AFWA Office Move Coming on June 1st

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ DC office will be closed on May 29 and June 1 to migrate to our new work habitat. Staff will be available by email and cell phone during that time. AFWA staff in other locations—including the Management Assistance Team in Shepherdstown, WV—will not be affected by the move. AFWA’s Washington, DC office will be back up and running on June 2.

Please note our new address and phone number:

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

1100 First Street, NE

Suite 825

Washington, DC 20002

Phone: 202-838-3474
Fax: 202-350-9869

The January Issue of The AFWA Strategist

The January issue of The AFWA Strategist is now available! Articles include brief updates on AFWA’s legislative priorities for the 114^th Congress, our Legal Strategy, the Blue Ribbon Panel on America’s Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources, aquatic invasive species, AFWA’s survey concerning lynx, online leadership development courses from the Management Assistance Team and an invitation to participate in the 2015 Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in.

The AFWA Strategist highlights the top issues that AFWA is covering as the representative voice of state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies.

> Download the January 2015 issue of The AFWA Strategist

> Check out previous issues of The AFWA Strategist 

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Selects John Lord as Operations Director

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies welcomes John Lord as its new Director of Operations. In this role, Lord will focus on business and investment planning, budget and contract oversight, administrative policy, funding opportunities and more. He also will oversee AFWA’s office relocation to the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC in Spring 2015.

Lord brings more than 15 years of experience as an accomplished association administrator and a track record of successful financial management, operations, fundraising and staff leadership.

Most recently, he was the Division Director of Operations and Membership at the American Association of Family & Consumer Science, where he was responsible for all aspects of operations including facilities, finances, human resources, IT, accounting and membership services. Previously, he served as a Director of Managed Society Services with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand.

In his spare time, Lord volunteers for the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, which is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing activities and outings.

“As a life-long fly fisherman and avid bird hunter, I am excited to be merging my passion for fish and wildlife conservation with my professional career path through this position at AFWA,” said Lord.

Lord holds an M.B.A. in non-profit management and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in English Literature from Dickinson College.

Gina Main Promoted to Director of Professional Development at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute

WASHINGTON, DC - The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) is pleased to announce that Gina Main has been selected as our new Professional Development Director and will serve as the Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI).

Main’s promotion is a newly re-defined position within the Association to oversee AFWA’s Management Assistance Team (MAT) and direct world-class-quality professional development programs in support of state fish and wildlife agency management, leadership and other programmatic needs. She will also be responsible for providing senior leadership guidance and continuous improvement to the NCLI to prepare the next generations of extraordinary leaders in natural resource conservation.

“I am truly delighted that Gina is moving into this senior leadership position,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “I have complete confidence that Gina will serve the Association, the Management Assistance Team and our state members with great energy and professionalism.”

Main has been with the NCLI and MAT for more than nine years, and has served as NCLI Director of Operations and as a MAT Project Leader for three years. Her dedication to the NCLI has been an integral part of the success of the Institute since its inception.       

“The NCLI Board is excited about our continued professional relationship with Gina in her new position,” said Steve Williams, NCLI Board Chair and President of the Wildlife Management Institute. “I know Gina will bring her program knowledge and people skills to enhance the excellent reputation of the NCLI program as its new Executive Director.”

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve the Association and the National Conservation Leadership Institute in this new capacity,” said Main. “I believe the work of the Management Assistance Team and the NCLI is playing an instrumental part in developing leadership within our conservation community, and will continue to do so in the future. I look forward to contributing to their continued growth and success.”  

Main holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts and Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University.

> Learn more about becoming an NCLI Fellow.

> Follow the NCLI on Facebook/TheNCLIpage and on Twitter @_NCLI. 

> Follow the MAT team on Facebook/TheMATteam and on Twitter @TheMATteam.

 The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies—the organization that represents North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a collective voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org.
 

