Meet the Team

Lynn Gill joined the TRCP as its director of operations and people in June 2022.

Gill has over twenty years of experience in human resources and operations, including 11 years in nonprofit Human Resources.  Most recently she was the Director of Human Resources at Jefferson Consulting Group, a K street professional services firm.  At TRCP, Gill oversees all human resources and office operations.

Originally from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, she grew up spending time at her family cabin on the banks of the South Branch of the Tionesta Creek in Warren County.  Some of her fondest memories are her father teaching her how to fish, shoot, and helping him paint and tie the lead jigs he poured.  Hiking, boating on the Alleghany reservoir, and tubing on the creek were all popular pastimes.

Gill graduated with her bachelor’s degree from The American University in Washington, DC and holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.  She currently resides in DC with her husband Hal and spends her free time reading and tending to her herb garden.

George Cooper is a Partner at Forbes Tate Partners and has been with the firm and it’s predecessor firm since 2009. 

Mr. Cooper leads the firm’s natural resources and outdoor recreation government affairs practice, representing nonprofits, corporations and trade associations on policy related to natural resource conservation, public lands, marine fisheries, agricultural land, tax, trade, and appropriations issues. Mr. Cooper leverages his extensive network in DC to connect clients with the right people on Capitol Hill and in pertinent federal agencies and guide them in delivering messages and creating conversations that produce meaningful results.

Prior to joining FTP, Mr. Cooper served as President and CEO of TRCP. Throughout his nearly eight years at TRCP, both as CEO and as Vice President for Policy and Communications, Mr. Cooper helped create a new strategic advocacy niche in Washington for the nation’s 40 million hunters and anglers. To do this, Mr. Cooper successfully emphasized the use of highly effective advocacy communications around pertinent issues, including marine resources management, outdoor recreation participation and access, public lands management, private lands agricultural policy, and federal funding for natural resource management.

Mr. Cooper’s political experience is rooted in Washington, DC political media. Before he joined TRCP, Mr. Cooper worked for CNN for a decade. From 1993 to 2003, Mr. Cooper’s work for CNN included serving as Senior Producer for prominent public affairs shows like “Evans and Novak,” “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” and “Reliable Sources.” Mr. Cooper also served as a Senior Producer on the White House and Capitol Hill beats. He worked closely with top political experts and interviewed and reported on Members of Congress, Administration officials, and other leading figures inside the Beltway.

Mr. Cooper utilizes his background in issue advocacy and journalism to blend effective lobbying, broader advocacy, and collaboration with third party organizations to achieve positive policy and legislative results for clients.

An alumnus of Denison University, Mr. Cooper earned a Bachelor’s in History. He and his wife and their two children live in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Mr. Patel is a Partner and Vice Chair at Apollo Capital Solutions, based in New York City. He previously held the position of Chairman International and Partner of Private Equity at Apollo Management. As a key member of the firm’s Leadership Team and Investment Committees, Mr. Patel has been instrumental in shaping strategic decisions. He joined Apollo Management in 2010 as Head of International Private Equity in London and also served as Head of Europe and Managing Partner of Apollo European Principal Finance until 2018.

Before his tenure at Apollo, Mr. Patel was a partner at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he co-headed European and Indian Private Equity within the Principal Investment Area (PIA). His extensive experience at Goldman Sachs included serving on the Goldman Sachs Partnership Committee and the Investment Committee of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in 1983, spending 17 years in PIA across New York and London.

Mr. Patel also served as Co-President of Greenwich Street Capital from 1998 to 2003. His philanthropic and advisory roles include being a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Design Dean’s Leadership Council, serving on the Investment Committee of the Eton College Foundation, and working with the Provost and Fellows of Eton College. He is the President and CEO of the American Friends of Eton College and the President of the American Friends of The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Additionally, he is involved with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, serving on its Executive Committee, and is a member of The Nature Conservancy India Council. His love for the outdoors started over thirty years ago when his college roommate purchased The Winston Rod Company in Twin Bridges, Montana where he still serves on the board. His time spent in the West and fly fishing throughout the world over the decades has made him focus his future efforts on conservation in the U.S. and climate efforts globally.

Mr. Patel earned his AB and SM degrees in engineering, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. He received his early education at Eton College in the UK, where he was a King’s Scholar.

Greg Booth joined the TRCP team as Controller in May 2023.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton, Greg began his career with Ernst & Young in southern California where he became a licensed CPA. It was after relocating to Missouri that his interest of flyfishing and turkey hunting was born and has since flourished. It was not until Greg took a position at the world headquarters of an international church that he found his nonprofit calling. After 22 years, he continues to uphold the fiduciary obligation of all nonprofits to be good stewards over the resources entrusted to them to support the organization’s mission.

Greg spent the last five years as the Director of Finance and Administration at the national headquarters Camp Fire, one of the oldest youth development organizations in the country. It was during that time that he saw the critical importance of an affirming organizational culture and actively upholding values that recognize and appreciate the worth of all persons, not just for the work they perform but for the people they are.

Having been privileged to have parents who provided outdoor opportunities whether in the woods, on the water, or in the desert, Greg has come to appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful environment in which we live. He also recognizes the responsibility to protect that environment and those opportunities for future generations. When not playing with spreadsheets, hunting or fishing, Greg spends his free time cycling or sailing. He and his wife enjoy their two dogs and their growing family, which now includes two grandchildren.

Becky Humphries started her career in wildlife as an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and joined the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in 1978. Her 32-year career with the agency was a progression from field biologist positions to Wildlife Division Chief and culminated with her last seven years as Director.

In 2011, Becky left public service and joined Ducks Unlimited as Director of Conservation Programs. In 2013, The National Wild Turkey Federation enticed her to join them in South Carolina as the Chief Conservation Officer. In 2016, Becky was named Chief Operations Officer and in April of 2017, she was named as the CEO for NWTF.

Mark W. Ray is a native Texan, and grew up in the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas. He attended Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University) on a golf scholarship, ultimately graduating with a BBA in Marketing. Mark then began a successful career in the Property and Casualty Insurance business, specializing in blowout insurance for the oil and gas exploration industry. Having served on numerous in-surance company advisory councils and boards during his career, he was ultimately elected Chairman of the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, the largest professional agent’s association in the nation. After merging with Higginbotham Insurance in 2020, Mark is still active in advising his clients on risk management issues.

