NASC 2026 Speakers

Featured Speakers

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Session Speakers

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Senator Jack Bailey is a lifelong Marylander who was raised in St. Mary’s County working on various family farms growing Christmas trees, sweet corn, strawberries, and helping with tobacco. He also spent many hours on the water crabbing and fishing.

After working in construction, Senator Bailey joined the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP). Throughout his career, he worked in both Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties in both inland and marine patrol assignments. As Senator Bailey continued his career with NRP, he assumed responsibilities on a more statewide level which allowed him to propose changes to laws and regulations to protect Maryland’s great natural resources. In the latter part of his career, he worked closely with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Justice on several cases to prosecute individuals taking advantage of Maryland’s natural resources. During this time, Senator Bailey returned to school at Johns Hopkins University and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Management followed by a Master’s degree in Management.

After 30 years of service to the State of Maryland, he joined the International Conservation Chiefs Academy (ICCA) to coach and teach adaptive leadership to police officers from developing countries. Senator Bailey also serves as the President of the Maryland Wildlife Crime Stoppers, Inc., which is a non-profit organization working to raise funds to help combat conservation crimes in the State of Maryland.

In 2018, Senator Bailey was elected as the State Senator representing District 29, which includes St. Mary’s County and part of Calvert County. He currently serves on the Budget & Taxation Committee and as the Senate Chair of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. In the 2021 Legislative Session, Senator Bailey sponsored legislation to codify the right to fish and hunt in Maryland which passed the General Assembly and became law. Senator Bailey is also a hunter safety instructor and a committee member of his local Ducks Unlimited and National Wild Turkey Federation chapters.

Senator Bailey and his wife Karin have two children and reside on their family’s farm in Mechanicsville.

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Nephi Cole is Director of Conservation Policy, Government Relations-State Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation – the Firearm Trade Association of America. He spearheads outreach efforts with State officials, develops key relationships with conservation groups, provides accurate information and represents the NSSF’s 9,000 member manufacturers, distributors, retailers and others. NSSF leads the nation in promotion, protection and preservation of hunting, conservation and the shootings sports.

Formerly, Nephi acted as Senior Policy Advisor for Wyoming Governor Matthew H. Mead for Outdoor Recreation, Natural Resources, Water, Firearms, Law Enforcement and Governors Associations. He led development of Wyoming’s Energy and Water Strategies, Outdoor Recreation Task Force, the Wyoming Lottery Corporation, and numerous other key initiatives and efforts. His background come from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service where he led conservation efforts at national and state levels. He has master’s degree in Soil Science and bachelor’s in Environmental Soil and Water Science with Geology and Agronomy minors. He also worked with less advantaged communities in Brazil for two years at a non-profit and is fluent in Portuguese.

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Jeff Crane joined CSF in 2002 and brings over 40 years of experience in on-the-ground natural resource management and policy expertise at the federal, state and international levels. A life-long outdoorsman, Jeff spent five years working in the US Congress and was instrumental in establishing the Maryland legislative sportsmen’s caucus prior to joining CSF. In addition, he has experience developing wildlife habitat management plans in the United States and South Africa. During his eight years in Africa, Jeff obtained his professional hunter’s license and guided hunts for big game animals. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Business Administration.

At CSF, Jeff ensures a steadfast and successful relationship between the bipartisan National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus. He develops and manages the organization’s strategic business strategy and policy priorities, and serves as the primary liaison between CSF and leaders within the governmental and non-governmental conservation community. Jeff also supervises all program areas to achieve overall organization goals, including, but not limited to directing and supervising development, administration, fundraising, strategic planning and the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Jeff served as the Chairman of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC), a federal advisory council that reports to the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior. He is a past Chairman of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP), the largest coalition of hunting conservation organizations. He is a Boone and Crockett member, served on the Government Affairs Committee for Safari Club International (SCI) and served as Vice-Chairman of Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Committee for the National Rifle Association (NRA). Additionally, he serves as the Co-Chairman of Legislative Policy for the Alliance for America’s Fish & Wildlife.

