Mike Worley Named President and CEO of Georgia Wildlife Federation

June 1, 2015
Contact:  Mike Worley, mworley@gwf.org

Mike Worley has been named President and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation.   Worley, whose appointment is effective June 1, 2015, had a long and successful career at Georgia Power, where he held positions in environmental affairs and legislative affairs, as well as a senior manager position in community and economic development.  Worley’s community involvement has involved many successful fundraising campaigns and community support initiatives.  Worley has a B.S. in Biology from the University of West Georgia.

“Mike brings an outstanding record of fundraising and state and local government relations as well as a deep understanding of environmental policy,” said Randy Young, chair of the Board of GWF.  “He has long been involved with GWF and is dedicated to our core mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing the state’s water, forest and field, and wildlife resources for this and future generations.”

The Georgia Wildlife Federation, established in 1936, is Georgia’s oldest member supported conservation organization.  The Federation focuses on working with local, state and federal government as well as private organizations to promote wise utilization of natural resources.

GWF supports the rights of hunters, anglers and all outdoor enthusiasts.  The Federation champions the scientific based management of Georgia’s wildlife populations along with the preservation, restoration and enhancement of Georgia’s wild places.  GWF coordinates the highly popular Buckaramas held in both Atlanta (July 31 through August 2, 2015) and Perry (August 14-16, 2015) as well as the Great Outdoors Show (February 5-7, 2016).

Worley succeeds retiring President and CEO, Todd Holbrook, who led the organization for 2.5 years.

GWF Receives Support from Walmart Foundation

April was a big month for Georgia Hunters for the Hungry. How can that be? Hunters for the Hungry is a program enabling deer hunters to donate the autumn harvest of deer through the Georgia Food Bank Association to needy Georgians. April is for hunting wild turkeys; the fall months are for hunting deer.

April was big because the Walmart Foundation contributed $35,000 this April for making this special program a success during the upcoming 2015 deer hunting season. Because of the generous Walmart donation, hunters will be notified about locations for red meat processors who are accepting donated deer, over 600 individual deer hunters will share the harvest that they enjoy, participating red meat processors will prepare, grind and package venison at much reduced rates, the Georgia Food Bank Association will aid in distribution, and over 135,000 meals will be served to Georgians in need.

GWF is Now Taking Applications for Chief Executive

Date: February 18, 2015
Contact: Becky Harris or Todd Holbrook                                                                          Email: accounts@gwf.org or tholbrook@gwf.org

The Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF) Board of Directors will be accepting applications through March 31, 2015 for the position of Chief Executive Officer. The CEO position oversees all aspects of the Georgia Wildlife Federation’s operations including fundraising,  issue development and advocacy, administration, staff supervision, event planning, membership, communications, and program activities. The CEO will supervise all Federation employees, appoint staff, plan and generally direct conservation programs and advocacy activities conducted by the Federation. The CEO serves as the primary point of contact for partner conservation organizations and will formulate position recommendations on a variety of wildlife and natural resources related issues.

Minimum requirements include a four-year degree in wildlife or natural resources sciences, life sciences, political science, or social sciences and related professional experience OR  demonstrated experience of  5 or more years working at policy levels of a natural resources agency or organization. Candidates with four-year or advanced degrees in other fields will be considered with appropriate nonprofit management or natural resources experience.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate proficiency in federal and state nonprofit law, rules, accounting, reporting, and regulations; must demonstrate ability to work with nonprofit boards and elected officials at all levels of government; and must show experience working in complex nonprofit partnerships, with private foundations and with corporate executive level personnel. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

The GWF office is located at 11600 Hazelbrand Road, Covington, GA, 30014. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application and a resume to accounts@gwf.org.

GWF Receives $25,000 for Georgia Hunters for the Hungry Program

Bi-Lo Holdings Foundation and Harveys Supermarket support feeding those in need in our community. Today, at the Harveys Supermarket in Macon, Meals on Wheels and the Georgia Wildlife Federation received program support. The Federation’s grant will support Georgia Hunters for the Hungry that will put thousands of pounds of ground venison in area food banks. Hunters are reminded that they can donate a field-dressed deer at any of the participating deer processors through the end of the deer hunting season.