A lifelong, avid outdoorsman, Mark began volunteering at the local level of the Gulf Coast Conservation As-sociation in 1986, serving as Chapter President from 1995 to 1997. During this time, Mark was appointed to the Management Committee of GCCA Texas, which ultimately became the Coastal Conservation Associa-tion, Texas. In 2007, Mark was elected Chairman of the Board of CCA Texas, a role in which he served until April of 2022. In June of 2022, Mark was elected Chairman of CCA National.

In addition to his CCA affiliation, Mark serves as Chairman of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conser-vation which is an entity housed in the Texas A&M University System, serves as Board of Director member of the Center for Sportfish Policy, Trustee of the Texas Foundation for Conservation and Board member of Building Conservation Trust (the national habitat initiative of CCA). Previously, Mark has served on the South Texas Advisory Council of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and The Texas Advisory Board of The Nature Conservancy. He is a Life Member of CCA, Texas Wildlife Association, Ducks Unlimited and the International Game Fish Association. In 2018, Mark was honored to receive the prestigious Harvey Weil Sportsman Conservationist of the Year award.

Joshua Walters joined the TRCP as its director of program development in October 2021.

Joshua is an experienced nonprofit fundraising and financial management professional, and he has worked in higher education fundraising and financial services in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Morgantown, W. Va.

A native of West Virginia, Joshua is a passionate outdoorsman and conservationist. He volunteers with the Ruffed Grouse Society and the National Wild Turkey Federation. In his spare time, you’ll find him at his cabin surrounded by the Monongahela National Forest and with his English setter, Berkeley, hunting ruffed grouse in the Appalachian Mountains.

Melanie Thornton joined the TRCP in July of 2026.

Melanie is a water policy leader with more than a decade of experience advancing bipartisan western water and natural resources policy. Prior to joining the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Melanie served for seven years as Senior Professional Staff for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, serving under both Ranking Member Heinrich and Chairman Manchin. Most recently, she led Senator Heinrich’s western water, science, outdoor recreation, and territories portfolio, directing legislative strategy and oversight on issues including Colorado River and Rio Grande management, Bureau of Reclamation programs, drought resilience, and watershed restoration. She played a leading role in negotiating and drafting major western water provisions included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, helping secure more than $15 billion for drought resilience, ecosystem restoration, and water infrastructure across the West.

Before joining the Senate, Melanie worked at Defenders of Wildlife, where she advanced federal conservation and natural resources policy. She began her career as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Tom Udall, bringing a scientific perspective to federal policymaking.

Melanie holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, with a focus on hydrology and water resources management, from Washington State University, and a B.S. in Environmental Geoscience from Texas A&M University. Throughout her career, she has worked to bridge science and policy, building coalitions among federal agencies, states, Tribes, water users, conservation organizations, and local communities to develop durable, practical solutions to complex water challenges.

A native Texan, Melanie is passionate about ensuring healthy rivers, resilient watersheds, and sustainable water supplies for future generations. Outside of work, she enjoys a good cup of coffee, getting lost in a good book, traveling, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her family—whether that’s exploring a new trail, enjoying time in the water, or relaxing by the pool.

Liz Ogilvie is our chief communications and operations officer. She leads the communications team on marketing, public relations, and partner outreach. She also oversees the operations of our three offices, staff, and finance. Before joining the TRCP in 2021, she worked in various segments of the recreational fishing industry—from retail to television to nonprofits—for more than 25 years. Her work on the national industry initiative to Recruit, Retain, and Reactivate anglers was honored by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies as well as corporate partners, Lew’s Fishing and Fishing League Worldwide. She was also featured in the report “The Outdoors Drives Jobs: Career Paths in the Outdoor Recreation Economy,” published by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.

Fly fishing is Liz’s passion, and she loves to share her global adventures in the hopes to inspire more women in their own travel. She also spent seven years as a fly fishing instructor with L.L.Bean and continues to volunteer with local and national charities to bring more enthusiasts to the sport.

As president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, Rita Hite leads our ambitious work in scaling AFF’s efforts to empower family forest owners from all walks of life to improve the health and productivity of our nation’s woodlands. In her more than 20-year career in forest conservation, Rita has staffed congressional leaders on the House Committee on Agriculture, built and curated coalitions and partnerships including the Forest Climate Working Group, the Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition and the Women’s Forest Congress, and served as a nonprofit leader. Rita felt the call to champion natural resource conservation having grown up on a beef cattle farm in upstate New York. She finds energy in tackling difficult conservation challenges and bringing together diverse teams, coalitions, and resources to create market-relevant solutions.

Tony Wasley currently serves as the President and CEO of the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1911 and dedicated to science-based, professional wildlife management. WMI continues to serve as the think tank for conservation in exploring topics like conservation relevancy and compiling a comprehensive set of foundational elements for conservation’s future. Tony is a member of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, sits on the board for the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, chairs the Executive Committee for Conservation without Conflict, and has previously served as a member of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Policy Committee. He is a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club and The Wildlife Society.  

Prior to joining WMI, Tony had a 26-year career at the Nevada Department of Wildlife during which he served as Director for 10 years. Tony also served as Chairman of the North American Wetland Conservation Council, on the Departments of Interior and Agriculture’s Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, President of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and as Chairman of the Intermountain West Joint Venture Management Board, Pacific Flyway Council, and Colorado River Fish and Wildlife Council.  He received B.S. Degrees in both Biological Sciences and Wildlife Management and an M.S. Degree in Biology. 

Tony lives in the 85% publicly administered state of Nevada and is most content when strolling the public lands and waters of the Great Basin with his German Wirehaired Pointer “Redd” whether equipped with binoculars, flyrod, shotgun, rifle, or walking stick.  

Joe Anderson is the Chairman and CEO of Tag Holdings, LLC, which has owned several manufacturing companies in North America and Asia. These businesses have served a variety of industries including automotive, heavy equipment, aerospace, and defense.  

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Joe and the infantry platoon he commanded in Vietnam were subjects of the highly acclaimed documentary film “The Anderson Platoon” which has won several awards to include the Oscar of the Academy Awards and an Emmy. Mr. Anderson’s military awards include two silver stars, five bronze stars, three Army Commendation Medals and eleven Air Medals.  