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Jake DeBow is the founder of New England Naturals, a New Hampshire-based company that specializes in education and advocacy centered around trapping and the utility of fur as a textile. A trained wildlife biologist who has worked in furbearer and big game management, Jake grew up trapping alongside his father, eventually turning that lifelong connection to the trapline into a mission of outreach and education.

Through New England Naturals, Jake and his wife have built an audience of well over 500,000 followers across social media; using video and storytelling to reach the “middle ground” of outdoor enthusiasts and the general public. Jake believes that public trust in trapping starts with knowing a trapper and that transparency, education, and direct engagement are the best tools for correcting misconceptions and securing the future of a regulated, heritage practice that remains vital to wildlife management today.

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Swanny Evans, Certified Wildlife Biologist®, is the Director of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, he holds a B.S. and M.S. in Forest Resources and Wildlife Science. Over the past decade, Swanny’s work has taken him to 47 states and overseas, spanning applied fieldwork, program development, and national advocacy. His career has centered on advancing wildlife conservation and securing the future of hunting.

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Eli Fenichel is the Knobloch Family Professor of Natural Resource Economics at the Yale School of the Environment. His research focuses on the role of natural resources as assets. His research spans how to measure and value nature and natural resources as capital for local decisions and national accounts to how to use capital theory to make smarter natural resource management decisions. Prof. Fenichel was an assistant director in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2021 to 2023 and has served on numerous science and policy advisory boards.

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Noah Lopez is PERC’s state policy manager, working to connect PERC’s innovative research and ideas to state-level policy. Noah has a background working on natural resource policy in California and holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and policy from Oregon State University. Before returning to school, he spent several years working as an agronomist and deeply values this connection to the land. His prior policy work focused primarily on land use and water policy.

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Corey Mason serves as the Wild Sheep Foundation Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation, working on conservation delivery and policy across North America and internationally. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist® and serves on state Advisory Committees for bighorn sheep and mule deer and is a member of IUCN’s Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Group.

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Koty McGowan serves as the Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. In this role he works with legislators and their offices to ensure the commission’s policy goals and core mission are being served in the general assembly. He prioritizes close working relationships with all offices in effort to provide a sense of ownership or connection with people who have never stepped foot in the field. Outside of work Koty enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, and spends any spare time preparing for, participating in, or thinking about archery season.

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Brian Nesvik was born and raised in Casper and Cheyenne, Wyoming. While still in high school, he enlisted in the Army National Guard as a flight operations specialist. Four years later, he attended officer candidate school and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1994 with a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management.

In 1995, he was selected by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to serve as a wildlife law enforcement technician and later a game warden where he focused on enforcing wildlife laws, collecting important wildlife biological data, dealing with wildlife/human conflict, and managing wildlife. He spent much of his time patrolling some of the most remote and wild parts of Wyoming.

Brian simultaneously continued his military career and in 2004 was charged with commanding a 180-soldier Wyoming unit as they deployed to combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Following this successful tour, Brian took command of the 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery and deployed again to Kuwait and Southern Iraq in 2009. Upon his return from this deployment, he was selected to command the 115th Field Artillery Brigade

In 2010, Brian was promoted to serve as the Cody Regional Wildlife Supervisor. In 2011, he was promoted to serve as the state’s Chief Game Warden, a position he would hold for eight years. At the same time, he served as the Chief of the Division of Wildlife and was responsible for the management and protection of all the state’s terrestrial wildlife resources.

In 2016, he earned an MS in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

In 2018, Brian was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and charged with commanding Wyoming’s Army National Guard and serving as the Assistant Adjutant General. In this role, he was responsible for ensuring the combat readiness of Wyoming’s Army Guard units. After 35 years of service, he retired from the military in 2021.

In March 2019, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon appointed Brian as the Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. In this role, he dealt with some of the state’s most complex and controversial issues including recovering species listed under the Endangered Species Act and preventing others from being listed, big game migration corridor policy, invasive species , and wildlife disease.

In September 2024, Brian retired from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department after nearly 30 years of service. He and his wife started their own ranching operation on his wife’s long-term family ranch near Glendo, WY where he was able to leverage three decades of experience to implement habitat projects including the reduction of invasive annual grass, installing wildlife friendly fencing, and reducing conifer encroachment.

