Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation - February 3 - February 7, 2020

Laura is a Certified NRA Shotgun,Rifle, Pistol, Personal protection in the Home, Personal Protection outside the Home, Conceal Carry instructor, and a Certified Volunteer Hunter Safety/Tree stand Instructor for both Illinois DNR and Texas Parks and Wildlife. A Texas Master Naturalist. Besides the shooting sports she enjoys teaching archery, fly fishing, cooking, beekeeping. She is a big and small game hunter, and has traveled extensively to hunt and fish. She is a Certified Master Gardener in Illinois and Florida, a beekeeper and a Nationally Certified Medical Technologist. Was an elected Trustee for the Village of Campton Hills, IL, former instructor at Country Garden Cuisine cooking school. In 2018 She transitioned to Texas. She is a member of Corpus Christi, Texas Pistol and Rifle club, NRA, Mid-Coast Chapter as a Master Naturalist, South Texas Beekeepers,and Sisters on the Fly.

Jacob Berl is a Conservation Officer with Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He earned a B.S. from Humboldt State University, M.S. from West Virginia University, and Ph.D. from Purdue University. Jacob enjoys hunting, fishing, and traveling as much as possible.

Molly has been a CLfT instructor for a least a decade. She's also a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Chief Hunter Safety Education Instructor, a Hunter Safety and Bow Hunter Safety Instructor, an NRA Shotgun Certified Instructor, a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Conservation Group board member and active with Back Country Hunters and Anglers. Molly has worn many hats in her work life -- dairy farmer, carpenter, graphic designer and family practice nurse . She currently creates custom western hats and leather goods.

Scott resides on 12 acres of restored prairie in Oregon, Wisconsin. A native of New Hampshire, he earned an undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. He began hunting by following his father and grandfather around the mountains of northern New England in pursuit of deer and grouse. He has been hunting for more than 40 years for deer, wild turkeys, upland birds and waterfowl. Scott served as state leader of the Wisconsin 4-H Shooting Sports program for 13 years and is a certified instructor for rifle and shotgun. With the help of several colleagues and friends, he launched the Wisconsin Student Hunting Project in 1995, which received national recognition several years later; it is the model on which CLfT was based. Scott has taught many wild game cooking classes and enjoys promoting game utilization. He is very active in The Wildlife Society and belongs to numerous other conservation organizations.

Matt Dunfee is the Director of Special Programs for the Wildlife Management Institute, a 101-year old, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to science-based, professional wildlife management. He serves as the Director of the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance, Co-Chair of the National Hunting and Shooting Sports Action Plan, and the Chair of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. In his current roles, Matt serves on numerous professional committees and boards including the AFWA Fish and Wildlife Health Committee, national and regional R3 Committees, the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Advisory Committee, and the International Hunter Education Association Standards and Research Committees. Following his leadership in developing evaluation toolkits, best practices, and strategic models for hunter and shooter R3 efforts, Matt has conducted dozens of multi-day training and information workshops for state and federal wildlife agency staff and administrators on R3 strategies, program development, evaluation, and best practices. He also makes great scrambled eggs.

I grew up in Northern Ontario, and spent most of my time outdoors. I complete my Masters in Wildlife Science at Mississippi State. I am currently the Director of Conservation Programs, in the northeast, with Ducks Unlimited, Inc, a 501-C-3 not for profit. I have extensive professional experience in wetland and waterfowl ecology have have worked for DU since 2010 successfully writing and delivering of on-the-ground conservation projects that restored and protected >20,000 acres of critical wetland habitat in the Northeast Atlantic Flyway. I help deliver our conservation programs in 12-states in the northeast where I am part of a conservation delivery team of biologists, engineers, and fund-raising staff that cooperate to meet the goals of conservation partners. In addition to my experiences with DU, my prior work history and partnerships are diverse throughout the Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways and include Bird Studies Canada, Delta Waterfowl, Mississippi State University, USDA- NRCS, Long Point Waterfowl, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. I have worked with a multitude of federal, state, provincial, non-government, and corporate partners in the Atlantic Flyway.

