TRCP Announces New Executive Director

Press Room

Press Release

For Immediate Release
February 3, 2005
For more information contact:
George Cooper, (202) 508-3421

TRCP Announces New President and CEO

WASHINGTON, DC - The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) announced today that Matthew B. Connolly Jr. has been named the organization’s new President and CEO. Connolly’s impressive 30-plus year career in the hunting, fishing and conservation policy arena includes 12 years as the Executive Vice President of Ducks Unlimited (DU). Since leaving DU in 1999, Connolly has consulted for non-profit and for-profit clients in strategic planning, governance, membership marketing, resource management, and capital campaign planning. Connolly has been serving as a consultant to TRCP since September 2004.

"I believe the mission of this young organization, to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish, is a vital and urgent one," said Connolly. "I also believe this mission can only be carried out if the country’s hunting, fishing and conservation groups, and individual sportsmen, come together on key conservation issues threatening the future of hunting and fishing. I am committed to growing TRCP into an organization that hunting, fishing and conservation groups can most effectively use to work together while tapping grassroots sportsmen’s support."

Upon approval by the Executive Committee of the TRCP’s Board of Directors, Connolly became President and CEO on February 1, 2005. TRCP’s Board Chairman, James D. Range welcomed Connolly’s appointment and said "just in the first few years of existence as a partnership, we’ve all seen the huge potential of cooperating more closely on certain issues and Matt is uniquely qualified to grow TRCP into a mature organization, fully equipped to meet its strategic potential."

"Apart from being a partnership of national hunting, fishing and conservation groups, TRCP has already pulled in over 1,400 smaller state and local clubs and groups and there are now more than 100,000 individual TRCP Partners," Connolly pointed out. "As we seek to facilitate more effective coalition work among our national-level partner organizations, we will establish more effective engagement with individual TRCP Partners to put stronger grassroots muscle behind policy initiatives."

Ted Rowe, who is a TRCP board member and Director of Government and Industry Relations for Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. said "Matt is very highly respected in the hunting world not only for his policy knowledge but for his management skill and expertise. TRCP couldn’t have found a better leader to properly channel its rapid growth and maximize its effectiveness."

Mike Nussman, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association, and also a member of TRCP’s Board of Directors commented, "In its first two-and-a-half years of existence, TRCP has made excellent strides in terms of providing support services to the partner organizations so we can more effectively work together as a coalition. TRCP is now ready to move to a new level as an organization and provide even better advocacy services to the sporting community. Matt is uniquely qualified to take TRCP to that next level."

Among Connolly’s many accomplishments during his twelve years at DU:

Established a new public policy initiative and office in Washington, DC
Relocated, downsized and built new international headquarters
Directed staff growth into six new regional offices
Raised one million dollars and reached one million membership goal
Drafted, brought about the passage and funding of new federal legislation to fund critical habitat programs in the US, Canada and Mexico
Expanded organization in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Pacific Rim
Managed budget of $140 million, gross income of $200 million, staff of 500
Served as Executive Producer and Co-Host of award winning TV series
Appointed by Bush and Clinton Administrations to federal wetland council and elected as its two term chairman
Added six million acres of habitat and saw waterfowl populations climb from their lowest levels in history to their highest recorded levels
Published the nation’s second largest circulation & most profitable outdoor magazine
Created an international research institute, recruited top scientists.

Said Connolly of his tenure at DU, "I am extremely proud of the work we did at Ducks Unlimited while I was there. The progress we made was thanks to the hardworking and extremely talented staff & highly committed volunteers who were passionate about conserving waterfowl and their habitat. I’ve found the same caliber of people with the same sort of passion at TRCP and I’m looking forward to helping them work with people at our partner organizations like DU to create a better future for hunting and fishing."

Prior to his time at DU as Executive Vice President, Connolly served DU in other capacities including Chief Operating Officer of Ducks Unlimited de Mexico and Group Manager of Fund Raising and Communications. He was also Chief Operating Officer of Wetlands America Trust from 1991 to 1999 and Executive Vice President of the North American Wildlife Foundation and Delta Waterfowl from 1985 to 1987.

Connolly started his conservation career in his native Massachusetts working for the state between 1968 and 1979 serving as Director of Fisheries and Wildlife, Director of Coastal Zone Management, Director of Conservation, Assistant Commissioner of Natural Resources, and State Ornithologist. He received the Chief’s Award for Distinguished Conservation Leadership from the U.S. Forest Service in 1999 and the Chevron/Times Mirror National Conservation Award in 1995. Connolly and his wife Stephanie have two children and 3 grandchildren. Connolly is an avid angler and hunter and particularly loves fly fishing and wing shooting.

Connolly succeeds Eric Washburn who is returning to conservation consulting and lobbying. Washburn will continue to work with TRCP and its partner organizations on various policy initiatives. Said Range, "When it comes to conservation policy advocacy, Eric has one of the sharpest minds in Washington and I’m glad he’ll be continuing to bring his strengths to the Partnership."

There are currently numerous conservation organizations working very hard and very effectively to protect America’s hunting and fishing heritage and fish and wildlife habitat. The TRCP is a means for these groups to work in coordinated partnership to amplify and strengthen the voices of the conservation community.

TRCP partner organizations represented on the Board of Directors and Policy Council identify consensus conservation and sportsmen’s priorities and establish plans for carrying out policy initiatives to achieve the community’s goals. The TRCP staff helps support these efforts, providing grassroots organizing, policy analysis, communications assistance and other services designed to educate policymakers and encourage America’s hunters and anglers to stand up and be heard on issues they care about.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of leading conservation organizations and individual grassroots partners, working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing by conserving fish and wildlife and the habitats necessary to sustain them, increasing funding for conservation and management, and expanding access to places to hunt and fish.