Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is proud to announce Matthew Carstens and Dan Forster as recently elected members of the organization’s
National Board of Directors. With backgrounds ranging from agriculture to biology, the appointees share a passion for wildlife conservation and upland hunting to help carry “The Habitat Organization” in new and exciting directions. They now join the organization’s 14-member board which meets quarterly and oversees the operations of Pheasants Forever, Inc. & Quail Forever.
“Matthew Carstens and Dan Forster bring phenomenal skillsets to our National Board of Directors that will help shape and guide the wildlife habitat conservation efforts of Pheasant Forever and Quail Forever well into the future,” stated Howard Vincent, President and CEO of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. “Despite circumstances of our nation’s health crisis, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever continues to add bright minds to our leadership roles while maintaining quality projects throughout the pheasant and quail ranges.”
Matthew Carstens – Panora, Iowa
Growing up on a family farm in central Iowa, Matthew Carstens graduated with a degree in Agricultural Business and Management from Iowa State University. His career background includes nearly 25 years of experience in the agricultural industry, working in the supply chain from agronomy retail to end-user grain customers, food manufacturers, grocery stores and consumers.
Carstens’ strong connection to wildlife habitat conservation for upland birds stems from his career at Land O’ Lakes as the senior vice president of
Truterra, the sustainability division of the nation’s foremost member-owned agricultural cooperative and a strategic partner of Pheasants Forever since 2018. More recently, Carstens was named CEO of
Landus Cooperative, a farming cooperative aimed at supporting the full circle of the food chain - from seed to commodity, from product to feed, and from cow to the kitchen table.
In addition to his business career, Carstens has taken on numerous other leadership roles in his lifetime. Starting in 2010, he was a participating board member with The Fertilizer Institute (2010-2016), Agren (2016-2018), and Newtrient (2016-2019). He is currently a board member for both the Principal Charity Classic and Central Ag Solutions.
“As the leader of a farmer-owned cooperative, finding the balance between agriculture and conservation is becoming more critical,” said Matthew Carstens, CEO of Landus. “I am excited to become a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board member to help expedite the adoption of conservation practices with farmers across the United States.”
As a Life Member of Pheasants Forever, Carstens and his son Camden (also a Life Member) enjoy every opportunity to pursue pheasants and quail together in the state of Iowa. Carstens enjoys spending time on the farm with his wife and three children when not pursuing his upland passion.
Dan Forster – Social Circle, Georgia
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, while also being a member of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council.
Forster is an avid, lifelong hunter and currently lives in Social Circle, GA with his wife Jennifer, daughter Lanier (son-in-law Aaron), son Trent and bird dog Millie.
“Throughout my life and professional career, I have always admired the incredible work that Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever does to protect and improve wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. As such, I am extremely excited to become a board member of this great conservation team,” stated Dan Forster.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division,
Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 132,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $900 million on 550,000 habitat projects benefiting 19 million acres nationwide.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org