Habitat & Conservation  |  07/25/2024

New Officers Instated for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Board of Directors


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Board appointments representative of PF & QF volunteers, members, and upland bird range

Entering a new fiscal year, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Board of Directors officially voted to instate new officers at the beginning of July including passionate conservationists and avid upland hunters Jerrod Burke (chairman), Dan Forster (vice chair), Brett Reber (treasurer), and Keith Schopp (secretary). The foursome brings a combined 23 years of PF & QF National Board experience to their new roles, helping guide a 16-member council which meets quarterly and oversees the operations of The Habitat Organization.

“We are thrilled to have a new slate of dedicated officers helping guide the operations of the nation’s largest and most trusted upland conservation group,” said Marilyn Vetter, president and CEO of Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever. “Jerrod, Dan, Brett, and Keith embody the strengths of PF & QF and our volunteers throughout the pheasant and quail ranges. Their backgrounds as landowners, farmers, biologists, and most of all, downright advocates for our habitat conservation mission, ensure the success of The Habitat Organization.” 

Vetter also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to former chairman of the board, Matt Kucharski, whose term of service spanning 12 years (and serving the organization in numerous capacities since 2003) expired at the end of June. “Matt was the heart and soul of this organization for more than a decade, helping Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever navigate a pandemic, a national campaign for the uplands, the creation of Quail Forever’s brand, and becoming the nation’s leader for upland birds,” she added. “Thank you, Matt, from all of our team members and volunteers.”

Jerrod Burke, Chairman 

Hailing from Curtis, Nebraska, Burke is a landowner, farmer, hunter, and major advocate for habitat conservation efforts. His family has a long history of commitment to wildlife habitat conservation ever since a portion of the family farm was homesteaded in 1888. The original Burke Family Homestead is still part of the farming operation today and is included as part of their 4,500-acre property, composed of agricultural crops and a plethora of federal conservation programs. 

The Burke family was chosen as a recipient of the Nebraska Pheasants Forever 3-Million-Acre Habitat Award for their contributions to conservation efforts in their local community. Balancing his time between the farm and as an industrial technology instructor at Medicine Valley High School, where he taught for 32 years, Burke has also been deeply involved in his local community as a head football coach, network administrator, and is entering his 14th year as an elected member of the Curtis City Council. Rounding out a personal obligation to the environment, he served as a Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner from 2005-2015, working tirelessly to improve wildlife populations and public access opportunities for sportsmen and women throughout the state. Burke is a Pheasants Forever Patron Member and a Quail Forever Life Member.

Dan Forster, Vice Chair 

A native of the Southeast and no stranger to quail hunting traditions, Dan Forster grew up in the state of Georgia and earned his bachelor’s degree in Forest Resources and a master’s in wildlife biology from the University of Georgia before embarking on a lifelong career dedicated to conservation. Forster spent his last 12 years as the Director of the Wildlife Resources Division for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and retired from the agency in 2018. Forster now serves as the VP and Chief Conservation Officer for the Archery Trade Association, working with state wildlife agencies and other partners to implement sound conservation policies, strengthen relationships and develop plans to expand hunting and shooting sports throughout the United States.
 
Admired by his wildlife peers for enduring contributions to conservation efforts in America, Forster has also served as the president of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, as well as chairman of the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports. He currently serves as a board representative of the National Deer Alliance and the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports. Forster is a Quail Forever Patron Member and a Pheasants Forever Life Member.

Brett Reber, Treasurer  

No stranger to the local model of “The Habitat Organization,” Brett Reber is a Life Member of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, and an active participant for the McPherson Area Pheasants Forever Chapter in Kansas. Reber grew up in a hunting family in Ellsworth, Kansas, before receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1983 and his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1986.  An attorney at Wise & Reber, L.C.in McPherson, Kansas, his primary practice is providing advice to clients with emphasis in contracts, business acquisitions, and litigation matters. He also serves as General Counsel of Equity Bank, a $5 billion publicly held community bank headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. 

Reber is the president and a director of the McPherson Valley Uplands – a 46-acre Outdoor Education Center near Conway, Kansas, designed for youth to learn and develop outdoor skills and an appreciation for wildlife and conservation. A cooperative effort between McPherson Area Pheasants Forever and CHS Refinery-McPherson, Reber believes the area serves as a testament to the power of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s local model. The area has served as a conservation learning center to countless youth participants since its creation in 2008.

Keith Schopp, Secretary  

Keith Schopp is a passionate wingshooter, bird dog enthusiast and conservationist. Schopp’s higher education with an emphasis in journalism at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville led him to a 34-year career with Nestlé Purina PetCare Company where he managed communications as the vice president of corporate public relations.

In addition to his professional career, Schopp is an award-winning journalist and columnist with national recognition in features, sports writing, outdoors and commentary. He is a Pheasants Forever Patron Member, a Quail Forever Life Member, a participant in the organization’s Build A Wildlife Area program, a supporter of the Silver Creek Quail Forever Chapter, and a Life Member of the Ruffed Grouse Society.