In February 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Brian to serve as the 19th Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 1, 2025 and assumed the leadership role on August 18, 2025. Brian is married to his wife of 27 years and has three children and three grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family hunting, fishing, ranching, boating, and horseback riding.

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Justin Shannon works for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources as a deputy director and legislative liaison. He has been with the agency since 2007, and has also served as a wildlife biologist, regional wildlife manager, big game program coordinator, and wildlife chief. Justin grew up on a farm and ranch in northern Utah, where he developed a love for wildlife and agriculture. Justin received a BS in 2007, and an MS degree in 2008, from Brigham Young University in wildlife and wildlands conservation. Justin is married to his wife Caley, and with their 4 boys they enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, traveling, all sports, and dad jokes.

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Mattea Smith serves as Conservation Director for the National Trappers Association and is a member of Fur Takers of America, where she works at the intersection of science, policy, and tradition to advance responsible wildlife management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver. These credentials have carried her through environmental fieldwork, energy-sector permitting, and coordination with government agencies. Her connection to the outdoors began long before her career, as she was raised hunting big game and fishing the marshes, giving her a firsthand appreciation for wildlife and habitat. That appreciation found new direction when she joined the Louisiana Trappers and Alligator Hunters Association, where she encountered a community whose commitment to resource management matched her own professional principles.

In the years since, Mattea has made relationship-building central to her conservation work, forging connections with trapping associations across the country and becoming a trusted voice for an often-misunderstood practice. She has taken on the role of advocate as much as scientist, translating trapping’s conservation value to policymakers, landowners, and the public alike, grounded in the belief that hunting, trapping, and fishing are essential parts of conservation rather than obstacles to it. That advocacy earned her the National Trappers Association’s 2025 Conservationist of the Year award.

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Dylan Soares is the Conservation Counsel at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Montana. He works on environmental and natural resource issues involving wildlife, outdoor recreation, public and private land management, and water resources. Outside of work, he enjoys big-game hunting on public lands and exploring the Rockies.

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Tyler Strohecker serves as Director of the Landowner Resources Office for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, where he leads efforts to expand hunter access, strengthen partnerships with private landowners, and advance wildlife management initiatives across Pennsylvania. He led the development, implementation, and statewide expansion of the Commission’s Certified Hunter Program (CHP), designed to connect qualified hunters with landowners to help meet deer management objectives. Tyler is an avid outdoorsman and, most importantly, a proud husband and father of two girls.

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Jeff Wardlaw is currently the Senior Manager of Government Affairs: Mississippi & Central Flyway – South for Delta Waterfowl where he advocates for ducks and duck hunters. In addition to his role with Delta, Jeff is currently serving his 8th term in the Arkansas House of Representatives and is the sitting President of the NASC Executive Council, having been elected by his peers on the EC in 2024. Jeff has made a career of being a champion for conservation and sportsmen and women. In the legislature, he has been instrumental in several efforts designed to protect conservation funding, promote participation in our outdoor traditions, and encourage the application of conservation practices throughout the Natural State. Now, as a representative of Delta Waterfowl, he is continuing his conservation legacy across the region.

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David Wielicki founded the South Carolina Waterfowl Association (SCWA) on December 16, 1986. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of SCWA since the organization’s inception. David graduated from Auburn University in 1983 with an honors degree in Wildlife Management. During his undergraduate and graduate studies, he spent three years in Manitoba, Canada assisting waterfowl researchers on waterfowl and wetland ecology projects while conducting his own research on aspects of mallard nutrition during the summer molting period. David’s research was funded by the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. He received his Master of Science degree from the University of Manitoba. Prior to founding the South Carolina Waterfowl Association, David worked for Ted Turner managing more than 2,000 acres of coastal rice field impoundments. David has 38 years of experience as a waterfowl biologist and manager. 

