Ducks Unlimited Podcast

Mike Brasher: Welcome back, everyone. I am your host on this episode, Dr. Mike Brasher, and I'm thrilled to be joined by some dignitaries here on this episode. One of them you've heard from before, one of them's going to be new, but it's an exciting time in the organization because every two years, we go through what we might call a transition of power among our volunteer leadership. And so we have two of those individuals here with us right now. First is Chuck Smith. Chuck's been our president for the past two years, recently transitioned to be chairman of the board. Chuck, welcome back to the Ducks Unlimited podcast. Thank you, Mike. Great to be here. And the first time guest, right? First time you've been on? It is. Yep. Our new president, Bob Spoerl Bob, it's great to have you here as well and serving as our president for the next two years.

Bob Spoerl: It's great to be here. I've been on the other side in my vehicle listening to the podcast, so it's awesome to be on this side for a change.

Mike Brasher: So people listening to this can tell that you guys aren't from the same location, right? Slightly different accents. Chuck, do you want to tell folks where Bob's from?

Chuck Smith: is not from Memphis, as I am. Bob is from, as we call it around here, Wisconsin.

Bob Spoerl: Correct. Bucky Badgerville. There you go.

Mike Brasher: So, I guess, Chuck, you've been with us here for two years. as president, now transitioned to chairman of the board. Doug Schoenrock was chairman of the board before that. Folks that have been listening to the podcast for quite a while might remember in summer and fall of 2022, we had our first opportunity to sit down with you and Doug. We were down in Louisiana.

Chuck Smith: uh… at uh… state convention we had that conversation and at that point you had not been uh… you're not become president you were first vice president i think you have like a month and five days if i remember correctly and you didn't screw it up right you got to that point well uh… and after two years under my presidency the ship is still afloat we're doing very well i didn't screw anything up so uh… i'm proud of that and i'm proud of all the other accomplishments this great organization has has uh… done over the past several years. Talk about more later.

Mike Brasher: Yeah, we will. I want to move to Bob and get your background because folks can have heard from Chuck a couple of times. We had a dedicated episode on his background, how he came to DU, how long he's been associated with the organization and the different roles that he's served in. Bob, we want to give you an opportunity to do the same thing, both from your personal background, how you became involved with Ducks Unlimited. You're a volunteer. We're going to cover all that in a bit more detail, but let people know who you are.

Bob Spoerl: Yeah, I grew up in southern Wisconsin, you know, back in the day when you would see wild pheasants and deer were rare and there were mallards around and you could walk out your door and hunt pheasants and see the school bus run back, lay your gun down into the weeds and throw your jacket off, jump on a bus and pick it up on the way back. Times have changed now, but I've got my passion growing up in a rural part of Southeastern Wisconsin and always had a passion for the outdoors, always hunted, fished. And so I went to school up in Stevens Point in forestry and natural resource management. because I still wanted to follow that passion. But when I graduated in the early 80s, people think interest rates are high now. They were extremely high back then, 18, 20%. And so the market was tough. Conservation fields were almost impossible to get a job in. And so I tell people I fell back on my minor and got in the beer business.

Mike Brasher: You're not providing advice to anybody right now, are you? Use that education wisely. So, what all did that entail and how did you, what was your participation in Ducks Unlimited kind of through the years?

Bob Spoerl: You know, so, as luck would have it, I came back to Stevens Point in the beer business and ran the local distributor and ended up buying it. And had, my father had since moved to Stevens Point, brought up my family, because literally when they dropped me off at university, they found a business for sale and ended up moving up the family from Southeastern Wisconsin and settled there. And he took me to my first DU event in Stevens Point. And those were the days when you, they filled the halls. They had five, six, 700 people there and they were overflowing with people. So that was my first experience attending a DU event. And then when I started my business, got involved in the local chapter because I wanted to give back to community. came in as a committee member and about 34 years later, standing as president. So did I ever, ever dream of that? Absolutely not. I mean, you're just doing what's best for the organization back then and became area chairman and ran that chapter in Stevens Point for a number of years and then the Plover chapter and still involved in that chapter. So it's great to still be connected with our local chapters and see the great work we do every day.

Mike Brasher: I would imagine that you're like most of us around here and most of our listeners, most of our volunteers, and that you've supported multiple conservation organizations, been part of multiple conservation organizations throughout your life. Did Ducks Unlimited become the one that you chose to invest a disproportionate amount of your resources, your energy and time into.

