Garrett Drum, Co-Chair
Garrett grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hunting mostly public land. He has hunted everything from bears, to deer, to small game. Growing up right outside a major east coast city, the hardest part about going hunting was finding somewhere to go. The public land access was few and far between, and if you didn't have access to private land then you probably just gave the activity up. As for Garrett, it was hopping in the truck and driving 1.5 hours to the nearest public land every weekend. When he moved out to Iowa for work, following graduation from Penn State University, Garrett joined BHA because he loved their mission statement. His struggle to find public land opportunities in the past burned a passion in him to become a board member of the BHA Iowa chapter, so that future hunters have easier access to hunting/fishing than he did.
In 2022, Garrett will be going on his first two public land hunts out west. A Spring Bear hunt and a September Elk hunt, both in the Frank Church Wilderness Area in Idaho.
Chris Ford, Co-Chair
I was born in Iowa and currently live in Central Iowa with my wife and 2 children with a baby on the way. I enjoy hunting all of Iowa’s game animals on both public and private land. I am a member of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, as well as Pheasants Forever. I spent many summers fishing the trout streams of the Black Hills in South Dakota. I was recently able to harvest my first antelope on Wyoming’s public lands this year. I love spending time outdoors and want to protect our public lands so my children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the outdoors as I have.
Derek Clark, Treasurer
Derek grew up in Central Iowa. As a kid he began fishing the local streams and rivers with his dad and uncle. Derek was also involved in Boy Scouts which helped him grow his attention to land stewardship. In high school he began pheasant hunting on both private and public lands around central Iowa. Through college his love for hunting and camping continued to grow with primary focus on deer and pheasant hunting. After college he stayed connected with some of his friends through hunting and began waterfowl hunting public lands in western Iowa.
Now living in Ankeny and being a Scout leader for his sons, 9 and 5, he finds it very important to continue the preservation of public lands for future generations as Iowa only has roughly 3% public land ranking as one of the lowest in the nation. In 2019 Derek became involved in BHA through friend Mike Webb and joined the board following the 2021 State Rendezvous.
Brandon Luety, Secretary
I spent the first half of my childhood in southern Wisconsin. After my family relocated to Iowa we had no connections to anyone. My dad and I would hunt various tracts of public land near our home in eastern Iowa as well as travel to other public locations around the state for hunting and fishing trips. My first 8 years as an outdoorsman were completely reliant on public land opportunities in Iowa. While it was a struggle, we had a fair amount of success and I learned a lot from these pieces of land. Now that I’m older, I’ve gained access to private properties but find myself often traveling to “new to me” public land in search of new adventure.
I support BHA and their mission to protect the privilege we all share to access land and waterways for current users and generations to come. Without the access I had to public lands I would not have the same passion for the outdoors as I do today.
I currently live in the Des Moines metro with my wife and two dogs working as an IT Project Manager. Our first child is on the way and I very much look forward to introducing them to the land, nature, and lifestyle I love.
Rick Henley, Board of Directors
I am a native Iowan that found my own way to the outdoors for the most part as I did not grow up in a hunting or fishing family. Because of this I had very little private land opportunities available to me and spent much of my time hunting and fishing on public land in Iowa, and continue to do so. Starting out as an upland and waterfowl hunter, I have more recently become obsessed with Iowa deer and turkey hunting, both of which I hunt exclusively on public land. I have also started looking at public land opportunities out West for mule deer and elk.
Hunting and fishing have enhanced my understanding of why we must protect wild animals and wild places, and fighting for our public lands is the best way to do so. This is what brought me to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and I am excited to do my part along with the rest of the Iowa BHA Board of Directors and BHA members around the country.
Mike Webb, Board of Directors
I grew up in Indiana hunting on private ground and fishing public waters. Once graduating from college and moving to Iowa to begin my career, I became wholly dependent on public lands for all my adventures. Over the last 12 years my love for public lands has grown every year and increased exponentially when in 2014 I began going west every year to hunt elk. After a few trips out west I heard of BHA and joined in 2016 as I believe in the mission of BHA and its focus on land and water protections.
I currently live in eastern Iowa with my wife and two children and work as a manufacturing engineer. I look forward to continuing the BHA mission to afford my children the same or greater opportunities in the outdoors as they grow older.
Phil Hayes, Board of Directors
I am an enthusiastic float tube fly fisher and have hiked hundreds of miles to fish alpine lakes in public wilderness throughout the mountain west over the past 20 years.
I have been a BHA member since 2015, and BHA Corporate Sponsor who attended the 2018 Rendezvous.
I am a veterinarian living in rural Northwest Iowa since 1995 that has career experience negotiating policy with government agencies, as well as technical expertise in animal disease control.