David grew up in North Alabama hunting and fishing with his father, Tony Wielicki. David is an avid waterfowl hunter and fisherman who enjoys sharing the outdoors with his wife Joette and his two children Gracie and Tony and their spouses Matt Couch and Madison Wielicki.  His duties at SCWA include working closely with the SCWA Board of Directors, strategic planning, major gifts fundraising, waterfowl habitat development, and policy issues.

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Knox Williams is a passionate believer that every law-abiding citizen should be able to buy and use suppressors to help protect their hearing. Through his work at ASA, Knox, alongside many members of the NASC community, helped three states and one US territory legalize suppressor ownership and 19 states legalize their use in the field. In 2021, he helped form the ASA Foundation, the 501(c)(3) wing of the American Suppressor Association to educate the public on the realities and merits of suppressors and stand at the forefront of pro-suppressor litigation.

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Jason Wisniewski is president of the Fur Takers of America. A life-long hunter and angler, Jason began trapping during college while earning his bachelor’s degree in biology in his native state of Pennsylvania. Jason earned his master’s degree in wildlife biology at Tennessee Tech University and has served as an aquatic ecologist specializing in freshwater mussel conservation where he has been responsible for the management and recovery activities of over 65 federally endangered species throughout the southeastern US. Through his career, Jason has become keenly aware of the need for furbearer and predator management as it relates to ecosystem management including public health, reduction in human-wildlife conflicts, and the conservation of both endangered and game species.

Jason resides in Piedmont, Alabama with his wife Jenifer and daughter Jo Liz who both share a passion for trapping, hunting, and fishing.

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Jonathan Wood is the vice president of law and policy for the Property and Environment Research Center. Jonathan leads PERC’s efforts to improve incentives for conservation through legal and policy reform.

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Mike Worley, President and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast. Prior to joining GWF in 2015, Mike had a 32-year career in the electric utility industry and his final position was the manager for community and economic development outside of Metro Atlanta. Mike is a past chair of Georgia’s Prescribed Fire Council. He serves on the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition, the Georgia Water Coalition Leadership Team, and Georgia’s nationally leading effort on R3 (Recruit, Retain and Reactivate) Hunting and Shooting Sports team. Mike served on the Joint House and
Senate Study Committee on Stream Buffers in Georgia and is serving on the Stakeholder Advisory Board of the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. He has been named multiple times by Georgia Trend magazine as one of Georgia’s 500 Most Influential Georgians as well as one of Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Georgians. On a national level, Mike serves as co-chair of the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Funding initiative. He has a B.S. in Biology from the University of West Georgia and is a graduate of Emory University’s Goizuetta Executive Program.

Mike’s outdoor interests include waterfowl and upland hunting, clays, and fishing. He is an avid hiker and kayaker. Mike has been married to Debbi for 47 years and has two children and three grandchildren.

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Jerome Zeringue or “Zee” as he is known to his friends grew up hunting and fishing along the coastal marshes of south Louisiana. His love for the outdoors inspired him to become a certified fly casting instructor for the Federation of Fly Fishers and teaching a continuing Education course on fly fishing at Nicholls State University. That love of the outdoors also lead him into a career, after earning a BS in Zoology and a Masters of Fisheries Science, both from LSU, “Zee” began his career as a fisheries biologist for LSU Sea Grant.

A few years later, The Nature Conservancy was working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a wildlife refuge in Terrebonne Parish. The Nature Conservancy hired “Zee” to serve as their Coastal Resources Director and lead the effort that ultimately helped establishment the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge.

Zee later became the Director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District (TLCD) working to develop coastal resiliency and protection projects for the region.

After ten years with TLCD, Zee was hired by the Governor’s office to serve as Director of Policy and Programs for the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities. He later served as the Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the agency responsible for implementation of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, a $50 billion dollar plan to restore and protect Louisiana’s coast.

In addition, Zee served on Governor Bobby Jindal’s Cabinet, as the Governor’s Executive Assistant for Coastal Activities and Chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Zee left that position to run for state office and he is currently serving as the State Representative for House District #52. His committee assignments include Appropriations, Natural Resources and Environment, Judiciary, House Select Committee on Disaster Recovery, Chairman, Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, and Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

He also is currently serving as a Principle for Progressive Coastal Consultants.

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