FALL 2019 Wisconsin, DNR 72Nd Edition NAWEOA Newsletter
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NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ASSOCIATION “The Voice of Resource Law Enforcement” 2019 NAWEOA OFFICER OF THE YEAR Warden Dale J. Hochhausen Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Vice-President Rick Langley (Right) presenting the Officer of the Year Plaque to Warden Dale Hochhausen, (Left) FALL 2019 Wisconsin, DNR 72nd Edition NAWEOA Newsletter NAWEOA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS President Rick Langley [email protected] Arizona, US Vice President Kurt Henry [email protected] Manitoba , Canada Past President Shawn Farrell [email protected] New Brunswick, Canada Secretary/Treasurer Steve Beltran [email protected] Illinois, US Director Region 1 Brock Lockhart [email protected] Saskatchewan, Canada Director Region 2 Martin Thabault [email protected] Ontario, Canada Director Region 3 Josh Thibodeau [email protected] New Brunswick , Canada Director Region 4 Jason Sherwood [email protected] Wyoming, US Director Region 5 Jesse Gehrt [email protected] Kansas, US Director Region 6 Daniel Fagan [email protected] Florida, US Director Region 7 Larry Hergenroeder [email protected] Pennsylvania, US Webmaster Mike Reeder [email protected] Pennsylvania, US Conference Liaison Rich Cramer [email protected] Pennsylvania, US Welcome to the NAWEOA Online Store. Here you can purchase your N.A.W.E.O.A. membership, and renew or order IGW Magazine subscriptions. You do not have to have a PayPal account to purchase items. VISIT: NAWEOA.ORG SOUVENIR PATCHES AVAILABLE ← 2017 NAWEOA conference patches are available for purchase. The cost per patch (including shipping and handling) is $7.00 each USD. Patches are avail- able online at NAWEOA.org All 2018 and 2019 patches are sold out. The President’s Report By Rick Langley Kurt served his 2 terms as a Regional Director and It’s hard to be- decided he could not stay away. His experience and lieve that the Summer commitment will be very welcome. I am just glad that 2019 Conference in Ok- I did not have to make the decision between Kurt and lahoma is behind us and Roger Selesse from New Brunswick as both were we are into the begin- worthy nominees and good friends! ning of the hunting sea- sons already! It is also There are many things to accomplish in the hard to believe the next 2 years and being President is a huge weight on changes that have hap- my shoulders. I feel like we have a Board that can pened around us and accomplish great things! I want to make a difference within NAWEOA. I look back to my first conference for our membership and keep this association solvent in 2005 and never thought I would be writing an arti- and relevant. We are still facing the challenge of hav- cle for the newsletter as the President of this 9,000 ing conferences hosted by associations and we do not member association! The first thing I want to say is want to go back to hosting conferences as the Board. “THANK YOU” to Conference Chair Jay Harvey, the Currently, there are discussions and a couple of op- Oklahoma Game Wardens Association and the Okla- tions for 2021, but nothing is set in stone yet. We homa Department of Fish and Wildlife for an incredi- have several potential hosts for 2022 through 2025. I ble experience in Oklahoma City! This team put on am keeping my fingers crossed that by the time you an incredible conference with a lot of great entertain- read this, we may have a host for 2021. If your asso- ment and cool venues. I am sure that all of these folks ciation has interest in hosting a future conference, are finally catching their breath and tying up loose please talk to anyone on the Board or Rich Cramer our ends, but they should feel confident that they put on a Conference Liaison. great show and it is appreciated by all of us who at- tended. Lastly, I want to encourage you all to attend a future conference; they are a blast! The 2020 confer- I want to thank all the members who attended ence is in Nashville, TN. Yes, that's NASHVILLE! I the Oklahoma conference and voted in the Executive have had the opportunity to visit Nashville several Board elections. I also want to thank all of those who times and it is an experience not to be missed. The sought positions on the board and congratulate those Tennessee crew has been working it hard and pulling who won, and express my condolences to those who together a great conference. The host hotel has been did not. It was a wonderful thing to see some compe- selected and reservations are open. You will