Land Tawney, President and CEO
Land is a fifth-generation Montanan who developed his conservation ethic from a young age in duck blinds on warm water sloughs in the Bitterroot Valley, at the end of a fly rod during the salmon fly hatch on the Big Hole River, and chasing the wily wapiti in Cinnabar Basin. He's led the charge at BHA since 2013.
Land received a B.S. in wildlife biology from the University of Montana in 2000 and a Ph.D. in post hole digging while fencing in the family quarter horses and mules. Fresh out of college, he worked for a newly formed sportsmen's organization called the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership as the TRCP's national grassroots coordinator. Much of his work at the TRCP focused on sustaining high-quality places to hunt and fish via roadless area conservation and promoting volunteer incentives for landowners to provide public access to private lands. Following four years with the TRCP, Land joined the staff of the National Wildlife Federation as NWF's regional representative in Missoula, Montana.
In 2007, Land was promoted to senior manager for sportsmen’s leadership at NWF. In this capacity Land led a joint campaign with NWF, TRCP and Trout Unlimited called Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining, which aimed at reforming the 1872 Mining Law. Working with more than 600 local, state and national sportsmen's organizations, former U.S. Forest Service chiefs and former state fish and game directors, the coalition was able to advance comprehensive legislation with bipartisan support through the House; unfortunately, it stalled in the Senate.
In 2009 Land initiated Vanishing Paradise, an effort to nationalize the issue of coastal land loss in the Mississippi River Delta, which winters 11 million ducks and geese every year and supports world class redfish and speckled trout fishing opportunities. This joint campaign by NWF, Ducks Unlimited and Louisiana Wildlife Federation built an army of 700 local, state and national sporting businesses and organizations and more than 70,000 individual hunters and anglers from all over the country. All these partners were essential in the passage of the RESTORE Act through Congress. RESTORE dedicated 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties (estimated at $15-20 billion) associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to restoration of this national treasure.
In addition to his campaign duties, Land helped build the sportsmen profile within NWF, served as liaison to national sportsmen's organizations, created two sportsmen advisory councils and was a member of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council, an advisory board that counsels the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture on issues concerning hunting and fishing. In short, Land has spent his professional career building, energizing and activating hunters and anglers to carry on our rich outdoor legacy.
Land sits on the boards of the Phil Tawney Hunters Conservation Endowment, named after his late father, and is active in local and regional sportsmen's groups. Any other spare time is spent on the stream, duck blind or chasing big game.
Land enjoys anything outside with his wife Glenna, daughter Cidney, son Colin, and their black labs, "Triple T," Teller Turk Tawney and Tule Tawney.
Aliah Adams Knopff, Alberta Public Lands Coordinator
Aliah is passionate about exploring the amazing opportunities that North America’s backcountry affords. From canoe trips with her kids to sneaking away for a sheep hunt with her husband, she is happiest sleeping in a tent and waking up to a day of adventure.
Aliah’s keen interest in wilderness and conservation led her to pursue joint undergraduate degrees in environmental science and international relations followed by a M.Sc. in ecology from the University of Alberta, where she studied cougar-human interactions in west-central Alberta. Over the past six years, Aliah’s work as an environmental consultant has allowed her to continue to study Alberta’s large mammals, including projects focused on mountain goats, bighorn sheep, cougars and bears.
As the Alberta public lands coordinator for BHA, Aliah is excited to focus her work on the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat and the opportunity for adventure on Alberta’s public lands.
Grant Alban, Corporate Sponsorship and Special Events
Born and raised in Southern California, Grant knew at an early age that he someday would live in Montana. Fascinated by animals his whole life, he learned the finer points of hunting from his grandpa when he was old enough to carry a gun. After graduating from Humboldt State with a degree in wildlife management, Grant spent most of the next decade as a biological science technician, doing everything from studying spotted owls in the Northwest to eradicating feral pigs from California’s islands and spending five seasons in Montana’s backcountry collecting grizzly bear hair.
