ATHENS, Ga. -(Ammoland.com)- The Board of Directors of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) elected new officers effective January 2017.
They include incoming Chairman Leon Hank of Michigan, Vice Chairwoman Nicole Garris of South Carolina, Treasurer Rick Dahl of Missouri, and Secretary Roland Dugas of Louisiana.
“Our new Board officers look forward to the continued growth of QDMA,” said Hank. “It’s been exciting to watch QDMA become the leading whitetail organization dedicated to conserving North America’s favorite game animal. With a strong, new slate of officers, QDMA will continue to be where deer hunters belong.”
Chairman Leon Hank
New Chairman Leon Hank previously served as Vice Chairman and has been a member of the QDMA Board since 2010. Prior to that, he was an active QDMA volunteer, serving as president of QDMA’s Michigan State Chapter.
He is a certified public accountant and Chief Financial Officer of the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan. He’s a QDMA Life Member, dedicated hunter, conservationist and even an author, having published a collection of stories of hunting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Proud Hunters, Proud Yoopers.
Vice Chairwoman Nicole Garris
Nicole Garris, Vice Chairwoman, joined the QDMA Board in 2013, becoming the first woman to serve on the QDMA Board. A Life Member of QDMA, Garris previously served as president of QDMA’s ACE Basin Branch in South Carolina.
She has worked in management consulting for over 25 years and presently serves as the Chief of Staff to the Head of Finance Operations at AIG. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard and earned her MBA from Duke University. Garris is an avid hunter.
Treasurer Rick Dahl
Rick Dahl of Missouri, Treasurer, is a 30-year veteran of the investment management industry.
He served as Chief Investment Officer of the $8 billion Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System from 1995 until his retirement in 2016. Dahl is a Life Member and long-time supporter of QDMA.
Secretary Roland Dugas
Roland Dugas of Louisiana is the new Secretary of the Board. Dugas is an independent petroleum landman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
As a QDMA Life Member since 2003, he served as a past president of the South Louisiana Branch, and he still serves as a Branch Board member. In 2015, he earned QDMA’s Al Brothers Deer Manager of the Year Award.
The former chairman of the Board, QDMA Life Member Louis P. Batson III of South Carolina, served since 2013 during one of QDMA’s greatest periods of membership growth.
About QDMA:
QDMA is dedicated to ensuring the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with more than 60,000 members in all 50 states and Canada.
To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit their website.