I am also the founder & owner of Wilderness Lite...the ultralight float tubes, specializing in providing ultralight float tubing gear that makes it feasible for backpackers to float tube fish public land wilderness lakes many miles from the trail head on extended hikes.
Max McDaniel, Board of Directors
I grew up hunting and fishing along the Mississippi River. While attending college at Iowa State University I held multiple positions, including president, in the Iowa State University Hunting Club, which focuses on hunter engagement and providing opportunities for college students to hunt public lands for the first time away from home. When I am not balancing my time between law school at the University of Iowa or working on bows behind the archery counter at Fin and Feather, I am somewhere on the public ground hunting everything from squirrels and rabbits to ducks and deer. I believe that in a state where land is largely held in private hands, public lands are crucial for hunter engagement and opportunity.
Ben Nicholson, Board of Directors
I live in Eastern Iowa with my wife and two children. We moved to the area in 2001 and quickly fell in love with all it has to offer. I developed my love for the outdoors by growing up spending my summers fishing with my family in the Chippewa National Forest of Northern Minnesota, and hunting deer and small game near my home in Western Illinois. When I am not outdoors hunting or fishing, I work as a Realtor with a local real estate company. Additionally, I spend my time coaching youth hockey and serving on the local RMEF committee where I have been a life member for the past 10 years.
Lance Brisbois, Board of Directors
Lance grew up in rural western Iowa and currently lives in the Loess Hills. Through his job at
Golden Hills RC&D, Lance leads a variety of projects focusing on wildlife habitat and low-impact outdoor recreation. Lance enjoys hiking, biking and paddling. He is new to hunting and fishing and eager to learn more. He is also on the board of directors for Iowa Prairie Network, Pottawattamie County Trails Association, and chair of the Loess Hills Alliance Stewardship Committee.
Jonathan McKenny, Board of Directors
Jon grew up in Northwest Iowa on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Spending the majority of his childhood hiking, fishing, and watching wildlife, he gained a deep appreciation for conservation and public land. Jon earned an A.S. in natural resources management and was employed by the local conservation board for several years. After getting married, his family spent 4 years living in Colorado, where he developed a passion for fly fishing and mule deer hunting. Jon currently lives in Inwood, Iowa just a few miles from the river he grew up on. His growing family of his wife and four children offer opportunities to pass his passion for all things wild on to the next generation.
Remington Ostrem, Board of Directors
Remington grew up in central Iowa farm country, where opportunities to hunt were limited to small chunks of public land for deer and walking road ditches for pheasants. After graduating from community college, he joined the Marine Corps and lived in California when not deployed with his infantry unit. Once enlistment was over, Remington moved back to Iowa and rediscovered my passion for hunting and being outdoors. After chasing mostly deer for a few years, he expanded his pursuits to everything from small game to waterfowl to maximize the time outdoors. Remington also enjoys camping and hiking, particularly backpack-style camping out west. He joined BHA because in a state where most of the land is privately held, every voice counts when defending our public lands.Christopher Atkins, Board of Directors
Christopher Atkins grew up in St. Charles, Illinois and now lives in Sioux City, Iowa where he is the Curator at Sioux City Art Center. He’s an adult on-set hunter who has been hunting turkey, deer, pronghorn and upland birds for the past few years. He moved to Iowa with his wife Laura in 2022 but spent many years as an active member and volunteer with the Minnesota Chapter of BHA. It was there that he connected with a group of like-minded hunters, both experienced and beginners, so he is eager to connect with the Iowa hunting community. He’s lived and travelled all over the world and he’s a lover of art, reading, beer and the great outdoors. He has alwaysworked in non-profit organizations and believes in BHA’s mission “to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.” As Christopher gets more involved with BHA he’s become a passionate advocate for hunting, wild game cooking, and talking about habitatconservation with hunters and non-hunters alike. He’s planning a Wyoming mule deer hunt this fall and an Alaska Dall sheep hunt for 2025.
Jace Elliott, Board of Directors
Jace was born and raised in central Wisconsin, where he developed a strong passion for the outdoors at an early age through camping, fishing, and hunting—often on public land. This passion drove him to pursue a career in natural resources. After obtaining wildlife degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Auburn University, Jace became the State Deer Biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he continues to oversee the research and management of white-tailed deer in the state. Jace is an avid hunter that pursues deer, turkey, waterfowl, and upland game almost exclusively on public land. He also frequents the cold-water streams of the Driftless Region in pursuit of trout with a fly rod. As a board member of the Iowa Chapter, Jace hopes to contribute to the critical mission of protecting Iowa's outdoor heritage through ensuring access and opportunity for all to enjoy Iowa's public lands.