 Joe also serves on boards of several public and private companies. He is a past chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago-Detroit Branch as well as a past chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council. 

Joe started fishing as a child with his dad in Topeka, Kansas. They raised English Pointers and hunted pheasant and quail throughout the state. He currently lives in Michigan and continues as an avid wing shooter hunting birds throughout the United States and Canada. He also fishes for salmon and halibut in Alaska.   

Lena Viall joined the TRCP as its Development Communications Manager in October 2026. Lena brings over a decade of experience in communications, outreach, fundraising, and donor relations to the team. Before joining TRCP, Lena spent 11 years with Five Valleys Land Trust as their Conservation and Communications Manager, where she engaged with supporters, partners, and stakeholders to protect private lands and wildlife habitats. She also has prior experience working for the Montana Natural History Center and is former intern and writer for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Bugle magazine.

A lifelong Montanan, Lena grew up fishing, hunting, foraging, and exploring the landscape of lower Yellowstone River, where her family has farmed for five generations. Lena holds a bachelor’s degree in English-Creative Writing from the University of Montana and is a certified Montana Master Naturalist. She recently co-authored A Gracious Civic Enterprise about the history of Five Valleys Land Trust, and freelances as writer and editor. In her free time, she can often be found in the mountains and rivers surrounding Missoula, MT, where she lives with her husband, son, and two dogs.

As the Colorado Program Manager for the TRCP, Liz focuses on federal and state policy and planning initiatives that will affect Colorado’s high-value wildlife habitat and opportunities to hunt and fish. In order to effectively track important processes and develop well-informed positions, Lizcoordinates with state and federal agencies’ staff; participates in Colorado-focused cooperatives, working groups, and alliances; and communicates regularly with staff and volunteers from numerous local, state, and national organizations representing a wide range of interests.

In Colorado and nationally, TRCP’s mission is to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish, and Liz’s input into USFS Forest Management Plans, BLM Resource Management Plans, energy leasing and development proposals, regulation changes, recreation development proposals, state and Congressional legislation, state and federal rulemakings, and state plans is all intended to achieve this important mission.

Liz’s curiosity about public land access and how decisions are made inspired her to earn a Master’s degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her curiosity about why the natural world is the way it is led her to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology at the University of California Santa Cruz. She lives in Denver but feels very lucky to also spend a lot of time in Grand County.

Ryan DuLaney joined TRCP as our Lower/Middle Mississippi River Representative in February 2026.

Ryan previously served as General Manager at Grindle Slough Farms in Arkansas where, since 2015, he led habitat restoration efforts and managed a comprehensive waterfowl hunting program for Turner Enterprises Inc. In addition to his work at Grindle Slough, Ryan has partnered with conservation-minded landowners across the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, overseeing the acquisition, restoration, and development of high-quality waterfowl hunting properties. He has also contributed in various capacities to support waterfowl research and R3 (recruitment, retention, and reactivation) initiatives funded by the Turner Foundation. Ryan is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned a degree in Forestry with a concentration in Wildlife Management, and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist as well as a licensed commercial drone pilot.

Ryan resides in Memphis, Tennessee, where he enjoys access to the immense natural resources of the Mississippi River Valley. His wife, Meagan, and their golden retrievers, Ryder and Birdie, are his constant companions and support his dedication to a conservation-minded lifestyle.

Daniel Morgan joined the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership as Director of Communications in May 2023.

Daniel is a life-long outdoorsman and fly-fishing enthusiast. His love for the outdoors originates from the time spent with his grandfather exploring the woods and streams of upstate NY each summer during his youth. He attended college at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY and following graduation, Daniel pursued his passion for the outdoors professionally.

Most recently, Daniel spent five years as Vice President of Marketing at Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, a national non-profit serving military personnel and veterans through the sport of fly fishing. During his tenure, he was responsible for the organization’s marketing, communications, and partnerships supporting over 200 program locations serving thousands of veterans in need annually.

In 2016, Daniel was selected to serve on Facebook’s prestigious U.S. Small-Medium Business Council and currently serves as a founding member of Meta’s Boost Leaders Network. He is a long-time volunteer in his community with Trout Unlimited, the Cazenovia Lake Association, and Madison County Watershed Council.

Daniel resides in upstate New York with his wife and two sons. When not at work, you can find him prowling his nearby woods and trout streams with fly-rod in hand.

Michael joined the TRCP in the summer of 2018. He is a native Oregonian who grew up on a small farm just a stone’s throw from the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. Early childhood trips salmon fishing on the Columbia and learning to stalk elk in the mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest hooked him with a passion for hunting and fishing in his home state.

Michael attended the University of Montana, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, and has since worked for federal agencies and nonprofits. Most recently, he led the development and implementation of public and private land stewardship projects throughout eastern Oregon.

He currently lives outside of Sisters, Oregon, with his wife and two boys. In his time off, you can find him with his family, camping, fishing, and hunting in the many diverse landscapes of Oregon’s wild country.

Rue Mapp is the Founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. From its grassroots beginning, Outdoor Afro is now recognized by organizations for its role in addressing the ongoing need for greater diversity in the outdoors.

In 2010, Rue was invited to the Obama White House to participate in the America’s Great Outdoors Conference, and subsequently to take part in a think-tank to inform the launch of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. She was appointed program officer for the Stewardship Council’s Foundation for Youth Investment to oversee its grant-making program from 2010-2012. Her work has also been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions, including: The Root 100 as one of the most influential African Americans in the country (2012 and 2016), Outdoor Industry Inspiration Award, National Wildlife Federation Communication Award, and Family Circle Magazine selected Rue as one of America’s 20 Most Influential Moms. In 2014, she was appointed to the California State Parks Commission by Governor Jerry Brown. She was named a National Geographic fellow, and is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.

John Redpath is the Chief Executive Officer of TrailStone, LLC, a global energy merchant focused on trading and providing risk management services to wind and solar asset owners. TrailStone employs 130 staff with offices in Austin, New York, London, and Berlin. The company trades physical and financial energy products in all major markets, and currently manages over 5 gigawatts of renewable power generation on electricity grids in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, and the United States.

Prior to founding TrailStone with four partners in 2013, Joh had a 20-year career on Wall Street as a commodity trader and trading manager, with particular focus on energy and agricultural markets.

John currently serves as a director to a number of small GreenTech start-up ventures and is also on the board of Trout Unlimited’s Clearwater Conservation Fund.

Attorney Ashley Smith is a bi-lingual thought leader, group cohesion expert, writer, and national public speaker. Ashley co-founded The Minority Outdoor Alliance with the mission of uniting communities for the enjoyment and conservation of our natural resources. Ashley is also the founder of NOS Global, LLC, which helps organizations uncover how to benefit from an ever-changing world through data-driven strategic planning and organizational cohesion programs.

Ashley has had the honor of giving speeches, facilitating workshops, and hosting large outdoor recreational and educational events for a number of state agencies, conservation organizations, and corporations across the nation.

Ashley completed her undergraduate education at the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and Spanish. After college, she completed her law degree at Georgia State University College of Law. Ashley seeks the outdoors as a place to renew and rejuvenate. She likes to meditate, pray, and exercise outdoors. She also enjoys archery, biking, hiking, and fishing. Ashley believes that there is so much more that unites us as human beings than divides us and believes that being outdoors is the perfect setting for memory making, tradition keeping, and connecting with others. Ashley and her husband have a young daughter and son.

Rob Thornberry, who joined the TRCP in February 2016 as the Idaho Field Representative, has spent his life chasing animals and fish across the West’s stunning public lands. A journalism graduate from the University of Colorado, Rob reported on outdoor issues for nearly three decades and wrote a weekly outdoor column for The Post Register in Idaho.

Public lands have been his playground since he first started chasing sage grouse across the rolling hills of northwestern Colorado. When not working to ensure sportsmen’s access to public lands, Rob can be found swinging a steelhead fly, busting through rapids, or hunting for elk in his beloved eastern Idaho. He and his wife Margaret are proud parents of two grown children.

Clarke Ohrstrom is the founder and CEO of Finest Butcher and Primalurge Foods and the CEO of Whitewood Stable, Inc., a cattle and horse farm in The Plains, Virginia. He is also the founding Partner of Whitewood Farm Mitigation Bank, Northern Virginia’s largest wetlands and riparian credit bank. Clarke is the Co-Executive Director of The Ohrstrom Foundation, and serves on the board of the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Virginia.

Sarah has over a decade of experience in environmental and conservation policy specific to the Southwest region. Most recently, she worked for the Forest Service managing recreation, special use permitting, wilderness, and wild and scenic rivers in northern New Mexico. Prior to that, she conducted her graduate research on the role of conservation policy in protecting New Mexico’s rivers. Sarah is an extrovert and enjoys making connections with people from diverse backgrounds who have shared goals for protecting the natural places we all use and love.

Originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, Sarah spent her youth camping, rafting, and hiking with her family around the Southwest. Prior to her federal service, she worked for many years as an outdoor guide and environmental educator throughout the Southwest and internationally. Sarah holds a double bachelor’s degree in Spanish and creative writing and a master’s degree in environmental science and policy.

Besides getting outdoors, where you’ll find her most weekends, her favorite pastime is traveling. She’s also a silversmith and hibernates in her jewelry-making studio during the winter months. Lately she has been learning to fly fish and loves the quiet time in nature it offers. Sarah currently resides in Santa Fe with her partner, Tom, and adventure dog, Mowgli.

Ryan Chapin joined the TRCP team as the Montana Field Manager in September 2024. Ryan has enjoyed a conservation career in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West, first with Five Valleys Land Trust as Stewardship Director and, more recently, with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as Lands Operations Manager. Ryan takes pride in building strong partnerships and has played a key role in many conservation and public access projects and initiatives throughout his career. He is excited to share his passion for hunting and angling on public lands in a way that promotes solid public land policy and management in Montana and beyond.

Raised in the farmlands of Ohio, Ryan fell in love with the woods and fields, prompting a move to Montana as a young adult.  He’s worked in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, attended Montana State University, and once rode a train from Moscow to Beijing. Ryan lives in Missoula, Montana, with his wife Kate, where they enjoy the outdoors with their two children.

Aaron Field joined the TRCP as director of private lands conservation in June of 2022.

Previously, Aaron worked with North Dakota State University Extension and the North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee as a leadership development specialist focusing on Soil Conservation District supervisors and staff. Aaron also spent four years as an assistant professor in the Agriculture and Rangeland Management program at Chadron State College in western Nebraska, where he taught courses in rangeland ecology and management.

Aaron earned his PhD in range science and an MS in natural resources management from North Dakota State University. His research there focused on monitoring changes in rangeland plant communities under different combinations of livestock and wildlife grazing. He also holds a BS in biology from the University of Jamestown.

Aaron resides in western Minnesota, where he enjoys fishing and hunting, especially for upland birds and waterfowl with his American Water Spaniels.

McKay joined TRCP as the Energy Policy Advisor in September of 2024. Having spent the majority of her career with the Bureau of Land Management, McKay earned a variety of experience in natural resource management, federal leasing policy and critical incident management. After her time in the Army, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming in Agriculture Communications, where she became fascinated with the challenge of translating federal policies into more accessible terminology for the public. She recently joined the Homeward Bound Initiative, a global leadership program for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine. McKay teaches guitar lessons at Sheridan Community College and volunteers as an officer with her local Search and Rescue unit and the National Ski Patrol.

McKay grew up hunting and fishing with her family in Oregon. She enjoys making her outdoor activities increasingly more dangerous and expensive by taking up archery and acquiring horses.

Zach joined TRCP as the director of government relations in July 2023. 

Prior to joining TRCP, he spent nearly three years as the policy director for the Western Landowners Alliance. In this role, he led WLA’s government relations, policy development and advocacy work spanning a range of public and working lands conservation issues. Before that, Bodhane spent six years as the policy advisor for conservation and wildlife at the Western Governors’ Association. At WGA, he led broad stakeholder initiatives aimed at developing common ground solutions through the WGA Species Conservation and ESA Initiative and the WGA Working Lands Roundtable. 

Bodhane holds a B.S. in Natural Resources Management with a double minor in Fishery Biology and Watershed Science from Colorado State University. 

Originally from Colorado, Zach now lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, son and dog. Despite missing the West, he enjoys the opportunity to get out of the city to mountain bike, hike and fish.