The Management Assistance Team (MAT) (www.matteam.org) is a small, high-performing team within the Association that is charged with developing and delivering professional development training opportunities to AFWA members. MAT products and services concentrate on the agency administration or the “people part” of the conservation equation, specifically in the areas of leadership and organizational development. MAT is responsible for program development and administration of the National Conservation Leadership Institute. 

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI)(www.conservationleadership.org) is conservation’s premier world-class experience for developing tomorrow’s natural resource management leaders. Internationally acclaimed instructors from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and other renowned leadership experts help deliver the incomparable program during each cohort’s two residencies.

Happy Holidays!

AFWA is Hiring - Two Job Openings!

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is seeking to fill two positions at its Washington, DC office. If you are interested in applying for a position, please read the full job announcements for qualifications, salary and benefits information and specific application instructions.

Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate
The Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate supports state fish and wildlife agency efforts to implement and revise State Wildlife Action Plans. Responsibilities include assisting and facilitating communication between State Wildlife Action Plan coordinators, conducting outreach and developing partnerships with federal agencies and private conservation organizations to improve support for State Wildlife Action Plans. Other duties include assisting with outreach on the State Wildlife Grants Program and management of the 6,300 member Teaming With Wildlife coalition (www.teaming.com). Candidates must be willing to travel. The application period is open until filled.

Read the full Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate job announcement>


Climate Adaptation Research Assistant/Policy Aid (part-time)
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is looking for a talented natural resource professional for a part-time position to assist in developing a National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. The Association is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, other federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribal agencies and other conservation partnership to develop this strategy. This challenging position will include researching and assembling background information to develop the strategy; communicating with conservation partners; and drafting sections of the strategy in collaboration with other participants. Deadline to apply for this position is November 15, 2010.

Read the full Climate Adaptation Research Assistant/Policy Aid job announcement>

Dr. Sally Guynn Receives Prestigious Paul C. Weikel Award

Dr. Sally Guynn, Project Leader for the Management Assistance Team and Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute, was presented with the prestigious Paul C. Weikel Award by the Organization of Wildlife Planners (OWP) on September 27, 2010.

The Paul C. Weikel Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding or distinctive contributions to improved agency management, on a national or international level. It was established in 1992 in memory of Paul C. Weikel, whose personal history of innovative management, and desire to improve agency performance, inspired the creation of the award.

Coincidentally, on the same day that she was presented with the Weikel Award, Guynn received one of the Association’s Special Recognition Awards at AFWA’s Annual Awards ceremony.

The Organization of Wildlife Planners is a professional organization concerned with the management and future of government agencies that manage fish and wildlife populations and habitat. It is an Affiliate member of the Association.

Congratulations Sally!

photo (r-l): Dr. Sally Guynn and Verdie Abel, OWP President

AFWA Welcomes Matt Menashes as Director of Operations

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to welcome Matt Menashes as the new Director of Operations. Matt brings 10 years of association management and a background in coastal and marine policy to the position. Matt will focus on the Association’s internal business operations and fisheries and aquatic resources issues, and will staff the Fisheries and Water Resources Policy and Ocean Resources Policy committees.

Prior to coming to the Association, Matt was the Executive Director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) for two years. NERRA represents the state agencies and universities that operate the nation’s 27 estuarine research reserves in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“A good part of my career has been working with state agencies to support their resource and program needs,” said Matt. “One of my proudest career accomplishments was collaborating with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to establish the Kachemak Bay research reserve in the late 1990s. And for the past two years, I was honored to represent the state agencies that operate the research reserves in their dealings here in Washington, DC. I am looking forward to continuing to support the states while assisting Ron (Regan) and the rest of the AFWA staff in day-to-day operations"

From 2000 through 2008, Matt was President/CEO of the Paddlesports Industry Association, a trade association representing the manufacturers, retailers and outfitters of canoes, kayaks and rafts. His sdditional experience includes nearly seven years with NOAA and two years on Capitol Hill. He has served on the boards of the American Canoe Association, Paddler Magazine and the International Whitewater Hall of Fame.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in marine policy from the University of Delaware.

You can contact Matt at 202/624-3602; mattm@fishwildlife.org