Grant now enjoys elk and antelope hunting and guiding his wonderful wife down Montana’s rivers while she casts to rising cutthroats. Grant is thrilled to be a part of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and feels privileged to be able to help protect the wild places that mean so much to him.
Todd Barton, Director of Development 
Todd has hunted, fly fished and worked in Maine, Washington, Colorado and Montana but was born and raised in Michigan. Prior to beginning his degree in biology at Central Michigan University, Todd spent six weeks exploring the Michigan Upper Peninsula’s vast public lands with his dog, a tent and a fly rod. Prior to joining BHA, Todd worked as a business executive in Seattle for 12 years, where he honed his skills in succession planning and private investments. He gained adept knowledge of the charitable estate planning process and served for three years on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, where he was board chairman for their largest annual fundraiser two years in a row. In 2010 he was nominated for Seattle’s ’40 under 40,’ an award given to the city’s most successful businesswo(men) under the age of 40.
Now living in Bozeman with his wife Kara and his two boys Luca and Hunter, Todd is an avid public lands bowhunter and fly fisherman. Todd’s role at BHA is to recruit affluent public lands enthusiasts seeking to assist BHA’s mission through tax efficient, major donations. This exciting new major gifts program will give BHA the financial backing it needs to greatly intensify the fight for our public lands in Washington, D.C. and across North America.
Tim Brass, State Policy and Field Operations Director
Tim Brass grew up hunting and fishing in Minnesota with his family and friends. He followed his passion for the outdoors to earn a B.S. in natural resource management from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and an M.A. in community and regional planning from University of Oregon. Prior to joining BHA, Tim did research work for the Forest Service, National Science Foundation and Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program.
Now living in Colorado with his wife Megan and his daughter Linden, Tim enjoys hunting waterfowl, big game hunting with a bow and fly fishing high mountain lakes. He’s glad to be a part of an organization that stands up for the wild, public lands he enjoys the most. Tim’s role at BHA is to help chapters spearhead campaigns at the state and local level, aimed at conserving intact fish and wildlife habitat, ensuring public access and opportunity and defending our fair chase hunting traditions.
Sawyer Connelly, Campus Outreach Coordinator
Sawyer Connelly hails from the Acadian forests of northern Vermont. From a young age his mother taught him all the beauty the natural world has to offer, while his father educated him on the importance of civic engagement. It didn’t take him long to find a fishing pole and explore the rivers and shores of New England, trying to catch whatever swam, while getting his first taste of politics at the age of 14, working as a legislative page in the Vermont State Legislature.
After graduating from Northfield Mount Hermon School in western Massachusetts he lost the pastels, packed a suitcase and headed to South Africa for a year. From there the call of the West led him to Colorado and Colorado College. While there, his already strong passion and appreciation for wilderness and wildlife flourished as he chased elk and mule deer in vast tracts of wilderness throughout Colorado and ripped lips in every watershed throughout the state. He took his passions to the classroom, pursuing a degree in environmental science and a minor in English while conducting research with the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project on large landscape conservation in 2013-2014. When not in the classroom or backcountry, he could be found dabbling in the theatrical arts and helping found the Colorado College fly fishing club.
Graduating in 2015, he packed his bags to enjoy a humbling stint chasing Atlantic salmon in Norway but soon found the West was calling him back. Relatively to Missoula, when not in the office, he’ll be found exploring new waters and lands of the area with his German Shorthaired Pointer, Moshup, finding animals, and skiing.
Trey Curtiss, Collegiate Curriculum and Outreach Assistant
Born and raised in Missoula, Montana, Trey was introduced to hunting and angling at a very young age. It wasn’t long after his first day hunting that he knew he wanted to pursue a career working toward the best interest of wildlife, wildlands and his shared hunting and angling tradition. Trying his best to follow in his father's boot tracks, hunting evolved from a pastime of finding adventure, outdoor relief and self-sustenance to a mechanism that encourages new hunter participation and appreciation of our natural resources from hunters and non-hunters alike.