I Ling Thompson is the inaugural CEO of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, the Congressionally chartered charitable partner for the Bureau of Land Management. I Ling has dedicated her career to fostering people’s love, connection and stewardship of the outdoors, having spent the last 20+ years in leadership roles with Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, and the Outdoor Industry Association.

I Ling has long believed in the power of America’s public lands to unite, benefit and transform people. She’s a mountain biker, hiker, whitewater SUPer, skier and novice fly fisher. She makes it a regular practice to explore outdoor places she’s never been with her husband, two dogs and gear in tow. She lives in Grand Junction with her husband, an avid hunter and angler, and their two dogs.

Chris Macaluso is the Center for Marine Fisheries and Mississippi River Program Director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He works with a host of advocacy and conservation organizations to advance habitat restoration efforts across the Gulf and improve federal fisheries management law and policy.

Macaluso is an avid angler and duck hunter and a lifelong Louisiana resident who has worked in the outdoors communication field for more than 20 years, hosting hunting and fishing radio shows and working as a freelance outdoor and sports writer, radio and TV host. He became the first-ever communications director for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority in 2006 and handled media relations for the Authority during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

He left state-government in late 2010 to work as the Coastal Outreach Coordinator for the non-profit Louisiana Wildlife Federation helping to start the Vanishing Paradise Campaign that worked with outdoorsmen and the hunting and fishing industry to pass the RESTORE Act in 2012 before taking his current role at TRCP in 2013.

He and his wife Katie have a young son and daughter who both enjoy spending time in the swamps and marshes of Louisiana and the beaches along the Gulf Coast.

Kendra Davis joined the TRCP in January 2012. She has an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Middlebury College. Before joining the TRCP, Kendra worked in development for Trout Unlimited. Her affinity for the outdoors stems from a childhood spent camping and skiing in the Adirondacks. Outside of work, Kendra enjoys singing in an a cappella group and exploring the mountains and coast of Maine with her family.

Josh joined the TRCP as its Wyoming community partnerships coordinator in November 2021 and became Wyoming field manager in February 2023.  

Prior to joining the TRCP, Josh worked as a professional naturalist in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Josh’s is also a freelance photographer and film producer, whose work includes the recent films Carrying Capacity: The Hunt for Resilience, Denizens of the Steep, and conservation easement photography for the Jackson Hole Land Trust.  

Josh works with stakeholders across the state to identify and pursue durable policy opportunities that conserve big game habitat, access, and maintain the Wyoming way of life.  Josh and his lab mutt Ollie reside in Laramie, but you’ll often find them crossing the state in a truck camper, visiting with partners and experiencing the diverse landscapes and wildlife that make Wyoming such a special place.  

Howard originally came from Duluth, Minnesota where he graduated from the University of Minnesota, Duluth with a Bachelor of Accounting degree in 1979.

He worked in public accounting for 7 years including his time with the national accounting firm of KPMG where he was the Supervisor in charge of Business Advisory Services for the Twin Cities area.

He came to Pheasants Forever (PF) in 1987 as their first Director of Finance.  He held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer before he became the President and CEO from 2000 until his retirement in 2023.  In his time with PF, it grew from a $1 million to an $100 million dollar organization with 750 chapters in 40 states and 400,000 supporters.  In his time with the Organization, it impacted over 22 million acres of wildlife habitat.

Howard is a National Board of Director of the Wildlife Management Institute.  He also served on the boards for the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, and was a Member of the Wildlife Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.

Howard and his wife Wendy have been married for 46 years and live in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where he enjoys chasing the wily ringneck with his two sons as well as chasing three young grandchildren.

Matt Cook is currently the CEO of SquareTop Capital Partners LLC. He and his partner are investors in several industrial manufacturing and distribution companies within the foodservice industry.

Matt is extremely passionate about the outdoors and conservation. He was formerly chairman of a wounded veteran organization that focused on getting individuals nationwide into the outdoors to begin the healing process.  

Matt is active on the advisory board for University of Chicago Booth business school’s “Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition” (ETA) program. His role includes being an advisor/mentor to current Chicago Booth MBA students.  

Matt currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife, Jeanna, of 30 years. The Cook family has 4 children. 

Alex Aguirre joined the TRCP as the Wyoming Community Partnerships Coordinator in May of 2023.

Prior to joining the TRCP, Alex directed Dano Youth Camp, a nonprofit located in Park County, Wyoming whose mission is to develop young leaders by taking youth on extended backpacking trips. His duties included participant recruitment, staff hiring, public outreach, fundraising, and leading trips. Alex graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management in May of 2020.

Growing up in northwest Wyoming, Alex was introduced to spending time outdoors from a young age, and his appreciation for wildlife and nature only grew. He spends his free time outside and enjoys many activities including skiing, fishing, hunting, and camping. Bowhunting is his passion, and he especially enjoys accompanying family and friends on their own hunts. High country mule deer have his heart, but he still believes archery elk hunting is hard to beat. Alex resides in Powell, Wyoming with his dog, Mitty, who accompanies him on his many adventures.

Jordan Machen joined TRCP in April of 2026 as the Executive Manager to the CEO.

As Executive Manager to the CEO, Jordan drives key strategic initiatives and strengthens operational effectiveness, drawing on over a decade of experience supporting founders and senior leaders in mission-driven organizations. She enables leaders to achieve their goals by managing complex priorities, building efficient systems, and anticipating needs with professionalism and sound judgment.

Her connection to the outdoors was shaped by family traditions rooted in the Appalachian Mountains and along the coastal plains of North Carolina. Some of her fondest memories were spent with her grandfather, a Korean War veteran and lifelong angler from Southwestern Pennsylvania, whose garden and fresh catches inspired her love of seasonal cooking and cherished family traditions.

Jordan enjoys beach days, learning survival skills, and solo road trips along open country roads. She is deeply committed to protecting the natural world and preserving access for future generations.

Simon Perkins is President of Orvis and is the third generation of the Perkins family to lead the company since 1856. He joined Orvis in 2012 and has filled leadership roles across merchandising, adventures, and brand marketing teams, serving as vice president of brand marketing, and chief operating officer overseeing the execution of the company’s long-term strategic planning.

