CAHSS Team

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.

Steven Leath, PhD

Executive Director

[email protected]
(336) 982-2207

Dr. Steven Leath is the Executive Director for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. A member of the National Science Board and Board of Directors for the Boone and Crockett Club, he has a rich background as a former federal scientist, professor and university president. Dr. Leath is an experienced outdoorsman, avid hunter, and committed conservationist.

Scott Lavin

Director of Research & Partnerships

[email protected]
(360) 340-3206

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

Director of Operations

[email protected]

Taniya Bethke has a background in wildlife and conservation biology, environmental education, and community outreach. She actively builds relationships between people and the natural world in order to enhance understanding, change attitudes, increase appreciation, and overcome barriers and contributes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the conservation community to ensure that all people not only feel they belong in wild spaces, but are welcomed there by others. Taniya is the Director of Operations for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports.

Lance Cherry

Communications & Marketing Manager

[email protected]
(505) 620-6883

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

Operations Specialist

[email protected]
(210) 379-2166

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

Olivia Harmsen

SEAFWA R3 Coordinator

[email protected]

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).

Bridget Murphy

Assistant R3 Coordinator – Education

[email protected]

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).

Vacant

Assistant R3 Coordinator – Outreach

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.