While working towards his undergraduate degree, Trey interned for BHA for over a year and a half. Trey helped develop and presided over BHA’s first collegiate club at the University of Montana. Graduating from UM in the spring of 2017 with B.S. in resource conservation, he began working full time for BHA a few weeks later. As the collegiate curriculum and outreach assistant - BHA/USFWS fellow, he now works to bolster the collegiate program, develop curriculum for and administer programs for new hunters and anglers as well as assisting in fostering new outdoor recreation supporters and allies. When not in the office, he’s likely scheming over ways to find next season's elk.
Katie DeLorenzo, Southwest Chapter Coordinator 
Katie is a native New Mexican and avid hunter. She comes from a family of biologists and from a young age was instilled with a commitment to responsible land and wildlife management.
Whether it’s a backcountry hunt or archery competition, she deeply values the challenge, unpredictability and unmatched sustenance a hunting lifestyle provides. It’s her aim to share this lifestyle with others and have a lasting impact on conservation throughout the Southwest.
Kevin Farron, Montana Chapter Coordinator
At a young age, Kevin learned to fillet bluegills and chase whitetails in northern Lower Michigan but quickly became uninterested in hunting, or as he knew it, sitting-in-the-cold-and-freezing-your-butt-off-while-not-seeing-any-deer. At the University of Michigan, Kevin rekindled his love for fishing after joining the school's bass fishing team. And an invitation to his friend’s deer camp uncovered a newfound passion for the challenge of fair chase hunting.
After earning his B.A. in communications and English from UM, he headed west and never looked back. An interaction with a mule deer buck somewhere around 8,000 feet led to a light-bulb moment when Kevin vowed to never summit a mountain or go backpacking again unless he had his spotting scope or fishing pole in tow. Now, fully reformed, Kevin often refers to backcountry hunting and fishing as "camping with a purpose."
As a transplant, Kevin refuses to take Montana’s public lands or our hunting and fishing heritage for granted, and he’s determined to convince other Montanans to do the same. He's been an active member of BHA since 2013, and his passionate involvement led him to a career in conservation. Most recently, Kevin has been entrenched in the world of conservation policy as TRCP’s Western field associate in Missoula. He's thrilled to finally be joining the BHA team that stoked the fire.
Caitlin Frisbie, Operations Associate and Special Assistant to the President
Having grown up in Montana, Caitlin has a deep passion for conservation and the outdoors. She began out-fishing her father at a young age on the Smith and Bighorn Rivers and continues to show him how it's done on the rivers surrounding Missoula. Fishing proved to be a gateway drug to the outdoors and she quickly learned that she could not be monogamous with her first love. You can find her on the slopes, trails and on her boat with her trusty and free-spirited pup, Mikey.
As our office manager, Caitlin brings a varied background and an enthusiasm for our mission. Volunteering and working in education and membership coordination for other non-profits allowed her to be a key player in the growth and success of influential start-ups here in Missoula. Armed with experience and enthusiasm, Caitlin is primed to drive and inspire member engagement and fight for all the outdoor experiences she craves.
John Gale, Conservation Director
John Gale is a fifth-generation Idahoan who grew up hunting and fishing the backcountry with his family. Engaged in politics at a young age, John finished high school early to take his first job with the Idaho State Senate. Later on, while feeding an outdoors addiction as a whitewater river guide and ranger, John received his degree in natural resource management from the University of Idaho.
After a two-year stint in Morocco with the Peace Corps managing biodiversity and water projects, John found a niche for his ecumenical angling habits in Washington, D.C., directing a variety of grassroots conservation programs for Trout Unlimited. Eventually he succumbed to the calls of Western topography and returned to the high country, directing sportsmen campaigns and public lands policy for nine years with the National Wildlife Federation.
As BHA’s conservation director, John is committed to defending our wild public lands, waters and wildlife for future generations. In his personal time, John enjoys the outdoors with his wife and daughter and prefers the solitude of lonely backcountry mountains where the elk bugle and cold streams run with wild trout.