Bob Spoerl: You know, and all these conservation organizations, they're great events or great organizations, but I look at what organization can really have the most impact on that resource, and I felt it was Ducks Unlimited. I mean, we're not only putting acres on the ground, but we're impacting so much other diverse wildlife as well as the benefits for people as well. So it's a complete package. And I don't think there's a conservation organization out there that can say that because we literally impact several hundred species and including the benefits for mankind.

Mike Brasher: How many lifelong friends have you made as a result of your involvement with the organization?

Bob Spoerl: You know, that's, I can't even, you know, wouldn't even take a guess because, you know, from the local level all the way through the national level and then attending the conventions, all the great relationships that you meet and we all sing from the same hymn book. It's amazing.

Chuck Smith: Chuck, what about you? Same. I recall one of the first ever board meetings I went to, George Duncan was president, as you may recall. And at this point, he was chairman and he was going at his chairman and he's making his last report. to his board members in that meeting, some 65 or 70 board members plus staff, probably close to 100 people in that room. And he stood up and he said, you know, I started with Ducks Unlimited several years ago and I didn't know anybody in this room when I started. And now I count all these people as very good friends of mine and great relationships which have continued. And I didn't think much of the statement at that time, but reflecting back on it now, I get what he's saying. And I'm the same way. I didn't know anybody in that room when I started, and now, you know, Bob and others are great friends of mine. I plan on using that statement when I retire, so don't ruin it for me, okay? I won't. I'm gonna make people think I thought it up.

Bob Spoerl: And it's just not about the relationships that Chuck and I have developed. It's about the relationships our spouses have developed as well. Some of my wife's best friends now are what they call the duck darlings, ladies all across this country. So, you're only as strong as your family network. And when you have a strong family network supporting you, that makes our job a whole lot easier.

Mike Brasher: I want to talk a little about the role of our volunteer leadership in this organization. You two guys are here, right? Well, Chuck, you live in Memphis, but Bob, you're from Wisconsin, and we're going to see a lot of you here at headquarters over the next few years. I've already seen you around here several different times that where you've come, when you've come to visit. But you're both here at headquarters this week because of some kind of management or leadership. What is it? You guys tell me. What do you call the meeting that has occurred here, and who's been part of that?

Bob Spoerl: So each president, as they come in, they select their cabinet. We have 11 advisory committees, and so it's each up to each president to, you know, choose that senior vice president on who's going to lead that particular committee. And so I had a lot of change over this year. I wanted fresh ideas and there were several people that had been on the committees for, you know, four or six years, and I felt that it was time just to get new leadership. And so I think I had probably six new leaders that came on on board. And so I felt it was important to bring them in one setting and let's discuss you know, my vision, let's discuss their vision on leading their committee. So that's what we did here in Memphis is to bring everyone in. And then on top of that, bring in some new board members that came onto the board for the first time and we gave them a board orientation. And I just don't think you get that impact certainly through Zoom. And so I wanted a in-person meeting and we had a great, you know, two days of solid meetings, solid team building, which will only help us for the next two years.

Mike Brasher: We have around 30,000 volunteers that, as we described in a previous episode, are the gasoline that fuels the engine of this organization. We also have volunteers at a senior leadership level, which is a couple of the roles that you all fill, and the folks that you talked about that were here this week also fill some of those roles. We know how incredibly valuable and essential our volunteers at that grassroots level are. Describe for folks the role that volunteers at the board and at the board committee levels and at your cabinet level and then you all provide for this organization.

Bob Spoerl: You know, it's insane to think about this organization when you look at, to your point, over 30,000 volunteers, and it's a volunteer, truly volunteer-led organization. And, you know, whether it's at the area chair level or all the way up to the senior vice president level, you are leading your group of volunteers, whether it's at the chapter committee or at the national committee. And so we work with the staff liaisons here in Memphis and creating the strategies for Ducks Unlimited in that particular committee. You know, and we're all doing this on our nickel. I mean, we pay for all the travel, we pay for all of our lodging. And so nothing is coming out of that hard-earned dollar that that donor gives, which I think is critical. You know, a lot of organizations, they'll pay their board, you know, whatever. And we do it for the love of conservation. And so I think that's what makes this organization truly special. And that's what keeps us at that 85% or better efficiency rate.

