OUR TEAM
We're media storytellers on a mission to produce world-class educational materials showcasing the importance of being good stewards of the environment and the wildlife that lives in it.
SOCIETY FELLOWS.
Tom Opre
Founder & Filmmaker
A film director, cinematographer, television producer, and wildlife conservationist, Tom Opre has made educating the public on wildlife conservation and stewardships issues a main priority. As the past president of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), he has worked to help other outdoor communicators and industry leaders understand and present a unified message regarding the top issues facing wildlife conservation today.
Since 1990, Opre has produced and/or directed national television commercial projects for Fortune 500 companies, feature films, and episodic television including wildlife projects for Discovery Channel and PBS. In 2015, he wrapped a seven year prime-time run on NBC Sports producing the highest rated, award-winning television show in the outdoor field sports genre,
Today, he serves on the non-profit boards for African Children’s Schools and Shepherds of Wildlife Society™.
Tony Bynum
Photographer
Tony Bynum is a photographer and conservationist. Tony has produced images used on over 300 magazine and books covers. Hundreds of his images are seen annually in national advertisements, annual reports, books covers, art galleries, and dozens of outdoor publications.
He has traveled the world shooting images for some of the biggest brands in the outdoor space. As a conservationist, Tony regularly works with nonprofit organizations, collaborates on documentaries and speaks around the country on conservation, photography and the business of photography. Tony is a past-president of the Professional Outdoor Median Association (POMA).
Quinn Kloppers
Photographer
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1979, from an early age he was introduced to life in the outdoors. For the latter part of his youth, he spent growing up on a 60,000 acre cattle and game ranch in southeastern Zimbabwe, which cultivated a lifelong love and passion for wildlife and nature.
In 2000, Quinn started his guiding career in Zimbabwe’s various national parks and private reserves. He decided to pick up a camera to capture and share his interactions with the African wildlife, people and surroundings he encounters every day.
Mike Fell
Photographer
Mike Fell is a photographer specializing in African wildlife and conservation related issues. As a wildlife fanatic, safari guide, and conservationist with 21 years of experience in the field, Mike believes that photography and story telling are key components of conservation. With a deep respect and understanding for African wildlife, his work explores its diversity and emphasizes the impact of human activity on wildlife in his home continent of Africa.
Mike's primary business is establishing safari operations in wildlife areas outside of national parks. He is involved in large-scale conservation and community initiatives in East, Central and West Africa. Mike is committed to supporting the Governments of these countries in their endeavors to protect the fauna and flora for future generations. His anti-poaching efforts throughout the year are extensive. These efforts include funding transport, providing fuel and manpower and training security teams for regular anti-poaching exercises over these huge desolate areas.
Mike's passion provides him incredible access to wildlife and often takes him to remote destinations. This regularly puts him in situations where he is up close and personal with wild animals and that is why his photos often arouse feelings of intimacy with the creatures he depicts.
Action is needed to preserve our natural world. Mike's hope is that his photographs will inspire people to join the cause to help stop senseless destruction of the environment and the animals that inhabit it.
Denver Bryan
Photographer
Denver Bryan is an internationally-published photographer whose work has won numerous national awards as well as appeared on the cover of over 400 magazines. Denver’s images have been published in seven single-photographer books to date as well as graced the pages of such magazines as National Geographic, Smithsonian, National Wildlife, Field & Stream, Time, Newsweek, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and many others.
Originally a wildlife biologist by training, Denver has photographed the wildlife of North America extensively from Alaska to Mexico. Africa is another of Denver’s favorite locations. Over the last decade he has made over a dozen trips to capture images in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Botswana.
Matt Addington
Photographer
Growing up with a camera in his hands in his home state of Minnesota has provided no shortage of inspiration for photographer Matt Addington. Matt has spent his career capturing images for the biggest brands in the outdoors lifestyle and agricultural space all around the world from above the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the rugged western Rocky Mountains to wild savannah of equatorial Africa to the wide open prairies of Middle America. After years of teaching and a master’s degree in art education, Matt continues to share his knowledge of conservation and the visual arts through speaking engagements and collaborating with non-profit organizations around the world. Though his work has been seen in publications and campaigns worldwide, distilled to it’s simplest form, Matt still hopes that each individual photo tells a story that makes the viewer truly FEEL something.
Neil McIntyre
Photographer
Neil McIntyre is a professional wildlife photographer based in the Highlands of Scotland. He comes from a family of gamekeepers and deer stalkers stretching back several generations. Early years spent out with his father nurtured his love and appreciation for wildlife in the Scottish Highlands and beyond.
Neil’s work has been internationally recognized and awarded in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, notably the Eric Hoskins award in 1991 and 1992. Closer to home, he has had multiple in The British Wildlife Photography Awards. He has also published two books, The Red Squirrel – A Future in the Forest and, more recently, Chasing the Deer.
Along with his passion for photography and the wildlife he photographs, Neil cares deeply for the country's way of life and the people he was raised with. It is now being threatened by unadvised government policies, particularly around the red deer and estate management, but also by dubious, ill-thought-out carbon capture schemes.