Chris Hennessey, Regional Manager
Chris grew up in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a passion for hunting, fishing, camping and nature. Now a resident of the outdoor mecca of State College, Pa., he is surrounded by the ridges and valleys of the Allegheny Mountains. There – and across the country – he enjoys many types of public land recreation with his wife, Tina, and their children PattyAnn and William.
Chris spent most of his career in newspapers and public relations. His conservation ethic was honed while directing communications at a land trust in State College. He is excited to be on board at BHA and looks forward to working with members in Pennsylvania and New York to protect our precious woods and waters.
Josh Kaywood, Southeast and North Carolina Chapter Coordinator
Josh Kaywood grew up backpacking, climbing and kayaking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he developed a passion for the outdoors. While attending college at the University of Mississippi he was introduced to a new landscape, the Mississippi Delta, where he fell in love with waterfowl hunting. The cypress swamps and fields of the delta provided a new lens through which to view the outdoors and inevitably led to his growing interests in small game hunting, bowhunting whitetails and black bears.
Before coming to BHA Josh developed a career as an entrepreneur in healthcare, largely focusing on business development. Josh is a founding member of the Southeast chapter and served as its first chair, which fostered a desire for a deeper level of commitment to the BHA mission.
Russell Kuhlman, California and Nevada Chapter Coordinator
Russell was born and raised in Upstate New York and now resides in Central Valley California. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Science from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. After college, Russell headed west to start his career in the wildlife field with the National Park Service. While exploring the west, he discovered the full value of public lands and the recreational opportunities they offer. His first backcountry hunting trip occurred while archery hunting for elk in the Black Hills of Wyoming.
When Russell is not working to address public land access, he enjoys backcountry fly fishing for trout in the High Sierras or taking multi-day hunting trips after elk or deer.
Josh Kuntz, Regional Manager 
Josh grew up in Bozeman, Montana, as part of an active family with diverse recreational interests. Josh devoted many hours to organized sports and downhill skiing, but it was hunting, fishing and exploring the mountains that truly filled his imagination and his soul.
Josh accepted an academic scholarship to attend Montana State University where he earned a B.S. in business with an emphasis in marketing. In 2002, Josh founded Recreation & Event Services Inc., a small business with a focus on event logistics and hospitality. For the better part of the next 15 years Josh traveled around North America executing corporate meetings, promotions and incentive trips for some of the largest companies in the world.
In 2009, Josh and his wife Kara were married on the banks of the Missouri river in Montana. After brief stints in Seattle, Missoula and Salt Lake City, Josh and Kara moved to Boise, Idaho, where they actively pursue a wide variety of outdoor activities such as backpacking, mountain biking, paddleboarding and skiing. While Josh appreciates those outdoor pursuits, he most cherishes his time spent afield with a bow, rifle, shotgun or fishing rod. Josh served as a co-chairman of the Idaho chapter of BHA for two years, and he is thrilled to be working full time for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Sam Lungren, Backcountry Journal Editor 
Sam grew up on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound, where he developed a love for outdoor adventures and an ambition to write about them. After a youth filled with steelheading and duck hunting he went to Gonzaga University to study journalism. His senior thesis story about the historic Elwha River dam removal project led him straight into graduate school at the University of Montana. He wrote and photographed another thesis about the controversial use of salmon and steelhead hatcheries and graduated with an M.A. in environmental journalism and natural resource science. While attending UM, he worked for Bugle magazine at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Sam spent four summers working on a commercial salmon fishing boat in Prince William Sound, Alaska, but now lives full-time in Missoula, Montana, editing and producing Backcountry Journal.
Frankie McBurney Olson, Director of Operations
Frankie was born and raised on a ranch outside of Ronan, Montana. She grew up hunting, fishing, camping and enjoying the wonderful state of Montana. Frankie attended college at the University of Montana and upon graduation began her work in the nonprofit sector. Frankie has fundraised for the University of Montana, American Cancer Society and most recently was the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Missoula.