Mike Brasher: You addressed one of the questions that I was gonna ask you or have you kind of emphasize the fact that you don't get any compensation, no salary. And I think that surprises a lot of people whenever we say, yeah, the Ducks Unlimited president is a volunteer. They get no compensation, no salary. We don't pay for their travel, their meals, anything. It is truly volunteer out of your pocket. I think I've heard someone say that a lot of boards, a lot of companies will pay their board members for their service. And I think I've heard Adam, I think he's also said that whenever you come to Ducks Unlimited, you actually have to pay us for that type of opportunity. So, that's something that when we say you're volunteers, It is absolutely, in the truest sense of that, your time, all your resources that you give to this organization. You also mentioned a little bit about the relationship between you and other volunteers and staff. Chuck, I want you to talk about that a little from your time over the past two years, how you've interacted with staff, what you have gotten from that, and how you view that as a special part of this organization.

Chuck Smith: Well truly working with so many of the staff here have become great friends of mine. We do stuff together, we hunt, we have lots of trips and we've really gotten to be friends as have our spouses as Bob referred to earlier about that relationship and it's truly been a wonderful part of DU that I've experienced and watching how we coordinate and and if a Volunteer comes up with a great idea or an idea maybe staff doesn't think it's so great but hopefully We'll work together on that and staff always finds a very diplomatically worded statement to say that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of but for the most part it's it's I mean it's a great relationship between working with them and and it As I travel around the country, and Bob has too, going to all these different state committee meetings, for example, and just every state you can name, the passion, the enthusiasm of those volunteers that are putting on those events are great. And it doesn't matter whether you're in Florida or Washington or wherever you are, it's the same thing. And staff is right there to back up their efforts and provide them with support. And it's just, For 87 years, it's been a wonderful teamwork that has just worked. It's just worked, and we don't plan on changing a thing. Bob, anything to add on that?

Bob Spoerl: No. It is a great relationship. Obviously, staff is doing their job full-time, and it has to get challenging because we are here to bring ideas, and sometimes it's up to them to say, nah, not so, you know. We're going to try that or we have tried that or whatever. But for the most part, we've really worked in unison in bringing things to fruition. So, it's been a great working relationship, as Chuck said, for 87 years and it's only getting better.

Mike Brasher: And that staff-volunteer relationship exists in every part of every department of the organization. Conservation, policy, and even in specific other sort of sub-departments, you might say, areas of expertise within those departments, whether it be engineering and trying to help figure out, help us identify ways to be more competitive in hiring engineers, filling the demand that we have for engineers, policy, membership, grassroots fundraising, and every other aspect of the organization, even inside the walls here at National Headquarters. So, I've seen some of that, and of course, in the Conservation Department, I get to interact with a lot of our volunteers on occasion, and I certainly enjoy it, I think, as much as y'all do. Guys, we're going to take a break right now. And when we come back, Chuck, we're going to reflect on your time as president. Some of the things that you said you wanted to accomplish two years ago. We're going to ask you how you did. Bob will ask you to talk about looking forward. What are some of your priorities? So stay with us, everyone. We got a little bit more as we come back. Welcome back, everyone. I am Dr. Mike Brasher, and I'm sitting here with Chuck Smith, our chairman of the board, and our brand-new president, Bob Spoerl Chuck, I want to go back to 2022. I don't know if I said 2002 a minute ago, but two years ago, 2022. And you talked about some of the things that you wanted to emphasize when you came in as president. One of those was priority signing up more volunteers. If you remember back, we were coming out of COVID, right? And so we had lost some momentum and we'd been unable to meet in person. One of your priorities was signing up more volunteers. How do you think we were doing in that regard? What are some of the highlights from that time?

Chuck Smith: We've done very well since that time. I asked Bob, as he was first vice president, to help with the volunteer effort, and Bob did an extensive study on the definition of a volunteer, really drilling down to the grassroots of it. Who do we call a volunteer? Do we have them registered as a volunteer? And it's a very in-depth process. We still don't do it perfectly. I think the 29,000 number is pretty accurate so far as we can tell, but there are lots of people not included in that number who help out with things that we do that you may not ever get the guy registered like at a dinner event he may help with prizes or whatever. So there's lots of people that do give freely of their time to help DU, but it's just been tough to get them all documented. And as I say, Bob and his committee have done a great job on doing that.