Before joining Orvis, Simon spent 11 years as an upland hunting and fly fishing guide in Montana, sharing his love of the outdoors, fishing, and hunting with clients. In his time at Orvis, he has championed projects aimed at diversifying the sport of fly fishing, such as the 50/50 On the Water initiative and the Breaking Barriers Award, which highlights individuals broadening the fly fishing audience.

Brian Yablonski is the executive director of the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). Previously, he was a PERC board member as well as an adjunct fellow since 2003. In his work for PERC, he has published research articles on wildlife as well as public and private land management.

Prior to PERC, he was the director of external affairs for the Gulf Power Company and the vice president of public affairs for the St. Joe Company. Early in his career, Brian served as director of policy and deputy chief of staff for Florida Governor Jeb Bush, where he helped craft the administration’s major policy initiatives, including Everglades restoration. He was policy director for Governor Bush’s successful 1998 gubernatorial campaign, and in 1996 co-authored a book with Mr. Bush, Profiles in Character. From 1989 to 1990, he worked as a personal staff assistant to President George H.W. Bush.

An avid outdoorsman, Brian splits his time between Bozeman and a cabin in Emigrant, Montana, where he enjoys hiking, hunting, fly fishing, and mountain biking.

Andrew Martin has been an advisor to and advocate and enthusiast of the sporting world for over 25 years. He co-founded Baird’s Enthusiast Brands in 2009 and leads the firm’s global coverage efforts across the outdoor industry, inclusive of work in the hunting, shooting sports and fishing segments. Andrew has had the good fortune to advise corporate leaders in the sporting world, iconic brands and the industry’s premier growth platforms. He and Baird have also been and are committed supporters to other organizations such as the Outdoor Foundation and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. 

Andrew holds an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and an MBA from Duke University. An avid outdoorsman himself, Andrew enjoys spending time with friends and family both close to home in the Carolinas and the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as at sporting destinations far afield.

Shawn Gorman’s L.L. Bean career began in 1991, when he joined the company’s Marketing department as an analyst. He went on to hold several leadership positions in Marketing, International, E-Commerce, Partnership Marketing and Creative. His accomplishments include introducing the company to online and email marketing, integrating L.L. Bean’s brand strategies across channels, and leading L.L. Bean’s cobranded credit card program – one of the most successful in the country.

Chelsea Pardo joined the TRCP as the Alaska Senior Program Manager in December 2024. She lives in the Mat-Su Valley in Alaska. Chelsea holds an Associate of Applied Science in Fisheries Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alaska. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a focus on public policy analysis.

Chelsea’s professional background is centered on conservation across the non-profit, private, and governmental sectors in Alaska, Montana, and New Hampshire. Most recently, she managed the Governor’s Permit Program through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Wildlife Conservation Division. In this role, she collaborated with non-profit organizations to raffle or auction hunting and bear viewing permits, raising funds for statewide wildlife management and research efforts.

Outside of work, Chelsea serves on the board of directors for the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, which provides grants to local organizations for trail and park development. She also enjoys spending time with her yellow lab, Winston, and getting outdoors to hike, camp, mountain bike, fly fish, or hunt.

As Director of the Williams Family Foundation, Alston Watt leads the Board’s ambitious agenda to promote vibrant community and improve the quality of life in Thomas County, Southwest Georgia, and the State of Georgia. Her work centers on scaling the Foundation’s efforts for economic vitality in rural communities and landscapes through private public partnerships in conservation, preservation, education, and human well-being.

Alston’s background includes working in community development and health for CARE, both Haiti and Bangladesh. Alston and her husband also worked for the North Luangwa Conservation Project in Zambia, scaling health systems and economic opportunities for the Zambians living in villages on the periphery of the National Park.

She is current board chair of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and immediate past board chair of Archibold Medical Center, a regional medical system serving southwest Georgia and north Florida.  She also serves on the Thomasville Community Development Corporation board.

An avid outdoorswoman, she is happiest when she is hiking, fishing or hunting with her husband, Philip and their two sons. She is grateful to live in a rural community that values conservation and close relationships.  A fun fact about Alston is that she was in the first class of women at Washington and Lee University.

Tristan is a lifelong Oregonian, who grew up on a soggy piece of ground in the Willamette Valley. On his family farm he cultivated a persistent sense of curiosity of and commitment to the natural side of the world’s order. His work life started early in that rural setting and after graduating from Oregon State University it has run the gamut from major metropolitan areas to mountain towns, all the while maintaining an abiding and demonstrable commitment to Oregon’s conservation community, eventually bringing him to the TRCP team.

He currently lives in Central Oregon with his wife, Samantha, where they spend their free time hunting,
foraging and otherwise enjoying the richness of Oregon’s varied wildlife.
As TRCP’s Oregon Field Representative, he works to build a durable appreciation for and commitment to the resources and institutions that furnish so many Oregonians’ ways of life.

Ian Nakayama joined the TRCP in June 2021 as its government relations associate.

He has worked in legislative offices since 2019, previously as an intern in Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton’s office, and for Delegate Paul Krizek in the Virginia General Assembly.

A native Virginian, Nakayama studied Physics at the University of Virginia. He grew up fishing with his family and enjoys running, backpacking, and golfing in his free time.

Jamelle Ellis joined the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in 2022.

Jamelle spent the last three years as an environmental sustainability consultant specializing in developing mitigation strategies and environmental science research models for public and private organizations. She has more than 20 years of research experience focused on environmental contaminant delineation, exposures, and human health impacts. Jamelle has a broad range of experience in the environmental field, with engineering and science roles in academia, private, and public sectors. She has served as the technical liaison for remediation of hazardous waste at DOD sites and has extensive knowledge of federal environmental regulations including RCRA, CWA, NEPA, and MSFCMA.  She has also served as the principal investigator on a National Institutes of Health grant to establish and evaluate baseline health assessments related to environmental exposures associated with port expansion.

Jamelle earned her M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University where she studied spectral evaluation of petroleum products in-ground at a DOE Site. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of South Carolina where she studied exposures to methylmercury through fishing and fish consumption patterns.

She is a native of Charleston, SC and enjoys bicycling, water sports, gardening, and going on new adventures with her family.

Steve Rinella is the host of the MeatEater TV show and The MeatEater Podcast. He’s the author of ten books, including four  New York Times bestsellers, dealing with wildlife, hunting, fishing, history, and wild game cooking. His most recent works include the three volume series MeatEater’s American History, which chronicles the legends and legacy of America’s market hunting era. Through his work, Rinella seeks to inspire his audience of hunters and anglers to defend the wildlife and wild places that make their lifestyles possible. 

