Dustin Lindley, Board of Directors -
You can most often find Dustin kicking around public lands and waterways in the vicinity of his home in Milford, Ohio, often with either a fly rod, shotgun, or bow in hand. A late in life angler and then hunter, his scope has expanded to include trips to the salt for stripers and tarpon and to the mountains in search of the mighty elk. Also keeping him busy are his wife and two kids (both accomplished frog hunters), and a career as an engineer specializing in metal 3d printing, which is a fitting job for a fan of all things metal, music included. Dustin has a deep commitment to the protection of public lands, based largely on his extensive use of these places, but also to preserve, improve, and expand opportunity to experience wilderness for generations to come.
Henry Distad, Co-Chair -
I was raised in Shaker Height Ohio in a non-hunting family. I was always naturally drawn to the outdoors and wildlife. Boy Scouts helped me connect to the outdoors better and would often escape to metro parks to fish, but I always wanted to hunt. I got through hunter and drivers education and would head off to public wildlife areas where I would bumble around the woods trying to figure out how the heck to find small game and even deer hunted handful full of times on my own. Eventually befriended some fellow hunters who helped me become more successful. From the start I was using public lands and waters to feed my outdoor appetite. It wasn’t until later in life I came to understand how they came to be, and how unique they are for us. Now living in Geauga County with a wife, a daughter, two sons, a bluetick-mountain cur, and a shitzu-poodle we spend most weekends recreating on county, state, and federal lands and waters. My favorite area to be is in southeastern Ohio hunting and hiking in Wayne and other public lands.
Brandon Skiver, Treasurer -
Brandon grew up in Lima Ohio and currently resides in Cardington Ohio with his wife Krista, daughter Ainsley, two dogs and cat. Brandon is a Major in the U.S. Army and serves as a Brigade Logistics Officer. He is an avid outdoorsman who grew up hunting primarily private lands. However, it was in 2015 when he made his first trip out west for an Elk Hunt that he realized something must be done to stand up for our public lands. Brandon is engaged with calling and writing to his local politicians expressing his voice in support of public lands. It is Brandon’s goal to ensure that the same public lands we have today will be around for his grandchildren and grandchildren’s children. The photo of Brandon is when he finished his first 50K Trail Race in May 2017 at Delaware State Park in Ohio.
Nathan Voris, Secretary -
Nathan is a native Ohioan, who returned to the Buckeye state in 2016 after more than a decade away. He is a husband and father of two young boys, who together spend as much time as possible in our public lands and waters. Nathan is a focused river fisherman and a hunting generalist, chasing whatever is in season, often with very little success.
Tony Ruffing, BOD -
Tony grew up in Republic, Ohio, a rural town in North Central Ohio about half an hour south of Lake Erie. Growing up in rural America blessed Tony with the opportunity to experience the outdoors by working the land and recreating on it. From early ages of hunting rabbits and raccoons with his father and early deer hunting with his uncle, he knew the outdoors was going to be his first love and a lasting endeavor. Growing up his passions grew from hunting small game behind his parent’s home to traveling the state in search of whitetails, turkeys and waterfowl. But all this comes at a cost, and none of it would be possible without our public lands. As a residential contractor, and a cattle farmer, Tony saw and recognized a need for our public lands for our responsible timber harvests and for a healthy competitive beef market.
Gabe Karns, Board of Directors - Gabe has lived in Ohio for 5 years and works as a wildlife ecologist and researcher for The Ohio State University. He is a husband and father to two daughters. His fascination with the outdoor world stems from his early experiences at the heels of his own father, and he is already passing on that tradition to his family. His passions are bowhunting whitetails in the East, mountain hunting in the West, and relishing the field to fork journey at the dinner table.
Jordan Phillips, Board of Directors -
Jordan has been an Ohio resident since 2003. He works for the Division of Wildlife as an Outdoor Skills Specialist in Central Ohio. He is married and has 3 children, two daughters and a son. Jordan has a passion for educating new hunters and anglers on the renewable resources that are readily available on public lands in Ohio. As an avid hunter and angler, Jordan spends his free time pursuing any and all game species that run or swim. He enjoys planning hunting trips to Alaska and chasing Ohio deer and turkey. Through the implementation of hands-on teachings with BHA, Jordan hopes to help educate and share his passion for hunting and fishing on public lands in the state of Ohio.
Levi Arnold, Board of Directors -
Levi is a lifelong resident of Guernsey county, growing up hunting, fishing, and farming with his grandfather helped spark a passion for the outdoors. Levi grew up hunting turkeys, deer, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, waterfowl and fishing for bluegills, and catfish around eastern and southern Ohio. Levi took his love for the outdoors and pursued a degree in wildlife and fisheries management and now works for the Ohio Department of Agriculture. His passions include; training and hunting grouse and waterfowl with his German shorthair pointer Flint, camping, canoeing, fishing, and traditional archery.
Jess Gantos, Board of Directors -
Although I’ve lived in various regions across the US, I primarily grew up a wild crusty Ohio kid roaming about the Cleveland metroparks and intermittent patches of forests and creeks throughout Cuyahoga county - unsuccessfully building many a Huck Finn-esque rafts while scouring neighborhood parks and backyard creeks for critters. Being able to roam and explore the woods freely in those formidable years was essential to me growing into the hunter and angler I am today. Public lands often include our indigenous communities' ancestral homelands, so while further work is done to return sectors of these traditional lands back to thriving indigenous communities the preservation of public lands prevents privatization ensuring ongoing access for all. Finding BHA, a passionate action-oriented organization built around ensuring access to our public lands for current and future generations, couldn’t be more aligned with my personal ethos. Excited to be on board.
Jessica Suvak - Board of Directors
Jessica is from Cleveland, Ohio. She started off as an avid ultra trail runner and happened to cross paths with a fly angler one crisp November morning many years ago on the Rocky River in Cleveland, OH. After a short conversation she thought to herself what a lovely way to connect with nature, our public lands and waters. Now all she thinks, breaths and cares about is fly fishing. The addiction is “reel” and she dedicates most of her free time to educate new anglers and help people understand all the outdoor recreation we actually have here in Ohio.
She works for a beer and wine distribution full time and part time for The Backpackers Fly Shop in Sheffield, Ohio. She is also the co-founder of Ohio Women on the Fly. Ohio Women on the Fly is a community that was created to bring women anglers in Ohio together and to inspire more women to get on the water. When she’s not on the water you can find her trail running along the river (TO LOOK FOR FISHING SPOTS) with her dogs Loki and Rosie. She also enjoys snowboarding, rock climbing, road biking, paddle boarding, backpacking and recently gotten into Hunting.