Bob Spoerl: We formalized the process of counting the volunteer. And so we really never had a good idea on how many true volunteers we had because we were getting just, I think, bad data. And so now we got the committee chairs to, you know, all incentivize to get their lists in. clean up their data. And so we are very close in getting a great baseline and you cannot have growth until you know where you're coming from. And I think we finally know where our baseline is and then we can put things in place for recruitment and things like that. I think because our volunteer number ranged literally anywhere from 25 to 45,000 and we knew it was somewhere in between, but I think that 30,000 number is pretty solid and we'll go from there.

Chuck Smith: Yeah, I think coming out of COVID, volunteers really saved us because, of course, we could not gather, so we had four to five thousand events wiped out overnight with inability to meet. And so the volunteers really chipped in, figured out a way to be creative, to keep the fundraising machine going, online raffles, lots of other activities that they engaged in, and really, If you look at the numbers during that time period, membership certainly suffered because we couldn't gather and sign up members. However, fundraising and so on continued on and we really emerged from it in pretty good shape, particularly compared with several of our peers that quite frankly struggled during COVID.

Mike Brasher: We have our traditional event-based fundraising system as the place where a lot of those volunteers occur. And that includes like the chapters at the local towns and cities that most people are going to be familiar with. But over the past number of years, we've grown in We've grown other programs. I'm thinking about our varsity program. I'm thinking about our university program. Talk about the importance of those. Bob, I know kind of looking forward, that's probably something that you're thinking a lot about, but the importance of this organization in the long term.

Bob Spoerl: It's, we can't overstate the importance of that university or varsity chapter. We grew, started a chapter in Stevens Point, and since that time, the last two chairs we've hired within the DU staff system. So it's a great feeder. to our DU employee base as well as the energy you see from these chapters. We have what we call third term in Memphis and it's coming up in August and where we bring all the leaders from the university chapters here in Memphis and the juice you receive from their enthusiasm and their fire in their belly and everything. It's very contagious. And they take that back and spread the great word throughout their campus. And it just, it's a snowball. We've sold out for the second year in a row and we're only kind of limited by where we can keep them. So it's been an awesome, awesome program.

Chuck Smith: It's almost like a minor league feeder system to DU. We have today, I've heard it estimated, out of our 700 plus employees, fully 10% came through that program. And once they get in that program, as Bob has said, it's contagious and they get the passion and they love DU and this is where they want to work when they get out of school. So it's a fantastic system for us.

Mike Brasher: And there's a particular synergy there, I think, at that varsity level, because when you get the kids involved, you also get the parents involved in those programs, in that Inducts Unlimited and the efforts, right?

Bob Spoerl: Oh, absolutely. When you go to these university events, it's just not the students there, it's their parents, it's their grandparents. And it may be the first time that they've ever been to a DU event. And they're writing checks, they're sponsoring their kids and things like that. So it's very contagious, not only to staff and volunteers, but you know, to their parents and grandparents as well.

Mike Brasher: Bob, I want to shift now and give you an opportunity to talk about some of the priorities that you have for the next two years. Whether travel is a priority or not, I'm certain that's going to happen. I know it's already happened. I want to talk about that a little bit on the way out here about this, how much you dedicate, you know, of your time. And Chuck, you can speak to this as well in terms of all that travel. but organizational priorities. What are the things that you're already working on that are carrying over from your time as first vice president and any new things that you're identifying?

Bob Spoerl: Obviously the conservation machine is hitting on all cylinders. So there's really, I mean, the worst thing a president can do is slow down any momentum that's already continuing out in the field. So my focus is how do we support that? How can we grow and enhance our end, the volunteer end, to support that. So the first thing I did was create a volunteer advisory committee. We call it volunteer engagement. I mean, we are a volunteer-led organization, so we need to really understand that volunteer. That volunteer is not the same volunteer as it was 50 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, we got them coming in for policy. We have a men that love conservation. We have volunteers that have never picked up a gun in their life, but love the work we do. So we need to create a pathway that's inviting from the moment they step into our organization to the moment they leave and make sure their entry and departure is a very positive one. And so our senior advisory, Connie Parker, is going to lead that challenge. And it's going to be a lot of fact finding for the first year or so, but it's all about the volunteer. I mean, we can't do what we do without the volunteer. So that's certainly a priority. And then policy, that goes hand in hand. Our policy advocate, same thing, a volunteer. We need a support system in every state because we have not only opportunities, but we have threats as well. You know, the use of guns, the use of, you know, running raffles and and things like that at our events. And so we need policy teams on the ground within each state. So it's it's building out our our policy advocate reach throughout the country, as well as supporting that volunteer in a broader sense, providing them the tools, the education to do their job better.