want to tition for the Vice President position and all of the Re- book soon because I think the room block will be sold gional Director positions. As we see a changing of the out quickly. I know a lot of folks who have already guard and say “goodbye” to two of our Regional Di- booked their rooms and I am hearing from lots of rectors; Jason Blaylock (Region 6) and Jeff Jones folks who are making Nashville their first conference. (Region 5), I cannot express how much I appreciate It will be INCREDIBLE! your contributions to NAWEOA over the past 4 years. It was a pleasure to serve with you and I hope to see Respectfully and Fraternally yours! you again in Nashville. We also say goodbye and “THANK YOU” to Past President Lew Huddleston. Your 8 years of service are very much appreciated and we all wish you well in your retirement! Now that I have said “GOODBYE”, I want to say “WELCOME” to our new Regional Directors; Jes- se Gehrt (Region 5) and Daniel Fagan (Region 6). Please take the time to welcome these fine Officers and help them accomplish their obligations to the membership. I also want to welcome Kurt Henry from Manitoba back to the board as Vice President. NAWEOA Newsletter Fall 2019 3 The Vice President’s Report By Kurt Henry Hello I hope Omaha. I have seen the association change and to be we all are working honest run thru some hard times without host agencies safe as the busy fall for convention. My plan is with all yawl's help to in- season approaches. I sure that the associations grows and develops into its am your new vice greatness again. This means reaching our to our president of the NA- young officers and getting more interest from our near WEOA, the associa- 9000 members. tion WE all need to take ownership in Since the day I was elected it was been guns and make it the asso- blazing figuring out the roll of VP and juggling the ciation we need now work load of the home agencies, the association and and in the future. personal life. If I have learned nothing in these short few months it is a life work balance is very hard to I am a Conservation Officer from Manitoba. I keep!. was hired in 1997 and have worked mostly in the northern part of our Province. I have held within our I look forward to our winter meeting and ham- local Manitoba Conservation Officers Association po- mering out the final details for future convention hosts sitions of regional director, vice President and Presi- and the daily business of NAWEOA. please reach out dent. I help organise the famous warden skills day to me if you have questions concerns or possible solu- where the tug of war rope broke. PS I think Canada tions to what you see as our Association. was winning!! I have held the Regional 2 directory for NAWEOA for two terms and was honored to run Be safe, work safe, play safe it is imperative and be elected as the Vice President in Oklahoma we make it home after each and every shift. City. Kurt Henry NAWEOA conferences have been a special event of my summers since I attended the first one in Vice-President. OKLAHOMA CITY 2019 NAWEOA Newsletter Fall 2019 4 The Past President’s Report By Shawn Farrell The summer confer- ted their time and effort into their respective regions. ence is now behind us It was a privilege to work with both and I wish them and fall is just around the best. Next year our Canadian Director positions the corner and it’s the (Region 1, 2, 3) will be up for election. time of year most of us look forward to. I At the NAWEOA conference the executive board would personally like conducts various business meeting throughout the to thank Jay Harvey week. These are not closed meetings. We encourage and his crew for host- the general membership to attend so they too can be ing an excellent con- involved with discussion and decisions that are made. ference in Oklahoma Complete meeting minutes from the 2019 NAWEOA City. Along with the summer conference can be found on our “Protected organizing committee I Site” under “Meeting Minutes”. I encourage you all would also like to thank the Oklahoma State Game to visit and read. Once you have signed up for the Wardens Association and as well the Oklahoma De- NAWEOA site you will then have access to the pro- partment of Wildlife Conservation. From what I wit- tected site. Below are some brief highlights of the nessed and heard a good time was had by all. executive and membership meetings. On the election front the positions of President, Executive Board Meeting (Tuesday July 16) Vice President and the 4 US Directors were open this It is customary for the NAWEOA Executive board year.