Board of Directors
Jon Haufler, President
Jon is executive director of the Ecosystem Management Research Institute, an independent, non-profit institute that specializes in large-scale conservation planning using ecosystem-based approaches. Jon holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in wildlife biology and was a wildlife ecology professor at Michigan State University and a wildlife and ecology program manager for Boise Cascade Corporation. He currently serves as vice president of The Wildlife Society. Jon lives in Montana.
Lew Carpenter, Vice President
Lew is the National Wildlife Federation Director of Conservation Partnerships in the Rocky Mountain Region. In this role he advises the NWF affiliate board directors in CO, NM, AZ and NE on leadership cultivation, capacity building and programmatic work (policy advice on regional and national issues) - where these groups should weigh in politically in their region to effect results. He also maintains a moderate role working with NWF’s Austin office on restoring Louisiana wetlands.
At the end of the day, Carpenter’s job is about ensuring the long-term effectiveness of NWF and its affiliates by building strong organizations, developing and supporting effective leadership, and creating strong networks of influential people to achieve national and regional conservation victories.
Prior to his work at NWF Carpenter produced hunting television shows – TRCP’s Life in the Open, The Federal Experience and The Bucks of Tecomate with Jeff Foxworthy; was editor of Western Outdoors magazine for nearly a decade; and worked as a traditional journalist at newspapers and a wire service in Southern California. Carpenter grew up in Greeley, Colorado and earned a B.A. in Political Science from Arizona State University.
Steven P. Riley, Secretary
Steve is a certified wildlife biologist, an alumnus of the National Conservation Leadership Institute, and a multiple-degree alumnus of South Dakota State University. Until recently, Steve was Assistant Coordinator of the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture with Ducks Unlimited and prior to that, coordinator for conservation delivery for the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He also led conservation efforts, working as a Private Lands Coordinator and upland game biologist for South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and as assistant wildlife program administrator for Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He also worked for several years at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as a Field Director. Well-versed in private lands wildlife management, agricultural policy, partnership building, and leadership, Riley currently is the Director of Farm Bill Policy for American Bird Conservancy in Gretna, Nebraska. Steve previously served NAGP as Executive Director of the Grouse Partnership in a volunteer capacity.
Dan Cecchini Jr., Treasurer
Dan is a College administrator and small business entrepreneur. Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Master’s degree in Basic Science. Also earned Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and an MBA in operations management. Raised funds and did news interviews to promote Peregrine Falcon reintroduction in Colorado during the 1980’s, received award from the Colorado Peregrine Partnership in 1987 in recognition of those efforts. Formed the Oregon Chapter of NAGP; elected to the NAGP Board of Directors in 2009, elected as Secretary of NAGP in 2012. Spend significant time over past several years coordinating and submitting written comments for commercial wind energy development on BLM lands in the west, particularly Oregon, that impact sage grouse. Wrote an e-book for laymen on impact of commercial wind energy on grouse populations. Currently the US Delegate to the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey. Served as the US representative to the International Falconry Festival in the Abu Dhabi in 2011, celebrating the UNESCO decision to recognize falconry as an intangible cultural heritage. Consulted with the US Air Force falconry mascot program during 1980-90s; donated captive bred prairie falcons to the US Air Force for use as flying mascots for the Academy. Participated in the White House Conference on North American Wildlife Policy in 2008. Past president and vice-president of the North American Falconers’ Association, as well as the NAFA Journal Editor for 20 years; awarded the NAFA Freienmuth Award and Honorary membership in 2010; serve on various NAFA committees. Active member of Oregon Falconers Association and serve on association committees. Founding member of the Michigan Hawking Club in 1972 and the Texas Hawking Association in 1983. Licensed as Master Falconer since 1978, practicing falconry under state and federal permits since 1970.
James Rice, PhD
Jim is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at South Dakota State University (SDSU). He received a B.A. in natural sciences from St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. He served as a postdoctoral research associate in the chemistry department at the University of Maryland-College Park. He was a faculty member at SDSU for 28 years, serving as Department head from 1999-2015. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of carbon sequestration in prairie soils. His studies have resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications and $16 million in competitive grant awards as principal investigator. He was an Associate Editor of the journal Organic Geochemistry from 1995-2016.
His experience in the nonprofit sector includes service from 2002-2017 as the executive director of the SD EPSCoR program, a state-wide nonprofit 501c(3) corporation whose goal is to expand STEM research capacity by building research and workforce development partnerships between universities, state government, and the private sector. In this role he was project director on $57 million in nationally-competitive capacity-building grants. During this time Jim also served as a member of the South Dakota Governor’s Math, Science & Technology Council, the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education and also its Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure, the Advisory Committee for the Great Plains Networking Consortium, and as Membership Coordinator for the International Humic Substances Society. He was as a Board member of the EPSCoR Coalition, a 501c(4) supporting the EPSCoR program nationally, from 2012-2017 and served as its Vice-president from 2016-2017.
Jim currently serves as a consultant for program/proposal development, project implementation, and project assessment. But because he is an avid upland hunter, he consults only enough to pay for this obsession – and his dogs!
Andrew A. Bogan, PhD
Andrew is Managing Member of Bogan Associates, LLC, an investment firm that manages private funds for qualified clients. Prior to founding Bogan Associates in 2004, he was a Venture Partner at Tallwood Venture Capital in Silicon Valley. Andrew trained as a biologist and earned a degree in molecular biology from Princeton University and a doctorate in biophysics from the University of California. He is a volunteer Certified Instructor for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife and is passionate about wildlife conservation. Andrew lives in Palo Alto, California with his wife and daughters and their pudelpointer.
Willard Heck
As manager of Weaver Ranch, Willard has spent the last 19 years working with wildlife habitat management, overlaying traditional ranching practices on large scale southern Great Plains land in ways that help sustain wildlife, particularly the lesser prairie chicken and other grassland bird life. Prior to that, he spent 18 years working for The Peregrine Fund, Inc., where he specialized in the captive propagation of rare raptors, used to reestablish extinct or diminished wild populations. He was also involved in the early establishment of captive Aplomado falcon production and spent 10 breeding seasons on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, working to stabilize populations of the Mauritius kestrel. Heck is also secretary of the Grasslands Charitable Foundation and helps organize the annual High Plains Prairie Chicken Festival, in his home state New Mexico.
Chris Madson
Chris resides in Cheyenne, WY. He began his academic training with an A.B. in biology and a minor in English at Grinnell College in Iowa, then continued with an M.S. in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin. He began his career with the Kansas Fish and Game Commission where he spent six years as the editor of KANSAS WILDLIFE magazine. In 1983, he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to assume the editorship of WYOMING WILDLIFE magazine with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, a position he occupied for thirty years before retiring in 2013.
Chris has contributed nearly 500 articles to other regional and national conservation publications. He is the recipient of the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Achievement Award, the Ducks Unlimited Conservation Communicator of the Year Award, and the Excellence in Craft award and the Jade of Chief award for contributions to conservation from the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
He has spent his entire adult life in a love affair with the big sky and grasslands of the Great Plains.
Ralph Rogers
Ralph is one of NAGP’s previous executive directors and is a retired educator. He received the Montana Wildlife Federation’s conservation educator of the year award and his biology field program methodology was published in Phi Delta Kappa’s Outstanding Practices series. He currently owns two small businesses: a biological consulting firm and an aircraft brokerage company. As a biologist, Rogers has been a frequent contributor to published natural history literature about the peregrine falcon; studies with fieldwork that took him from Greenland to Tierra del Fuego. Rogers is also a past president of the North American Falconers Association, as well as the current vice president of the International Association for Falconry. Ralph lives in Montana.
Dr. Steve Sherrod
Steve is the founding Executive Director of the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, University of Oklahoma, a position in which he has served since 1983. He received his B.S. from the University of Oklahoma, his M.S. on the Biology of Bald Eagles on Amchitka Island, AK, from Brigham Young University, and his PhD on Post-fledging Behavior of Peregrine Falcons from Cornell University. Steve was involved significantly in the recovery of the endangered Peregrine Falcon as well as the recovery of the endangered Bald Eagle. He served as the founding President of the Grouse Partnership (for five years) and a founding/current Board Member, he is a member of the Prairie Grouse Technical Council, a member of the Lesser Prairie-chicken Interstate Working Group, a member of the Attwater’s Prairie-chicken Recovery Team, and belongs to the IUCN Grouse Specialist Group and IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group.
Dr. Rollin D Sparrowe
Rollie is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 45-years of experience working with state and federal wildlife agencies. During his 22-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. Sparrowe served as chief of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, chief of the Migratory Bird Management Unit, chief of the Wildlife Research division and as deputy assistant director of Refuges and Wildlife. He is a past president of The Wildlife Society, and a 2002 recipient of their Aldo Leopold Award. Since retiring in 2004, he continues his work of blending science and resource management through work on the wildlife impacts of energy development. Rollie lives in Wyoming.
James Weaver
Jim owns Weaver Ranch and Milnesand Grass-Fed Beef, LLC. He also served as a commissioner with New Mexico’s Game and Fish Commission, was a founding member and director of The Peregrine Fund, Inc. and president of the Grasslans Charitable Foundation. Jim lives in New Mexico.