Chuck Smith: You know, we have a tremendous amount of talent on our volunteer board of directors, not only in the event system, which would be our flyway officers, regional vice president, so on and so on, but we have a lot of at-large members who have expertise and who did not necessarily commence their career with Ducks Unlimited in the event system, and that talent is in finance, it's in policy as Bob referred to, it's in sustainability issues, and so on. And that talent enables us to maybe pursue revenue from sources that we maybe didn't have 20 years ago. And the timing for DU today is perfect for that because there's so much emphasis on the planet, what's going on around us, and we can supply a solution based on wetlands, which we've always done, of course, but in addition to fabulous duck habitat, wetlands also do a whole lot of good for carbon sequestration, nutrient removal, coastal restoration, so on and so on. And it's a very good message to take to that group and our board of directors. enable us to get in the door and talk to those people.

Mike Brasher: And so Chuck, it's great to have people from all different disciplines serving on our board in that volunteer fashion, helping us providing that additional energy and that additional vision out across this larger landscape. But it's more than just finances, right? It's additional forms of creativity and innovative thinking. People that are in different disciplines that see other emerging trends. That's one of the values of having people from all those different areas of expertise, right? Absolutely.

Bob Spoerl: I mean, and the key thing is, we aren't changing our mission. We aren't changing our vision. We're just getting the word out in a better sense that people are now attracted to what they hear, what they see, what we do. and come join us.

Mike Brasher: Bob, I want to point out something else that I know is important to you. On stage at National Convention a few weeks ago, you made a point of highlighting the number of women that you have serving on your, is it an advisory committee, presidential advisory committee?

Bob Spoerl: Correct.

Mike Brasher: I think it's four, is that right? I think you made the point that probably more women on your presidential advisory committee than any president that has come before you. And so I know the growing role of women in every aspect of this company and even beyond Ducks Unlimited is a priority for you, it's important to you. Talk about that if you could. Why is it important? What does that additional diversity in gender, as we're talking about in this case, but really diversity can go much broader than that, but with regard to the growing role of women in conservation, how do you view the importance of that?

Bob Spoerl: Well, you know, three of the four of the ladies that serve go and hunt, and yet their passion for conservation is as strong as anyone else on my cabinet, and yet The ladies that do hunt, I mean, that is the one segment that's growing, and so we need to understand that, and we need to make sure that we give them a pathway that they feel comfortable coming in whether they hunt, whether they don't hunt. Conservation is not held as a patent by any one individual. It has no boundaries. And we are not the Ducks Unlimited member that we once were. And that's a good thing because as hunting continues to decline, we still need the support. We still need the revenue. I mean, if our duck stamp revenue falters, our PR dollars aren't coming in the way they once were, then we need to supplant that with other revenue sources. And so having ladies, having different ethnic groups join us, it's all great.

Mike Brasher: women tend to think a little bit differently than us guys as well, right? And so that diversity of thought is typically a good thing, right?

Bob Spoerl: Absolutely. And it's funny because the outdoor companies are realizing that too. I mean, they used to, you know, make waders, you know, for guys and now they are getting more specialized into actually creating gear, you know, to support the ladies out in the field.

Chuck Smith: Our current issue of Wetlands Magazine promotes all the women on our board and their roles and everything. We had Theresa Keating, who's a great appointee that Bob appointed as advisory vice president for sustainability committee, and she made the comment that, well, think about a great football team that's really good, and you go to play a game and you put half your players in the game. So she was referring to the other half of the players as well. I said, you're exactly right, Teresa.