Frankie’s love of the outdoors brought her to BHA, where she is very excited to be part of the conservation effort so that her two young boys can enjoy the same experiences that she had growing up.
Katie McKalip, Communications Director
Descendant of coal miners, fur trappers, ice fishermen and schoolteachers from Pennsylvania, Katie McKalip grew up with a front row seat to the politicking of Washington, D.C., thanks to her military upbringing. After college in Virginia, she landed in western Montana, where she spends a lot of time outdoors and engages in policy making from a distance.
Katie joined the BHA team following a seven-year stint with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, where she led the TRCP’s media outreach and other communications work. She also helped realize founder Jim Range’s vision of the TRCP as an influencer of sportsmen-driven conservation policy and a center point in the outdoors and hunting and angling constituencies. She serves as counsel to the board of directors of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and volunteers for other grassroots sportsmen and conservation efforts. In her spare time, she enjoys upland hunting with friends, big game hunting with her husband and getting her two kids out and about on Montana's hills, peaks and waterways.
She has an M.S. from the University of Montana and a B.A. from The College of William & Mary. For her master’s thesis, she wrote a manuscript on the history of mining – camps, communities and colorful characters – in the area now known as Rocky Mountain National Park.
Jason Meekhof, Upper Great Lakes Chapter Coordinator 
Jason was born and raised in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. From an early age he was hunting. fishing and exploring the big woods and farm land. Upon moving to metro Detroit for school and later work he soon began to understand and appreciate the importance of public land. He now spends his free time hunting and fishing with his daughter who he has been taking afield since she was a year old.
Before beginning with BHA Jason ran his own high end mixed media and metal fab company. He also was a founding member of the Michigan chapter and was its first chairperson. As chair Jason quickly developed a love for being more involved in conservation and protecting our public lands and waters.
Rob Parkins, Public Water Access Coordinator 
A native of Connecticut, Rob used all his free time exploring the public lands and waters of New England with fishing rod, shotgun or bow in hand. After a short career in the printing industry, in 1997 he decided to make a living sharing his outdoor passion with others, becoming a fishing guide.
After several years of guiding in the East, and wanting to further his career in the outdoor business, he moved west to the Tetons to manage a fly fishing outfitter and eventually be the hard goods buyer for a large outdoor shop in Jackson, Wyoming. In these roles, Rob created valuable relationships in the outdoor community which made him recognize the value of public lands – for people to recreate on as well as economically.
With 20 years of sharing the outdoors with others through guiding and outfitting, Rob is now excited to take the next step with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers to ensure that we will always have access to our public lands and waters.
Living in Victor, Idaho, Rob, along with his wife and Labrador, get outside as much as possible while foraging, fishing and hunting.
Julia Peebles, Government Relations Manager
Julia was born in Indiana where her family taught her to hunt upland birds and fish in local rivers. Her love for the outdoors continued to grow during her undergraduate years at Sewanee: The University of the South, a college campus that offers more than 13,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.
Within a few months of graduating from Sewanee, Julia’s passion for political science lead her to Washington, D.C. where she worked for Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. Less than two-years later, she found her calling when she joined the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) as their government relations representative. As a sportswoman, her hobbies intertwined perfectly with her career at TRCP working on federal sportsmen policy.
While the Capital Beltway politics are frustrating at times, Julia makes a point to sneak away from it all to go hunting for whitetails, red snapper fishing in the Gulf, or enjoy other outdoor activities. Doing so keeps her energized and committed to fighting for sportsmen on Capitol Hill.
Jesse Salsberry, Northwest Chapter Coordinator
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Jesse was brought up with a deep appreciation for the wild things and places that surrounded him. After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in digital technology and culture, Jesse dove into video production. Cutting his teeth in the Portland, Oregon, area, Jesse has gratefully worked with some of the world’s most innovative brands and creative agencies as an editor, motion graphics artist and director.