Georgia Hunters For The Hungry Adds Local Deer Processors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:Todd Holbrook
Georgia Wildlife Federation
11600 Hazelbrand Road
Covington, GA 30014
770-787-7887
tholbrook@gwf.org

Covington – November 10, 2014 – Cooling fall temperatures have whitetail deer on the move, giving deer hunters the perfect opportunity to participate in the Georgia Hunters For The Hungry program. GHFTH is a partnership between the Georgia Wildlife Federation, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division of DNR, and the Georgia Food Bank Association that provides sportsmen a way to donate harvested deer to Georgia’s food banks.

“We are excited to be able to expand the GHFTH program through the addition of two deer processors in middle Georgia,” says Todd Holbrook, president and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation. He added that this latest increase brings the number of cooperating deer processors to 11 statewide. These processors serve the food banks that serve 145 of Georgia’s counties.

Holbrook added that this expansion of the program was made possible by recent sponsorships from Central Georgia and Snapping Shoals electric membership corporations and base support from the Walmart Foundation and the Bi-Lo Holdings Foundation.

GHFTH has been providing high quality protein to hungry Georgians since 1993. Since the inception, hunters have donated over 325,000 pounds of ground venison for distribution to the needy. Processing expenses are provided by the program. Local deer hunters interested in sharing the harvest can bring deer to any of these processors.

City/Town	Venison Processor	Telephone
Columbus	Daffin’s Meat Processing	706-322-8848
Covington	Holifield’s Deer Processing	770-788-1114
Covington	Steve Bishop’s Taxidermy and Deer Processing	770-787-0840
Dawson	Mossey Creek Outdoors	229-995-4109
Eastman	Barlow’s Meat Processing	478-374-5614
Irwinton	Starley’s Deer Processing	478-946-8976
Jefferson	Apple Valley Meat Processing	706-335-9304
Juliette	Wildlife Deer Processing	478-994-5486
Sparta	Garner’s Grinders	706-444-9228
Springfield	Zoeller’s Deer Processing	912-665-0427
Vidalia	Stewart’s Quality Meats	912-537-9888

Additional program information is available through the Georgia Wildlife Federation.

GA DNR LE: Deer Firearms Season Almost Here – Hunt Safely, Respectfully and Turn in Poachers!

SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA – As firearms season for deer quickly approaches, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division reminds hunters to always put safety first, use courtesy, and to respect the property where you hunt. One more thing – obey the laws of the state because a lot more eyes may be watching.

“We are essentially enlisting all the citizens of Georgia with our new Ranger Hotline Program,” says Col. Eddie Henderson, director of DNR’s Law Enforcement Division. “If you see a poacher, call the hotline number, 1-800-241-4113 or send an email to RangerHotline@dnr.state.ga.us and report it. The call or email is anonymous and if your tip leads to an arrest, you get a cash reward for certain violations. It’s as simple as that.”

The program is housed in The Georgia Natural Resources Foundation, which is a 501c3 organization. Therefore, anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support this worthwhile program can visit http://gadnrle.org/node/2 or send an email to rangerhotline@dnr.state.ga.us.

Poaching is legally defined as illegal shooting, trapping, or taking of game or fish from private or public property, but in the conservation law enforcement community a poacher is a thief who steals wildlife that belongs to all citizens, robbing them of recreational opportunities, like hunting, fishing or wildlife watching.

“Shooting deer at night or from a public road, hunting out of season or on private property without permission are all illegal activities and we will continue to aggressively enforce the state hunting laws, as always,” said Henderson. “Our goal is for everyone to enjoy their hunt safely and legally.”

Regarding safety, hunters should never cut corners. Wear the fluorescent orange, practice firearm safety, always be respectful of other hunters and property owners where you hunt, and use extreme caution when using a tree stand.

“Our Rangers respond to tree stand incidents regularly and most of them are avoidable,” said Henderson. “Remember to install it correctly, use a haul line to pull gear into the stand, always let someone know your whereabouts and when you will return, have a rescue plan and, by all means, wear a safety harness.”

A few other points to remember while hunting:
• Stay on established roads – do not operate any vehicle, including ATVs, within stream beds.
• Pack it in, pack it out – take your litter with you.
• Always be sure of your target and the area beyond the target.
• Secure landowner permission before hunting on private property.