Mike Brasher: I have a few final questions here, but first I wanted to point out where people can keep up with the Ducks Unlimited president on some of the things that are happening, that you're involved in. Bob, they can keep up with you on social media, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. On LinkedIn, it's at Ducks Unlimited President. On Facebook, it's the same handle, at Ducks Unlimited President. And then on X, it's at Ducks President. So, I encourage you, all of our listeners, to subscribe or to follow those accounts. Keep up with the great work that you're doing, all the travels, and all the important messages that you have to share. In that vein, I want to pose this question to each of you. What does the average person, whether it be a DU member, DU critic, or a partner, or anybody else, not know about being a DU president? Chuck, I'll go with you first.

Chuck Smith: Well, being a native Memphian, having grown up here, of course, the DU's headquarters in Memphis has been for 30 plus years. One issue I looked at was the fact that within our community of Memphis, which I love, there's not really a great awareness of this fabulous conservation organization headquartered right here in town, a 300 million plus revenue major corporation that conserves a million acres of habitat every year. And so my goal has kind of been to try to educate my fellow citizens about this company and inevitably they will say, Well, I had no idea. I didn't know you did that. And getting back to our beautiful headquarters here in Memphis, and certainly everyone's invited to attend and take the tour, if we can get people to come in this building and see our facility, meet our people, see how we do business, see how we operate, see how we process all the issues that we do on a daily basis, It's impressive. Once you get them inside this building, you've got them and inevitably they will leave and say, I had no idea you did all that. It's really great to see what you do.

Bob Spoerl: Bob? people think of the president and saying, oh, you must get on all these cool hunts. And I'm not going to lie that there aren't those cool opportunities. There are. But it's such a small part. I mean, just since San Diego, I've been the Texas convention, Louisiana convention. We took some key donors out on the prairie experience in Bismarck. D.U. Canada board meeting. D.U. Canada board meeting. Flew out to Washington, D.C. for the congressional baseball game. And so you are exposed and involved in just about every facet of this organization.

Mike Brasher: And you get to meet all the great people and a lot of the great partners that we work with as well.

Bob Spoerl: Right. Yeah, absolutely. From, you know, congressional leaders to area chairman that have, you know, the passion that's boundless. And it takes me back to when I first, you know, started my career and you're looking at them through your own lenses, you know, when you became a member 35 years ago. So it's exciting. And we're there to inspire them. We're there to encourage them and to let them know what they're doing. is resulting in a better place to live.

Chuck Smith: To have the president of Ducks Unlimited walk into a guy's office and thank him for what he does and let him know we're here to help you just as Bob has said and that's really the role of the president is to thank people, recognize them for their contributions and the fact that they have given of their own time to help with this. I mean, it's a big deal. And it's very simple for us to do as senior officers. It's about the position.

Bob Spoerl: You know, it's never about the individual. It's about the position. So even a guy like Chuck they would respect because it's the position.

Chuck Smith: Can we delete that off of this tape, please? No, we can't delete it, but you can have a rebuttal. All right. Well, I told Bob it's going to be tough to follow my footsteps.

Bob Spoerl: I just got to find them.

Mike Brasher: I do want to give each of you a bit of an open mic opportunity here, Chuck. There's been a tremendous number of accomplishments over the past couple of years during the time that you've been president. Just an open mic opportunity for you to talk about what it has meant to you or any other issue that's on your mind right now.

Chuck Smith: During the past two years, what I've seen that's a great trend that will only continue and get better under Bob's leadership is our increased revenue sources from sources that we previously did not have. Our event system, of course, raises 60 plus million dollars a year in unrestricted income, which is huge because that's the funds we use for matching grants and so on but funds from from other foundations and corporations who are looking to and they're coming to us they're coming to us and saying we know of your reputation we know you shoot straighter we know we can count on you to do what you say you're going to do and as a result we've co-opted with them on a lot of projects not only in the private sector with foundations but also in public policy as Bob referred to earlier We're doing an awful lot of work with the federal government with a lot of grants with them. The other thing I've enjoyed seeing is our participation in a lot of regional events. For example, Southeast Wildlife Exposition in Charleston every year brings in tons of people. That's a real target-rich area for us. Everyone that attends that show in Charleston every February are outdoorsmen, sportsmen, and we've got a major presence there. We have a President's Council meeting there and invite our loyal donors to attend certain events within that festival that has worked out well for us. We're also planning on a presence at the Easton Order Foul Festival in November, which we haven't been to for several years, but we see that as another target rich area to tell our story and just increase the awareness of what we do within the sporting population. So I think that's very positive trends on both of those.

