take hundreds of years, and by interrupting that process, we’re endangering future generations of having good quality and quantities of water,” he said.
Looking ahead, Friedhof is excited to continue his passion for conservation and soaking up the outdoors he developed from childhood.
“For me, that entertainment was the streams and the pastures and the trees, the large glass glacial erratics that were out on our pasture, those were our playground,” he said. “You’ll learn a lot when you’re out there and you’re exploring.”
To Waldie, Freidhof’s official appointment was a no-brainer.
“His experience in conservation was insurmountable. His working with the staff was precious and very helpful,” he said. “And I know once we made the announcement, the staff were very pleased with our decision.”