Every year, the Club hosts a dinner and Members' meeting in conjunction with the Wildlife Management Institute's North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. This year's conference was held in Louisville, Kentucky. Thank you to all the members who were in attendance.

The Club's Executive Vice President of Conservation, Steven Leath, gave the keynote at the dinner. He gave a brief history of the Club's University programs and the importance of the program. Along with the Club's University Programs, he highlighted the impact of the Demmer Scholars program. There have been Demmer Scholars serving as political appointees in each of the past three Administrations (Obama, Trump, Biden), as well as career employees in the Washington Offices of the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, NOAA Fisheries, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Defense. There are currently 16 Demmer Scholars serving as professional staff on Capitol Hill (including the lead forestry staffers for the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee).

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Conservation and Stewardship Award

The Boone and Crockett Club presented Bill and Linda Demmer and Mark Rey with its most prestigious award, the Conservation and Stewardship Award, for their leadership on the William A. Demmer Scholars Program. The Conservation and Stewardship Award is given annually to the organization or entity that best exemplifies excellence in natural resource conservation and stewardship—core values of the Boone and Crockett Club and its founder, Theodore Roosevelt.

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“The Boone and Crockett Club’s Conservation and Stewardship Award recognizes a group that plays an essential role in implementing Theodore Roosevelt’s vision of Conservation: acts of guarding, protecting, developing, and using natural resources wisely and sustainably; and Stewardship: planning for and managing natural resources responsibly,” commented Tony Caligiuri, President of the Boone and Crockett Club. “The Demmer Scholars Program is having a profound effect on the training of future wildlife conservation policy professionals, and we were honored to recognize Bill and Linda Demmer for their vision and sponsorship as well as Mark Rey for his leadership in implementing the program.”

Boone and Crockett Club Hall of Fame’s Newest Member

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B&C Foundation President Terrell McCombs bestowed the Hall of Fame lapel pin upon Regular Member Michael J. Opitz. The pin signifies his induction into the Boone and Crockett Club Hall of Fame. This selection is in recognition of both his historical leadership within the Club and his cumulative giving of goods and services over the years totaling $500,000 or more. Thank you, Mike!