Mike Brasher: I would agree, and I look forward to those. I've heard about them. I've never been to Siwi. Haven't been to Easton, but I've been to some of the other similar events where we're there, we're talking with people and are able to share those messages, and it's always a great time to connect with people that share our interesting conservation. Bob, what about you? Any other topic that you want to discuss here?

Bob Spoerl: You know, it's amazing the partnerships we've developed just recently, whether it's the rice stewardship program, the cattlemen's, what we're doing for cover crops. It used to be all about that pothole, which is critical, and we still do that. But it's also about slowing the growth of runoff, whether it be in the Great Lakes or the river basins that all drain into the Gulf of Mexico. And yet we're still accomplishing what we need to do. It's all in the benefit of Waterfall, but we are impacting so many points of conservation and getting so many partners. We're getting more buy-in from the partners. It's been exciting to watch those partnerships develop.

Mike Brasher: People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be part of a successful organization, a growing organization. And I think we've demonstrated over the past few years and will continue to demonstrate that we meet both of those criteria for people. And so we are welcoming in new partners, new members, new volunteers. How can people get involved? What's the easiest way?

Bob Spoerl: Easiest way, join a committee. We can never have enough volunteers in this organization. You can be a policy advocate. NACA is a key funder for us, and every couple years that gets reauthorized, so we need the support there. So whether it's something as simple as sending an email in support of NACA or conservation or local legislation that enables us to do a better job at fundraising or work on the ground, it's as simple as that or being involved in your local chapter.

Mike Brasher: Easiest way to find that first entry point is to go attend an event, right? That's the way so many people have gotten involved. So if you're wondering where an event is near you, go to ducks.org forward slash events. You'll find some information there and encourage you to go attend those. What's next for each of you? Chuck, I'll go to you first.

Chuck Smith: What's next for me is watching Bob succeed in all these areas and all his travels around the country and I'm back here at home applauding for him everywhere he goes. He'll do a great job. It's going to be a fun two years. The role of the chairman basically is… Chairman of the board, that's your role now. Run the board meetings and handle that and work with staff here on agenda items that you want to see in the board meeting and so on. So that's the main thing, but I'm always available. uh… to go visit a chapter to to go to a state convention to uh… uh… do whatever bob needs backup if he wants to send me to hawaii for the state meeting well i'll do that of course so uh… i'm i'm just here to support the president are you going to be interacting with dan thiel more or less in your chairman of the board role? Boy did you give me a softball question there so much less you wouldn't believe it So there's another transition of power, right? That comes to you now. I look forward to the day when I walk in the office and I see Dan, I say, now tell me your name again, who are you?

Mike Brasher: Bob, what about you? What's next?

Bob Spoerl: I have got two conventions under my belt. I will be going to Oklahoma. And then, you know, during the summer season, that's when the southern states hold their state conventions, which makes sense because they want to stay inside. And in the north, that transcends over to the winter months. So, it'll be a busy fall season, attending dedications, evening of conservations, and then the event season will start back up in the north in January. But a lot of, yeah, you hit the ground running, and all of a sudden, two years is up, and it's like, where'd that go? But all good, because every state is unique, every state's different, but the passion's the same.

Mike Brasher: As a reminder for our listeners, you can keep track of Bob and his travels and all of his important messages by following any of his accounts, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X, at Ducks Unlimited President or at Ducked President. Search either of those two terms, you're likely to find it on those three platforms. And so, Bob, I follow you, and so I'll be keeping track of you and run into you a few places along the way. Chuck, Bob, thank you for being here. Thank you for your volunteerism and for your leadership and helping make this organization what it is.

Bob Spoerl: Well, thanks to you and all the supporters that have brought Ducks Unlimited to where it is today. It's the best wetland conservation organization, bar none.

Chuck Smith: I agree, and the fact that just the wonderful partnership between staff and between the volunteers, it is truly a well-oiled machine and hitting on all cylinders, and great times ahead for Ducks Unlimited.

Mike Brasher: A very special thanks to our guest on today's episode, Chuck Smith, our current chairman of the board, and Bob Sparrow, our president. Bob's got two years in this role, and we're going to be looking forward to every bit of it. We also thank our producer Chris Isaac for the great job he does with these episodes, and we thank you, the listener, for tuning in, for sharing your time with us, and most importantly, for your support of wetlands and waterfowl conservation.