Joel Webster has dedicated the past two decades to working alongside hunters, anglers, wildlife professionals, and policymakers to conserve fish and wildlife habitat for sportsmen and sportswomen.

As a key leader at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Webster collaborates with the organization’s policy team, external partners, and decision-makers to advance conservation and public access initiatives across private lands, public lands, water, and marine fisheries. Since joining TRCP in 2007, he has played a pivotal role in shaping federal and state policies related to wildlife migration corridors, forest management, special places conservation, energy development, and public access.

Webster serves on the federal Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, where he advises the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on habitat and access policy. He is also the vice chair of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, a coalition of 50 leading hunting and conservation organizations.

Webster is a passionate big game hunter and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family. He holds a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and resides in Missoula, Montana.

James Wicks joined the TRCP team as Digital Marketing Manager in May 2023.

Formerly the Digital Media Specialist for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, James worked in still image, video production and digital media marketing. James is also a freelance photographer who’s been published in some of the country’s leading hunting and fly fishing publications. He studied Media Arts at the University of Montana.

A lifelong outdoorsman, James firmly believes in the mission of the TRCP and hopes to highlight the stories of conservation work, policy and the individuals who work to ensure the future of hunting and fishing. James Lives with his wife Susanna and two children in Missoula, MT. On the weekends they spend time outdoors, rafting, hiking, skiing, hunting and fishing.

Meredith Attwell Baker has a keen understanding of how government and business must work together. She was President and CEO of CTIA, the Wireless Association, as its President for 11 years. Prior to that, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. Prior to joining the FCC, Meredith served in the Bush Administration as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information as well as the Acting Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Meredith serves on multiple boards, including the Economic Club of Washington, the National Alliance to End Homelessness and St. Christopher’s by the Sea. She has received multiple honors and awards including: Washingtonian’s Most Powerful Women in Washington, Tech Titans and Most Influential People; Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business, Fierce Wireless’ Most Powerful People in Wireless, The Hill’s Top Lobbyist and Washington & Lee University’s Distinguished Alumni. In 2023, she was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame. 

Meredith holds a B.A. from Washington & Lee University and a law degree from the University of Houston. She is a member of the Texas State Bar. She and her husband Jamie reside in Gulf Stream. FL. She has four stepdaughters and three grandchildren. 

She has always loved everything outdoors. She’s been fishing since she was a little girl, but her husband gave her a shotgun as a wedding present and now she loves hunting.  

Nicholas Seidenberg is a Managing Director at Eastdil Secured, a privately held real estate investment banking firm headquartered in New York. Nick co-leads Eastdil Secured’s Debt Capital Markets division and serves as a member of the nine-person Executive Committee.

Growing up in Minnesota, Nick developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors. From autumn weekends in duck blinds with his father and brother to summers spent fishing on Minnesota’s lakes, these early experiences instilled in him a lifelong love for nature and quality time in nature with loved ones.

Nick and his wife, Casey, have been married for 29 years and reside in Washington, D.C. They have three children whom Nick enjoys taking on hunting and fishing trips to Minnesota, Montana and Rhode Island, continuing a family tradition of bonding through the outdoors.

In addition to his professional achievements, Nick has been actively involved in nonprofit work in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served on the board of Children’s National Medical Center. Nick earned a B.S. in Applied Economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Rod Nelson is a retired Schlumberger, Ltd. executive, having worked 35 years for the international company, the last 20 of which were in global roles. At Schlumberger, he was an officer of the corporation and Chairman of Schlumberger Technology Corporation, the US subsidiary.

Rod was most recently President and Managing Director of Liquid Robotics Oil & Gas, a joint venture between Schlumberger and Liquid Robotics, Inc., and was previously on the board of Vitruvian Exploration and Airswift, Inc. He is currently Chairman of Ashmin Holding, Ltd. and a board member of Premier Oilfield Group.

He enjoys most outdoor pursuits including hunting, fishing, and golfing and is passionate about expanding participation in our outdoor heritage.

Ryan Lockwood joined the TRCP as communications manager in April 2023. He oversees communications and public relations for campaigns centered on marine fisheries protection; Colorado River conservation; Florida Everglades and Mississippi River restoration; and aquatic invasive species awareness. 

His prior background blends communications expertise with a passion for natural resources conservation. He dedicated 10 years to managing communications, wildfire information, and public relations at the Colorado State Forest Service, and prior to that served as an editor and digital communications professional in the private sector. Holding degrees in both environmental science and technical journalism, Lockwood also has garnered fieldwork experience in the environmental science, wildlife management, and ecological research arenas.

Always eager to convey the importance of scientific research, he has previously co-authored studies related to watershed health, wildlife ecology, and the calibration of NASA satellite imagery. On the other end of the writing spectrum, his innate drive as a storyteller helped him author two published ocean-thriller novels.

Lockwood is a lifelong sportsman. He grew up hunting elk, deer, and pheasants in Colorado, and later learned to stalk invasive wild boars and often tried (but frequently failed) to land slot redfish and gig flounder in the inshore waters of coastal Florida. His hobbies also include scuba diving, surfing, and mountain climbing, and he prefers to spend his weekends outside with his wife and two kids.

Nick currently serves as Executive Director for the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. He moved to this role after working for eight years with Ducks Unlimited as Chief Conservation Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to DU, he served in several roles with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, including eight years as the agency’s Executive Director. He is a past president for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; a fellow of and board member for the National Conservation Leadership Institute; and a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club. Nick is a Certified Wildlife Biologist with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Science Degree in Wildlife Management from Auburn University. He currently Chairs the advisory committee for Auburn’s College of Forestry and Wildlife.  He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and boating with family and friends.

Lindsey Davis is an outdoor recreation and conservation leader based in Salt Lake City, Utah. With a background in strategic development across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Lindsey has worked with a diverse array of stakeholders, including ranchers, farmers, underserved communities, Native tribes, educational institutions, government agencies, and businesses to shape conservation strategies. Her career in the outdoor industry began when she founded Wylder Goods. For five years, she served as CEO, leading the only women-specific online retailer in the outdoor industry and the first female-founded benefit corporation in the state of Utah. During this time, she also graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Following Wylder, Lindsey served as Senior Vice President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, where she helped establish the organization as the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and businesses. 

