JD Kennedy earned his B.S. in Conservation and Wildlife Management and in Ecology and Field Biology from College of the Ozarks, and a M.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. He has worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation in both the resource management and education branches, focusing on land and habitat management as well as providing nature-based outdoor programs for diverse public audiences. Before joining as full-time faculty, he worked on property management and taught as an adjunct professor at College of the Ozarks.