Firearms season for deer begins on October 18th in Georgia.

Georgia Hunters for the Hungry Adds Local Deer Processors

Media Contact: Todd Holbrook
Georgia Wildlife Federation
11600 Hazelbrand Road
Covington, GA 30014
770-787-7887
tholbrook@gwf.org

Georgia Hunters For The Hungry Adds Local Deer Processors

Covington – November 10, 2014 – Cooling fall temperatures have whitetail deer on the move, giving deer hunters the perfect opportunity to participate in the Georgia Hunters For The Hungry program. GHFTH is a partnership between the Georgia Wildlife Federation, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division of DNR, and the Georgia Food Bank Association that provides sportsmen a way to donate harvested deer to Georgia’s food banks.

“We are excited to be able to expand the GHFTH program through the addition of two deer processors in middle Georgia,” says Todd Holbrook, president and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation. He added that this latest increase brings the number of cooperating deer processors to 11 statewide. These processors serve the food banks that serve 145 of Georgia’s counties.

Holbrook added that this expansion of the program was made possible by recent sponsorships from Central Georgia and Snapping Shoals electric membership corporations and base support from the Walmart Foundation and the Bi-Lo Holdings Foundation.

GHFTH has been providing high quality protein to hungry Georgians since 1993. Since the inception, hunters have donated over 325,000 pounds of ground venison for distribution to the needy. Processing expenses are provided by the program. Local deer hunters interested in sharing the harvest can bring deer to any of these processors listed above.

A Friendly Reminder to Buy Your Wildlife Tags

With recent law changes, tags give wildlife a better chance.  Thanks to new legislation, the wildlife license plates that provide critical funding for work involving nongame, northern bobwhites and trout will cost less and provide even more support.

After July 1 the cost of buying or renewing the eagle, hummingbird, quail and trout tags will be $25 and dedicates more than 75 percent of that fee to wildlife programs the plates benefit. The breakdown is that $19 of every plate purchase and $20 of each renewal will, by law, go to help conserve and manage native Georgia wildlife and natural habitats, from bald eagles to longleaf pine forests.

The support from these plates is critical, considering that the state does not provide general revenue for the core missions of DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section, which conserves rare and other nongame wildlife, and the Bobwhite Quail Initiative, which is focused on restoring quail populations and habitats.

The three nongame plates – the eagle and hummingbird designs – account for more than half of all contributions to the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund, the source of non-federal funding for the Nongame Conservation Section. The bobwhite, deer and turkey plate is the sole funding source for the Bobwhite Quail Initiative’s support for habitat restoration efforts on private lands – efforts that benefit bobwhites and a host of other game and nongame wildlife species.

DNR’s wildlife tags will soon give Georgia wildlife an even better chance, and this is your better chance to make a difference.

9th Annual Sportsmen’s Dinner and Auction to be Held on August 28, 2014

Don’t forget the 9^th annual Sportsmen’s Dinner and Auction, which will again be held at GWF’s Alcovy Conservation Center in Covington.  It’s our “don’t miss event” of the year, and the agenda includes an old-fashioned pig-pickin’ and barbecue, raffles and auctions, and perhaps best of all fellowship with other sportsmen and women.

Make your reservations now, as seating is limited. Tickets are $50 each. Tables with seating for ten are $500. Those who purchase tables will be entered into a special gun raffle at the end of the evening. We’ll have tons of fun gifts on hand for the auction, so mark your calendars now to join us.

Annual Spring Georgia Water Coalition Meeting a Great Success

The annual spring Georgia Water Coalition meeting, hosted by the GWF at our Alcovy Conservation Center on June 5, was a great success. Seventy-six people attended, representing 46 of the 216 GWC partners groups. With our meeting room filled to near capacity, all manner of important topics were discussed, including the recent coastal marsh buffer rollbacks, a review of the 2014 Legislative Session, the July 1 expiration of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Moratorium, toxic groundwater pollution from legacy industrial sites, and a review of the Georgia Environmental Action Network (GEAN) and the Camo Coalition.

In between the morning and afternoon sessions, the group enjoyed a scrumptious Italian lunch at our Tupelo Pavilion before reconvening to revise the GWC 2013 Biennial Report: Recommendations for a healthy water future. To learn more about the GWC, visit www.gawater.org