The Council Team
The staff at the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports are passionate about shooting sports, wildlife conservation and wild places and are driven to preserve the relevancy of these activities as part of our proud American heritage.
Chuck Sykes brings over 30 years of experience in conservation and wildlife management to his role as Executive Director of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. Originally from Choctaw County, Alabama, Chuck earned his Wildlife Biology degree from Auburn University in 1992. Early in his career, he managed commercial hunting lodges, gaining hands-on experience before founding a natural resource consulting firm in 1999 that has since managed hundreds of thousands of acres across the country.
In 2001, Chuck created The Management Advantage, a pioneering television program dedicated to wildlife management and habitat restoration. The show aired on the Outdoor Channel for 11 years and continues today as an online series.
From 2012 to 2024, Chuck led the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, where he focused on expanding opportunities for new hunters and recreational shooters by developing key programs such as Special Opportunity Hunting Areas, Adult Mentored Hunting Program, and the Firearms 101 Program.
Chuck served as President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) from 2023 to 2024 and has long been active on AFWA’s Executive Committee and the Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation Committee. As past Chair of the Council, he remains passionate about advancing its mission to grow and promote hunting and shooting sports nationwide.
As a Regional Manager for Fortune 500 companies, Scott has over three decades of experience in leadership and business development. He has created multiple programs that have changed organizational culture and increased shareholder value. Since being introduced to the conservation industry, he has spent the last 12 years building highly effective and collaborative R3 programs in hunting, fishing, and shooting sports. Focusing on the customer experience and scalability, his programs have effectively combined the resources of state wildlife agencies, NGOs, and industry to more effectively serve the public with award winning results. A former Infantry Officer, Scott enjoys all things outdoors.
Taniya Bethke has a background in wildlife and conservation biology, education, and strategic planning. Taniya leverages her expertise from both the public and private sectors to support the growing cohort of R3 practitioners. She assesses R3 needs nationally and responds to them by providing professional development opportunities, co-facilitating and reviewing R3 planning efforts, designing meaningful R3 implementation and evaluation processes, and assisting with the development of intentional partner engagement strategies. Taniya is the Director of Operations for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports.
Lance Cherry has more than three decades of advertising, marketing and media experience and is a national award-winning news editor, photographer and graphic designer. He has spent the last two decades in the natural resources industry, directing and leading media relations and conservation education efforts in New Mexico. In early 2022, Lance joined the team at the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports as their Communications and Marketing Manager. Lance attended New Mexico Highlands University where he earned his B.F.A. in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Visual Communications.
Amanda Pitman serves as the Operations Specialist for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. A lifelong outdoors enthusiast, her passion for public lands, hunting, and fishing grew exponentially once she moved to New Mexico. With an education and background in arts, photography, and writing from Texas State University and the University of Oklahoma, she looks forward to combining her passions to advance the Council’s initiatives and to promote hunters and shooters as conservation contributors.
Partnership Positions
The SEAFWA R3 Coordinator is a collaborative position among the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA).
The Assistant R3 Coordinator – Education is a collaborative position among the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (ADCNR), the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) and Grand Slam Club Ovis – Hunting Heritage and Conservation Foundation (GSCO).
The Assistant R3 Coordinator – Outreach is a collaborative position among the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (ADCNR), the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) and Grand Slam Club Ovis – Hunting Heritage and Conservation Foundation (GSCO).
Board of Directors
The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports Board of Directors is composed of leaders in the Conservation community. The board is focused on the business of recruiting, retaining and reactivating hunters and shooters and the development of new and sustainable strategies and tactics to solicit, engage and support these participants so vital to Conservation and American way of life.
CHAIR
Mark Tisa
Director
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
VICE CHAIR
TBA
TREASURER
Alex Baer
Executive Director
IHEA – USA
SECRETARY
Chuck Sykes
Executive Director
Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
Gus Bader
President
TriStar Arms
Joe Bartozzi
President & Chief Executive Officer
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Joel Brice
Chief Conservation Officer
Delta Waterfowl
Jason Cloessner
Vice President & Product Development Manager
Lipsey’s
Bruce Cull
President
National Field Archery Association
Kurt Dyroff
Co-Chief Executive Officer
National Wild Turkey Federation
Dan Forster
Vice President & Chief Conservation Officer
Archery Trade Association
Paul Johansen
Chief
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Scott Kovarovics
Chief Executive Officer
Izaak Walton League of America
Rod Menzer
Chief Executive Officer
USA Archery
Ben Mulligan
Deputy Commissioner
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Jason Nash
Vice President Marketing
The Kinetic Group
Jay Osenkowski
Chief of Wildlife
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
Sara Parker Pauley
Director
Missouri Department of Conservation
Nick Pinizzotto
Chief Executive Officer
National Deer Association
Ron Regan
Executive Director
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Kelly Reisdorf
Chief Executive Officer
USA Shooting
Kevin Robling
Secretary
South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks
Taylor Schmitz
Director, Federal Relations
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Tony Schoonen
Chief Executive Officer
Boone & Crockett Club
Marilyn Vetter
Chief Executive Officer
Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever
Tony Wasley
President
Wildlife Management Institute
Kyle Weaver
Chief Executive Officer
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Nick Wiley
Chief Operating Officer
Ducks Unlimited
Roger A. Young
Executive Director
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Bob Ziehmer
Conservation Director
Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s
massmonopoly
R3 PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE