Anne Jolliff, Helena Board Member

A native Montanan, Anne Jolliff enjoys anything outdoors with her husband, 6-year-old triplet girls, and dogs: a German Wirehaired Pointer and a Griff. As an infant, Anne was taken fishing at Lake Elmo; at six, she caught her first rainbow trout in Corvallis; at ten, her grandpa taught her how to shoot a rifle on public land outside of Billings; at twelve, she was caught in the midst of a chaotic elk herd on a hunt with her dad and great-uncle in Lolo. And at 32, she hunted a mule deer near Helena, quartered it in the field and packed it out, solo. She welcomes the chance to continue growing in both knowledge and capability each season.

Anne believes strongly in protecting outdoors opportunities for future generations, providing game meat for her family, and teaching others how to do the same. Formerly a high school school teacher, Anne has been a volunteer ambassador for both Montana Wildlife Federation and Artemis, and is beginning a new conservation career in 2022 with Wild Montana. Her biggest ambition is to raise strong, outdoors-loving girls who can pass on the tradition of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and living a healthy life to their own children someday, which is why she wanted to join the board of Montana BHA.

Sunni Heikes-Knapton, Madison Valley Board Member

There is no place Sunni is happier than adventuring in wild places. Born in Norway, raised in South Dakota, and living in Montana since 1993, Sunni is passionate about strengthening our connection, understanding, and access to the outdoors. Fishing and hunting has been a way of life since her youngest memories, and she attributes these experiences as the inspiration for her education and career in biology and natural resource management.

Sunni has worked with habitat projects and natural resource education for over 25 years and is glad to use this background to support the work of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. She currently lives in Ennis and serves as the Madison Valley Board Representative. She has a 16-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter, both of whom share her passion for the outdoors in their own adventurous pursuits.

Caleb Teigen, Gallatin Valley Board Member

Caleb is an avid outdoorsman with Montana roots dating back to the late 1800’s when his family homesteaded on the Little Missouri River near Capitol, MT. He has spent his life hunting, fishing, and recreating in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and North Dakota. He now lives in Bozeman with his wife Jaime, daughter Lillian and spends the weekends in the mountains, on a river or the snow with those closest to him. When not benefiting from the vast landscapes of Montana, he is still able to enjoy the outdoors as a Construction Manager for Big Sky Resort.

Caleb is passionate about introducing people to the outdoors and truly enjoys teaching the necessary skills it takes to harvest, process, and cook wild game. He enjoys being part of the outdoor community and strives to protect our natural resources to ensure future generations can create the same memories we are.

Dan Tracey, Missoula Valley Board Member

Hailing from the hardwoods and cornfields of Ohio, Dan embraced the outdoor lifestyle at a young age. Cutting his teeth chasing deer, turkey and small game during hunting season and wrangling farm pond largemouth and Great Lakes walleye and steelhead, Dan ventured west in 2001 to attend the University of Montana. After graduation, Dan worked in the outdoor retail industry for several years allowing him to live and recreate in many states including Alaska. Later Dan obtained his CPA license and joined a public accounting firm in the Bitterroot, where he resides with his wife and son.

It has been said the world is run by those who show up and Dan quickly realized this was also the case in protecting our outdoor heritage. As a past committee chair with Ducks Unlimited and board member of the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association, Dan is committed to ensuring outdoor access, opportunity, and wild places are available for generations to come.

Manning Rushton, Northeastern Montana Board Member

Born in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in South Carolina, Manning grew up fishing the beautiful public waters in the region. While his dad was an experienced outdoorsman, the women in his family also fostered his passion for the outdoors. His mom took him on annual family trips to a coastal town where they would catch their favorite seafood: redfish, shrimp and crabs. After moving to Charleston, he pursued the bounty of fish and game the public swamplands and marshes provided.

In 2022, Manning moved to Montana to work as a Bison Specialist with American Prairie near Malta. He is proud to work for an organization that is ambitiously pursuing wildlife and habitat restoration while simultaneously opening up large tracts of land to public access.

Manning moved to Montana for its incredible public lands, waters and intact wildlife populations. As a Board Member, he is looking forward to fighting for the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the public land hunting and fishing that supports it.

Micah Fields, Stewardship Leader

Micah grew up in Texas and attended the University of Montana to study English after serving four years in the Marine Corps as an infantry squad leader. While in Missoula, he worked as an outdoor educator and participated in local watershed rehabilitation projects. He is a lifelong volunteer and a firm believer in the power of collective action in the fight to maintain quality access to public land and water. His outdoor passions include wildlife habitat restoration, bowhunting, wild game cooking, and all methods of fishing. As the Stewardship Leader for the Montana chapter, he’s driven by the sense of accountability we have as forward-thinking hunters and anglers, drawing inspiration from Audubon’s assertion that “a true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” Micah now lives in Helena with his family, where he works as a writer and fly-fishing guide on the Missouri and Blackfoot Rivers.

John Acott, Events Leader

John has been a proud public land and waters owner and user for decades. Growing up John was fortunate to explore northern Wisconsin for seemingly endless summers and shorter adventures in the fall. Those early days gave an ineradicable dedication to all things outdoors. Public woods and waters gave access to miles of memories and endless opportunities to share with his seven children raised in the Chicago area. John has been able to explore much of the US in outdoor adventures but always favors time flushing (!) woodcock, grouse, wetting a line and slinging an arrow now and then. John is a former United States Marine and graduate of Marquette University. John also works with a foster child organization to introduce underprivileged youngsters to the outdoors via an outdoor camp in northern Wisconsin.

Luke Assenmacher, Marketing Leader

For the past decade, Luke has been on a relentless journey, crisscrossing continents and delving into the heartbeats of communities and their stories around the world. China, Morocco, Europe, Central America, Vietnam, & as of the last several years, you could find him hoofing it in the jungles of Hawaii chasing down billy goats or under a tree journaling sweet nothings.

Many would call him a “Digital Nomad”, regardless of the negative connotations, one thing is for certain he does know his way around the internet, where he has carved out a livin as founder of The Herd Studios, a full service video production agency.

Despite his globe-trotting adventures, Luke remains deeply rooted in his small-town roots, finding solace and inspiration amidst the rolling plains and tranquil rivers of Iowa and with amily in Montana. His work and optimism serves as a testament to the power of storytelling in engaging our youth & preserving the delicate balance of our ecosystems, ensuring that future generations inherit a world where wilderness and wild people thrive.

Board Members - Officers