I am an avid waterfowl, upland game, turkey and deer hunter and spend a lot of time in the field with two yellow labs and working on our hobby farm in central NY.

Texas Game Warden July 1988-August 2019. Stationed on the lower Texas coast. Firearms Instructor, Hunter Education Instructor, Marine Safety Enforcement Officer Instructor. I have been hunting creeks and fishing since a child with my grandpa and father. I enjoy migratory game bird and waterfowl hunting. I also enjoy cooking. Married to Jill Flores. We have 27 year old twins. A speech pathologist and wildlife biologist. My family and I take every opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Living on the coast provides almost all season opportunities to fish and hunt. I have been able to pass on my knowledge to CLFT workshop students as to the roles of law enforcement in regards to wildlife conservation. I also provide preparation and cooking information of wild game meals for CLFT programs. Retired and living the dream. Enjoying organizing and assisting with youth hunting opportunities and summer wildlife programs.

Steve Hall earned a BS in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University in 1981, and became a Colorado Hunter Education Instructor beginning in 1980 as part of his studies. Upon graduation, he was hired as Colorado Services Manager for the American Sportsman's Club for 2 1/2 years, and then worked for Colorado Division of Wildlife. In 1985, he was hired Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) in hunter education, then moved to Education (& Outreach) Director starting in 1988. While at TPW, Hall served as International Hunter Education Assn. (IHEA) president and as vice president and board member of the National Bowhunter Education Foundation for 12 years. He serves as ‘Huntmaster’ for the Texas Youth Hunting Program, which he helped start in 1996. He was inducted into both the IHEA and Texas Hunter Education Halls of Fame. After retiring in 2011, he served as executive director for two years with the Texas State Rifle Association and then as executive director for IHEA-USA for 2 ½ years. He returned to Texas Parks and Wildlife in August 2015 where he and his wife, Karen, of 36 years, chose to reside. They have a son, Ryan (wife Kelsey), and daughter, Sarah, and a new grandson, Keelan and granddaughter, Rylee. Steve is an avid bow hunter and fly fisherman and continues to volunteer to teach in many outdoor education programs.

I work as a wildlife ecologist in The Ohio State University’s Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Laboratory. As a faculty member in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, I have a split research and teaching appointment. Research interests include outdoor recreation participation and access, game species population modeling and management, habitat and pollinator conservation on rights-of-way, and stewardship of private woodlands. I instruct Wildlife Ecology Methods, Wildlife Habitat Mgt, and senior Capstone courses. I serve on the state board for the Ohio Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
I start with my professional interests because they are fueled in large part from my personal passions. I have a traditional introduction to the outdoors from my father. He continues to be my best hunting buddy, and my daughters accompany me on many outdoor adventures as well. My interests center on public land hunting both in the East and out West with adventure-style backpack hunting as my true passion. In the last decade, I have broadened my pursuits to include fishing and foraging, always with an emphasis on putting food on the table and making memories with family and friends.

Noe is the Area Wildlife Biologist for USDA-NRCS in northeast Colorado. She works with farmers and ranchers to develop high quality wildlife habitat on privately owned lands.

Jamie Nack has been a CLfT instructor since 2007. She received a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in Wildlife and Biology and a M.S. degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Jamie considers herself very fortunate to have a father who was always willing to take his daughter hunting. The time spent and lessons learned helped instill a love for the outdoors at an early age, developed a passion for hunting, led to a career in wildlife management and nurtured a conservation mindset. Over the past 25+ years, Jamie has hunted deer, bear, bobcat, turkeys, rabbits, waterfowl, upland birds, fox and coyote. She is a member of numerous conservation organizations, including The Wildlife Society (state, section and national). Jamie resides in Columbus, Wisconsin with her husband, two daughters and three hunting dogs. Family time is often spent outdoors hunting, fishing, training dogs, gardening and exploring.