George Trowbridge
Home State:
Missouri
Family (two-legged or four):
Two-Legged: Wife – Laurenzia
Four-Legged: Bella, Raven, Ernie and Nora
Favorite outdoor activities:
Hunting
Goals for your state:
Help create long-term, sustainable, low-cost hunting opportunities for all Missourians.
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
Participate in a good cause to leave the earth a better place for all to enjoy.
Travis Mcilnay
Home state:
Utah
Family (two-legged or four):
Wife of 28 years, 4 children, 2 grandchildren, 2 dogs, 2 cats and 3 ducks
Favorite outdoor activities:
Fishing, hunting and exploring
Goals for your state:
Be an example for the other states to follow regarding conservation and public access to land.
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
To ensure the future of wildlife for my children and grandchildren.
Steve Antonin
Home state:
Nevada
Family (two-legged or four):
I live with my wife Janet, just the two of us.
Favorite outdoor activities:
My favorite outdoor activity is being outdoors: hunting, fishing, golfing, boating, shooting—it looks like anything with a “ING” I’m good with.
Goals for your state:
My goals are to work hand in hand with my RD to bring Nevada back to being a premier RMEF state.
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
I’m volunteering to do this because I believe in the cause, I think the RMEF has a great message and works great in communities. I’m very happy to be a part of it. I’m very much looking forward to what is to come for the great state of Nevada and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Beau Denker
Home state:
Nebraska
Family (two-legged or four):
Erin – wife for 15 years
Jewel – daughter, 12 years old
Arya – daughter, 10 years old
Eric – son, 8 years old
Zeke – Jack Russell Terrier
Starburst – cat
Delby – cat
Favorite outdoor activities:
Love to hunt and fish, but in recent years it has been getting my kids outdoors for hunting and fishing adventures. Something about seeing them fall in love with hunting and fishing makes life much more rewarding.
Goals for your state:
Initially, it will be to return RMEF membership participation levels back to pre-COVID levels. Currently we only have two banquets in Nebraska and pre-COVID we were at seven. Working closely with our regional director, we hope to re-establish other chapters around the state and hope to start new chapters along the way.
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
My love of the outdoors and, in particular, elk hunting lead me to RMEF. Volunteering with the Omaha Chapter has been a great adventure. From starting with the group in 2019 to becoming co-chair for Omaha in 2021, we have taken our banquet attendance levels from 120 in 2019 to 300 in 2022. Our goal for 2023 is to have 400 attendees at our banquet in March.
Steve Bird
Home state:
Maryland
Family (two-legged or four):
Wife of 30 years Donna
Son Tommy, 27,
Son Tanner, 25
Iggy Black the cat
Zeke, 2 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Favorite outdoor activities:
Hunting, barefoot water skiing, fishing and farming
Goals for your state:
Continue to grow our state chapters banquets size and net
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
I was sent a post card from the RMEF asking if I would be interesting in volunteering. I responded, and a few days later I was called by Mike Carter asking me if I would be interested in chairing the first RMEF chapter in Maryland. I thought it would be a great opportunity. I had no idea what I was doing and had never been to an RMEF banquet, or any banquet for that matter.
Nicole Schaefer
Home state:
Wisconsin
Family (two-legged or four):
My husband Shawn and I have been married almost 19 years. We are working hard raising our two children, Kellen (14) and Anika (9). Kids keep us busy but so do our three Springer Spaniels (Elmer, Ollie, and Crooksie) and three cats (Maggie, McQueen and Tator).
Favorite outdoor activities:
The list of outdoor activities is long for our family, but I would have to say camping, especially at our land in Iron County.
Goals for your state:
Increase recognition of our growing elk population as well as the ways RMEF has increased public land access in our state. Believe it or not, many people don’t know that we have elk in Wisconsin!!
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
Giving back to my community and state is a big part of my life and RMEF is high on my list. They are one of the most fiscally responsible non-profit organizations. The impact RMEF has had on Wisconsin is amazing, from the restoration of elk to the conservation of land. I love the people I meet along the way and hope I’m showing my kids how they can make a difference too.
Joyce Cooper
Home state:
North Carolina
Family (two-legged or four):
No immediate family, just me. My mother, father and brother are deceased. But I have many cousins and friends with whom I share countless, wonderful hours of talk, activities, volunteering and food.
Favorite outdoor activities:
Favorite outdoor activities would be photography, travel, RMEF projects, Cherokee Rodders Car Shows, regional craft events and spectator sports. And of course, locating a herd of our NC elk to watch for an hour or two. I’ve even had elk visitors on my land!
Goals for your state:
The goals that I would like to work toward in NC: 1. Continue to have successful GSM and other chapter banquets to provide funds for our state grant projects; 2. Work to involve more volunteers throughout the state for the chapters events and projects; and 3. Conserve more land in North Carolina for wildlife.
Why did you want to volunteer for RMEF:
In the early 1980s, I made my first trip to the western United States and saw my first elk in the Yellowstone and my first moose on the Ruby River. The majestic elk instantly became my favorite. It was amazing to drive down the road and see elk, deer, bison, moose, antelope, bears, etc. roaming the land. Here in NC, I was lucky to see an occasional deer or bear. I visited Missoula, Montana, on one of my many western trips and discovered RMEF headquarters. I was impressed by what I learned and became a member. Years later I learned about the efforts to reintroduce elk into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and immediately became involved with the Great Smoky Mountains Chapter. I became a Life Member in 2002 and a Habitat Partner in 2003. I have been heavily involved with various projects sponsored by our committee since the release of elk in western North Carolina in 2001, especially the big game banquets and working with the elk biologists as they monitored the elk. I have served as chapter chair for two years, as chapter co-chairperson since 2011 with Joe Treadway, and as NC State Chair 2011-2016. I was honored to be one of the four recipients of the 2016 RMEF Chairman’s Awards. I am very proud of the accomplishments of the GSM Chapter and treasure the many friendships developed through the years.