Dr. Christopher L. Jenkins, Rabun County, GA
Jenkins lives in the Nantahala Mountains where he has built a life around conserving wildlife and wild places. He is the founding chief executive officer of The Orianne Society. He also serves on the board of the Indian Ocean Tortoise Alliance and has served leadership roles in the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Partners for Reptiles and Amphibian Conservation, and Gopher Tortoise Council.
During his career, Chris has protected and restored tens of thousands of acres of land. Chris is a sportsman who enjoys both “hunting from home” and going on hunting and fishing adventures around the world. He spends over 150 days a year hunting and fishing on public lands, primarily hunting Appalachian bigwoods whitetails and travelling the continent chasing gobbling turkeys. His interests in conservation brought him to serve on the board of the Southeast chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and subsequently to create the Georgia chapter.
Chris has also worked with Wildlife Conservation Society, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Massachusetts, University of British Columbia and National Geographic. Chris received a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Massachusetts in wildlife conservation. He received his Ph.D. in biological sciences from Idaho State University.
Dr. Keenan Adams, Puerto Rico
Keenan was a military brat; however South Carolina is considered home. One of his first memories was fishing with his father at Keesler Air Force Base. He later learned hunting in college and decided to pursue a career in wildlife biology. He has spent the last 15 years working as a land manager and scientist for several agencies in many parts of the country. He is serving on the board in his personal capacity and not a government representative.
After playing college football and finishing a B.S. in biology at Furman University, he attended Clemson University and was awarded his M.S. degree in forest resources (avian and disturbance ecology) and PhD in wildlife biology with a concentration in human dimensions. Adams has become a fanatic for Caribbean fly-fishing and currently resides in Puerto Rico with his wife Delissa and daughter Paola.