Voice of Leadership Panel

Jon Zinnel, Federal Ammunition

Jon has been in the Shooting Sports and Conservation Industry for over a decade and has had the opportunity to work for several leading conservation organizations throughout the country. A little bit about Jon, he grew up in Northern Iowa. It was there, that he cultivated his passion for conservation programs and shooting sports. Currently he is the Conservation and Youth Shooting Sports Sr. Manager for Federal Premium, Remington, Hevi-Shot and CCI Ammunition. Jon has a strong background in conservation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Northwest Missouri State University and a Masters Degree from Western Governors University. He works directly with conservation and shooting sports professionals across the country. He has been a leader in the R3 movement within state agencies and Conservation and Youth Programs. As an avid outdoorsman, Jon enjoys everything from chasing birds in the great prairie lands to tracking down elk in the high country of the west. Jon is a family man through and through and enjoys sharing his passion to continue work on conservation and R3 efforts for hunters and shooters across this great country.

A native of Georgia, Dan received both his. B.S. (1986) and M.S. (1988) degrees in wildlife biology from the University of Georgia and currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer for the Archery Trade Association (ATA).

Dan is a certified wildlife biologist and spent 28 years working in Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) where he served the last 12 years as Director prior to joining the ATA in 2016. While Director, Dan served in many leadership roles including Chairman of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, Chairman of the Atlantic Flyway Council, NAWCA Council, President of Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and is Past President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Dan is a Boone & Crockett Professional Member and serves on the Board of the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, the National Deer Association, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, and as an appointed member of the Hunting & Wildlife Conservation Council.

Dan brings over 30 years of wildlife management and policy experience to ATA’s office of government relations where he works on state and federal policy issues with state wildlife agency leadership and other partners to implement pro-hunting and conservation and grow archery and bowhunting in the United States.

Dan is an avid, lifelong hunter and currently lives in Social Circle, GA with his wife Jennifer and children.

 

Brent Miller, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

Brent joined the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) in the fall of 2010, then spent over a decade managing CSF’s state-level work in the northeast region – supporting regional sportsmen’s caucuses and members; significantly expanding pro-sportsmen infrastructure; directly engaging in the policy process in support of hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping; and supervising and mentoring others in the same. During this time Brent also served as the organization’s lead for firearm, knife, and deer management issues at both the state and federal levels, while providing a wide range of administrative support services for the States Program Team (SPT) – which ultimately saw him leading the SPT as Senior Director in 2022.

 

Now as Vice President, Policy, Brent continues to serve as the head of CSF’s state-level engagement nationwide and leads a team of 10 regional staff in support of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, the Collegiate Sportsmen and Women’s Coalition, and their members.

 

Brent has been trained at Harvard Kennedy School in Nonprofit Leadership, which included focal areas in organizational leadership and management, strategic planning, financial stewardship, marketing, and development. Prior education includes a Master of Science in Environmental Policy, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Criminology concentration, two Associate of Science degrees in Criminal Justice and Individual studies, and a Professional Development Certificate from The Wildlife Society. Brent currently serves as a Board Member of the American Suppressor Association Foundation; and previously served as Secretary of the New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council, an inaugural Member of the Maryland Sportsmen’s Marketing Initiative, and as a Member of the National Wildlife Services Advisory Council under two Administrations.

 

Rick Brazell, First Hunt Foundation

Rick hails from the great state of Texas where he and his best friend taught themselves how to hunt at an early age with .22’s, Bear recurved bows and borrowed shotguns.

 

When in the eight grade, he saved and bought his first deer rifle, a Western Auto “Revelation” .243 made by Savage. He soon became a crack shot harvesting many whitetail deer, wild hogs and a never-ending population of coyotes. His interest in wildlife and the outdoors caused him to gain an undergraduate degree at West Texas State University where he started the first wildlife club for students. He then went onto Utah State University where he acquired a Master of Science in Wildlife Science in 1982.

 

He began his career as a crew leader in the Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) with the US Forest Service in 1976. Rick retired after 36 ½ years with the U.S. Forest Service where he worked half of his career as a professional wildlife biologist and the second half as a line officer. He is nationally known within the USFS as an expert in collaboration and building partnerships. He served as an NRA Range Safety Officer for many years. Rick has been a founding member for chapters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited. He is the father of 4 sons and grandfather to 11 grandchildren who keep the hunting heritage alive.

 

He and his wife Becky have been married for 47 years and often hunt together. Rick founded the First Hunt Foundation in 2015 as a means of giving something back and remembering his own self learning journey into hunting which he didn’t want others to experience. He has grown the First Hunt Foundation to be operational in 47 states with over 1,090 volunteer mentors thus far. He has established mentoring programs within FHF for youth, women, veterans & first responders and now underserved communities. To say he is an advocate of our hunting heritage would be a huge understatement. He looks forward to helping hunters anywhere he can to insure our hunting heritage remains for all.

 

 

Mark Peterson, Worldwide Trophy Adventure

Mark Peterson is a father and outdoorsman first. While he’s built a business that’s uniquely positioned to reach outdoor customers, he’s defined by his love of the outdoors and the positive culture he creates as a leader.

Growing up near Lake Michigan, in the rolling hills of Oceana County, Mark developed a love and passion for hunting and the great outdoors at an early age, fostered by his father Earl, who is an avid wingshooter. Starting at age 4, Mark went wilderness camping with his father in 12” of snow during January. With only a candle for heat, he’d listen to hunting tales from around the world and dreamed that someday he would create stories of his own.

For the past two decades, Mark’s hunts have continued in Michigan but also expanded to other areas around the world. Mark’s hunting accomplishments range from completion of his Grand Slam of North American Sheep to Waterfowl Slams in North America, South America and most recently New Zealand.

Mark continues to hunt with his father, who has appeared on his television show on Pursuit, The Journey Within. And now, there are 3 generations of Petersons out there, hunting and enjoying the outdoors together.

"Success on every hunt is not measured by inches of antler, but by the journey it took to get where the hunter desires to be."

To book your next hunting adventure or to start a portfolio that will strategically position you to draw that tag of a lifetime, contact Mark’s team at Worldwide Trophy Adventures at 800-346-8747.

 

Michelle Scheuermann (pronounced Sherman), APR, is the principle of BulletProof Communications, LLC, a marketing communications consultancy specializing in communication strategies utilizing both traditional and non-traditional avenues to increase awareness and participation in brands, events and more.

Michelle is known as a podcaster, lecturer and founder of popular events and social media initiatives. The outdoors has always been in her blood; Michelle grew up on a working dairy & crop farm in South Dakota, not far from the famous Corn Palace.

She stays active in outdoor activities – always trying to learn something new at the range or in the field, and volunteers with outdoor & veteran - related organizations while living in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, Wayne, and their cat, Harrison.

Facilitators

• Peter Churchbourne, Director, NRA Hunter Leadership Forum
• Jim Curcuruto, Executive Director, Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation
• James “Jay” Pinsky, Editor, The Hunting Wire & Archery Wire

The Voice of Leadership Panel is an appointed group of outdoor industry leaders who have volunteered to contribute their voices on crucial hunting and outdoor recreation issues to inform, inspire, and educate participants within our community.