Lindsey is currently the Director of Conservation at Cox Enterprises and serves on several national conservation boards. An avid outdoorswoman, she spends as much time outside as possible—whether bowhunting, gravel biking, or sharing the joys of nature with her toddler. 

Like his outdoor adventures, Bill’s professional interests stay broad and varied. As a young engineer for Texas Instruments, he manufactured DoD guidance systems, then spent the next fifteen years pioneering “Big Change Fast” for the Fortune 1000 in the emerging Systems Integration industry with CSC/Index and Deloitte. Over the past 20 years he has sought to provide thoughtful advice and private equity to positively impact family owned, southeastern companies as Managing Director of Henagan Spencer Capital Partners. In both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, Bill works to harness collective wisdom and ambition to solve complex governance challenges. 

Complementing his investment portfolio, Bill stays deeply committed to actively giving back to his community on boards such as Visiting Nurse Health System, Breakthrough Atlanta, The Lovett School and The Rotary Club of Atlanta. 

Bill and his wife Babette enjoy traveling to hunt and fish and have consistently support worthy conservation organizations. Along with their grand puppy, Boone the Bloodhound, they call Atlanta and the Low Country of South Carolina home and are blessed with two, fully grown, gainfully employed sons, William and Darby.   

Jaclyn Lunaas joined the TRCP in September 2021 as its forage fish associate. She became forage fish program manager in January 2023.

Jaclyn’s work focuses on menhaden conservation in the Gulf and Atlantic, as well as on federal forage fish management issues and Atlantic herring advocacy. Her primary efforts involve working with national and local partners to create science-based solutions to forage fish management, in order to enhance the health of sportfish populations. Originally from Missouri, Jaclyn earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and marine science from the University of Alabama. She later became a scuba diving instructor in Panama and managed a diving company while working on coral reef conservation and community outreach initiatives. Jaclyn received her Master’s in Marine Conservation from the University of Oviedo in Spain, where she worked on state-level policy for the Asturian algae fishery. In her free time, Jaclyn enjoys scuba diving, water sports, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.

Thomas is a communications manager for TRCP focused on lands and wildlife in the western states.

Prior to joining TRCP, Thomas was the Colorado River Basin communications coordinator for Western Landowners Alliance. He helped explain the complex interplay of water between states, landowners, working lands, and wild habitat. Thomas has been working in the conservation sector for the past five years, but previously worked as a local newspaper journalist in Montana and Idaho. The importance of high-quality habitat and proper stewardship of our shared resources was imprinted upon him at an early age growing up in Denver, Colorado, where he spent time camping, hiking, and fishing. He holds a Master’s Degree in Communications and Bachelor’s with Honors in American Studies and English from Stanford University.

Thomas lives in Missoula, Montana where spends much of his free time fly fishing and building an ever larger portfolio of niche hobbies.

Bob Ziehmer currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Mule Deer Foundation. Bob serves as a liaison with state and federal agencies and over sixty national non-governmental groups to encourage advancement of projects, policy, and regulations advancing conservation and protecting our outdoor heritage.

Prior to joining Bass Pro Shops, Bob served over 25 years (6 ½ years as Director) with the Missouri Department of Conservation, where his work included: ensuring Missouri remained a national leader in forest, fish and wildlife research, management, and education; and served as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet, among others.

Bob has an unwavering passion for hunting, angling, and other outdoor adventures. His father’s commitment to spending time afield with him instilled the importance of conservation and our individual responsibilities to manage fish and wildlife for future generations which he has passed along to his children.

Bob is a professional member of the Boone & Crockett Club. He currently serves as a national board member of: Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports; and National Deer Association.

Emily Forkey joined TRCP as Digital Coordinator in February of 2024. After graduating from Niagara University with a BS in Marketing + Communication Studies, she moved from her hometown in Buffalo, NY to Northern Virginia to pursue her digital marketing career.

Emily has always been a nature lover who is passionate about sustainability and conservation. She spent her childhood outside fishing with her family, boating and camping.

In her free time, you can find her in nature, hiking and camping in beautiful places. She currently resides in Washington, DC with her two cats, Rootie and Frankie.

Glenn Hughes is the president of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the sportfishing industry’s trade association. His responsibilities include fulfilling the association’s mission of looking out for the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community. That includes leading the government affairs team to ensure the industry remains strong while providing sound policy for clean water, abundant fisheries, access to fish, as well as strong trade and commerce.

“I am proud to serve on the TRCP Board because of the incredibly valuable partnership our two organizations have regarding access to water and conservation of our nation’s fisheries.”

Prior to joining ASA, Glenn worked for more than 20 years in Florida as VP/Group Publisher of the Bonnier Marine Group, where he lead iconic brands such as Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin and Sport Fishing magazines and related properties.

John T. Hazel III (Jack) graduated from St. Stephen’s School in Alexandria, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1979.

Jack has built a distinguished career in construction, environmental services, and land stewardship. He spent 25 years with William A. Hazel, Inc., working in site construction, including 10 years as President, where he led an organization of more than 1,000 employees. He later founded Angler Environmental, a firm specializing in wetland construction and stream restoration projects, as well as Angler Construction, a site development company he led for a decade. Jack is currently the owner of Angler Development, which he has successfully operated for more than 25 years.

In addition to his professional leadership, Jack has held numerous civic and nonprofit leadership roles. He has served as President of the Heavy Construction Contractors Association, President of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Chairman of Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia, and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Meadows Outdoor Foundation in The Plains, Virginia. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run in McLean, Virginia.

Jack is deeply committed to giving back to the community, particularly to those who have served our country. For more than 20 years, he has been actively involved with the Veterans Outdoor Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides injured veterans opportunities to hunt and fish as part of their recovery. The organization now serves approximately 300 veterans each year.

Raised on Huntley Farm in Fauquier County, Virginia, Jack developed a lifelong connection to the land at an early age. Huntley Farm is home to one of Virginia’s largest beef herds, and Jack currently manages its cow-calf operation. An avid hunter and fisherman since childhood, Jack’s personal and professional life has been guided by a deep commitment to conservation, wildlife, and habitat stewardship—values that continue to shape his work and service today.