Now, founder and creative director for an outdoor-focused video production agency, Crowfly Creative, Jesse continues to find ways to bridge the two passions of his life: video and the outdoors. Jesse, his wife and their two children currently live in Vancouver, Washington.
Ryan Silcox, Membership Coordinator
Ryan Silcox joined Team BHA in 2016. Ryan has been hunting and fishing across Montana since he was old enough to walk, and he's excited to be on board at BHA ensuring the future of our outdoor heritage. Ryan brings with him several years of experience managing hunter-based membership and fundraising programs. He looks forward to helping increase the already quickly growing BHA membership base.
Ty Smail, Merchandise Coordinator
Ty is a sixth generation Montanan who grew up with a love for the outdoor lifestyle. He is an all season sportsman and takes advantage of everything from angling paddlefish in the Mighty Missouri River to calling for coyotes in the dead of winter.
He resides in Western Montana with his wife and two kids and enjoys taking them out camping and fishing during the summer months. In the fall you can bet he is out stalking elk or mule deer with his bow to fill the freezer for his family and friends.
Dylan Snyder, Operations Assistant
A third-generation Montanan, Dylan was reared and raised among the wonders of the Big Sky State. As a child in Arlee on the
Flathead Indian Reservation, he spent many a day with his father exploring the natural resources of the valley that surrounded them. From fishing for his first trout along the Jocko River to picking huckleberries up many a winding mountain road and hiking up rocky paths into high mountain lakes, the landscape was always there to guide him as he grew.
These experiences fostered a deep appreciation for public lands and a passion for adventuring. To this day he fills his time by surfing wild rivers year round, hunting turkeys and waterfowl with his dad, and backpacking up into the mountains with his buddies. He knows the value of the outdoors because he is a product of their influence. That’s why he wants to protect them, to raise awareness, to be a steward of the wild.
On the rare occasion that Dylan isn’t out and about exploring the great outdoors, you can most likely find him playing pond hockey, dog-sitting his parents’ two Labs, or spending time researching his next big adventure over an endless carafe of black coffee.
Ty Stubblefield, Chapter Coordinator and New Chapter Development
Ty Stubblefield grew up in Oregon's Umpqua Valley with access to some of the West Coast's most diverse landscape and wildlife. From coastal blacktails to desert mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk to rainforest Roosevelts, Ty has taken full advantage of the opportunity to seek out the wild critters and public lands Oregon has to offer.
At an early age he came to the realization that hunters and fishermen are the true conservationists and stewards of the land. Recognizing the need to give back, Ty jumped on the conservation bandwagon, getting involved with state policy while volunteering for Oregon Bow Hunters from 2001 to 2008. In 2008 he was blessed with the opportunity to work with Oregon's largest state-based conservation group, Oregon Hunters Association, as field administrator. In this position he worked with Oregon hunters to help Oregon's wildlife, habitat and hunters' rights.
Joining BHA and the awesome people who make up this organization is the apex of his career in conservation! BHAers are an elite group of people who understand that these lands we hold so dear are not free and must be fought for. When not working for the betterment of wild public places and wildlife, he can be found enjoying them with a bow or fly rod in hand.
Brien Webster, Colorado and Wyoming Chapter Coordinator
Brien was born and raised in Colorado. For as long as he can remember his family has come together for reunions timed around hatches, hunts, and favorite landscapes. After receiving a BA in Government from the University of Redlands, Brien headed to Zambia where he spent two years with the Peace Corps. Upon returning home Brien found his way to the West Slope of Colorado where he worked on public lands and water conservation issues with Conservation Colorado as a community organizer.
The opportunities and experiences made possible by our public lands and waters have shaped Brien’s identity and deepened his passion and curiosity as a sportsmen. When he’s not in the office, chances are he’s in the field or on the river sharing his favorite pastime of pursuing wild game in new and familiar landscapes with his wife Holly, family, and friends. Brien is thrilled to be working with BHA, and as a chapter coordinator he’s committed to supporting and amplifying the efforts of the Wyoming and Colorado Chapters.