Press RoomPress ReleaseFor Immediate Release
March 1, 2007
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Tim Zink, (202) 654-4625 TRCP Names New President/CEO, Board MembersWASHINGTON – The Board of Directors of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) this week named a new chief executive and three new board members. George Cooper was made President and CEO of TRCP by a vote of the organization’s Board of Directors Monday. He takes over for Matthew B. Connolly Jr., President and CEO of the TRCP for the last two years, who stepped down in January. The board also welcomed new members Bill LaWarre, citizen conservationist, Christopher Merritt, General Manager of Beretta USA, and Howard Vincent, President and CEO of Pheasants Forever. Cooper has served as the Acting President of the TRCP since Connolly announced his intent to step down in January. Cooper started with TRCP in 2003, shortly after its founding and has served the TRCP as its Senior Vice President, Vice President of Communications and Director of Communications. He came to TRCP after 10 years in the television news business with CNN. Connolly assumes the title President Emeritus and will continue to play an active role in TRCP, focusing on organizational priorities that include the implementation of the new TRCP Union Sportsmen’s Alliance program. Connolly remarked, “For the past two years it has been my good fortune to work for a deeply committed board comprised of the conservation community's most visionary leaders. It has been a blessing to work with a small, yet exceptionally talented, staff. Their unique partnership has resulted in some extraordinary conservation achievements. The opportunity to work with TRCP has been amongst the most gratifying experiences of my professional career. I'm especially pleased that George Cooper succeeds me as president and CEO; he is a skilled, multifaceted leader, an accomplished communicator, an earnest listener and he possesses exceptional people skills. TRCP's capacity to achieve greatness has already begun to expand.” On becoming the TRCP President and CEO, Cooper said, “From the minute I learned about the TRCP’s mission, just months after the organization’s inception, I wanted to play a part in making it succeed. The Partnership’s Board of Directors, staff, funders, partner organizations and individual partners have all come together in the past few years to move this organization into a position where we are making meaningful impacts together on policies affecting the future of hunting and fishing. I’ve been very proud to be a part of that and I am very excited to be helping carry on our mission in this capacity.” Added Cooper, “Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’ I’m deeply grateful to be given such a chance.” TRCP Chairman James D. Range commented, “This organization will forever owe Matt a debt of gratitude for giving it strong stone foundations in its early formative years and he has TRCP pointed in the right direction. With George, he is handing the reins off to someone I know will continue taking the organization down the successful path it has been on. I’m not only happy today to see such a seamless leadership transition, I’m very happy TRCP is adding three strong new board members.” LaWarre, Merritt and Vincent bring a diverse new set of skills to the TRCP board. LaWarre, of Cincinnati, Ohio and Montecito, Calif., brings the experience of a career in advertising and conservation. He has served as CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Northwick, Stolley, LaWarre from 1983 until 1997, and was the Chair and President and Yellowstone Park Foundation for the last 10 years. Christopher Merritt is the General Manager of Beretta USA. A seasoned veteran in the clothing and outdoor industry, his successful career has been exemplified by his role as a change agent. He earlier worked as General Manager of Merchandising & Creative at The Orvis Company. He makes his home in upstate New York Howard Vincent is the President and CEO of Pheasants Forever (PF). He came to PF in 1987 as their first Director of Finance. He has been a volunteer and an employee of PF for 22 of the organizations 24 years. He has also held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer before PF’s National Board of Directors appointed him as CEO in January 2000. He lives in White Bear Lake, Minn. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of leading hunting, fishing and conservation organizations and individual partners working together to guarantee access to places to hunt and fish, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase funding for conservation. |