Neil is based in the Cairngorm National Park area, where he runs his photography tours and image library.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Stephen C. Duringer
Chairman of the Board
Steve Duringer brings his passion for all things outdoors, his many years of experience as an outdoor sports enthusiast, a world traveler, and wildlife conservationist to the Shepherds of Wildlife Society. Steve is a practicing civil litigation attorney with over thirty years’ experience, a writer and an educator, an entrepreneur and business owner, who splits his time between Southern California and Montana. He currently serves as an officer or director on several industry-related boards of directors, both non-profit and for-profit. He is passionate about effecting change, about making a difference, about preserving and protecting wildlife throughout the world.
T.A. Opre
Director
T.A. Opre is a film director, cinematographer, television producer, and wildlife conservationist. He has made educating the public on wildlife conservation and stewardship issues a main priority. As the past president of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), he has worked to help other outdoor communicators and industry leaders understand and present a unified message regarding the top issues facing wildlife conservation today. Today he serves on several nonprofit boards, including African Children's Schools.
Robert Gordon
Treasurer
Mr. Gordon is a lifelong entrepreneur and wildlife conservationist with a passion for history and education. Mr. Gordon brings with him over 25 years of C-suite operational healthcare experience with a focus on building and growing efficient operations. During his career, he has successfully helped to grow more than seven early-stage companies bringing to bear operational knowledge and expertise along with an adaptability to ensure successful expansion. He also has worked on Wall Street and has successfully closed several M&A transactions in his career.
Thomas Barker
Director
Thomas Barker has spent his entire life working in the outdoors. After serving 23 years in the US Navy as a SEAL Team member he has continued to work in outdoor product-related industries as a consultant in the M&A field. He also serves as a business consultant who focuses on helping veteran and first-responder owned and supporting businesses.
Mark Hensley
Director
Mark Hensley, a life-long Montanan, has spent 30 plus years in the banking industry. Mark and his family have owned and operated Valley Bank of Kalispell which was established in 1911. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he has served and continues to serve on various non-profit and for profit boards within his community.
ADVISORY BOARD.
Pete Brownell
Pete Brownell is Chief Executive Officer of 2nd Adventure Group and Chairman of Brownells, a position he ascended to following a successful term as president and executive vice president of the company. He is a member of the leadership team since 1997. Mr. Brownell also serves leadership roles on several boards, most recently President of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Pete is a member of The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) .
Mark Kehke
Mark Kehke was born in the wine country of Sonoma County and spent his formative years in Newport Beach, California. Now a long-time resident of the Gallatin Valley of southwest Montana, Mark has a long and abiding interest and affection for wild places.
Mark has been instrumental in facilitating a number of landmark accords with many of the nation's major environmental advocates, resulting in the permanent preservation of hundreds of thousands of acres of open space. Mr. Kehke’s leadership proved invaluable on the unprecedented Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement, conserving 230,000 acres of critically important habitat in central California. The achievement was recognized with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, California's highest and most prestigious environmental honor. Mark served for seven years on the Board of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, three as its’ Chairman and currently serves as the Prior of the Mountains and Plains for the International Order of St Hubertus, the world’s oldest conservation organization.
Warren Sackman III
Warren A. Sackman, III was raised on Long Island, just 20 miles outside NY City. Warren’s love of wildlife comes from a lifetime spent with animals and in the outdoors. Warren’s father, Alan, who grew up on a farm in upstate New York, nurtured and instilled these qualities in Warren, and both of them are avid conservationists and outdoorsmen. Under his father’s tutelage, Warren learned from an early age the value of hard work, a deep appreciation for wildlife and their natural habitats, along with the challenges, opportunities, and abundance nature offers.
Warren’s passion for conservation has only deepened throughout his lifetime. He is active in various positions where he can put his passion into action. Not only does he manage a family ranch in Colorado, he also serves on the boards of directors of two additional foundations dedicated to worldwide wildlife conservation, serving in leadership capacities. Warren is also an active member of several organizations committed to the preservation of our rich hunting heritage for future generations and the advancement of education about the critical role ethical hunting plays in conservation.
Warren is excited to become part of the Shepherds of Wildlife Society and further his passion for wildlife conservation around the globe!
Jason Roussos
Jason Roussos was born and raised in Ethiopia where he was blessed to have been exposed to the country’s rich wildlife resources. He has a degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. He works with his father and their company, Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris. In 1999, he co-founded The Murulle Foundation, a US-based 501(c) 3 non-profit that conducts community development, scientific research, and conservation efforts in Ethiopia. For the last 15 years he has sat on the board of the African Professional Hunters’ Association, an organization which represents some of Africa’s top and most ethical professional hunters.
Ingrid Poole Williams
Raised in Southern California, Ingrid Poole Williams developed a deep appreciation for the earth’s vast oceans and wild lands. This ever-growing passion for the outdoors took her around the world following her passion for preserving the wild animals who reside in these remote places.
For nearly five decades, Williams’ has been involved in San Diego’s waterfront businesses of which include marine fuel docks, two large marinas, three sportfishing landings, seven long range sportfishing boats, and Poole Boat Company, famous for building grand yachts and large sport fishing boats.
As a member of the National Advisory Board for Museum of the Rockies, Ingrid has greatly enjoyed bringing awareness to the importance of habitat conservation and wildlife preservation.
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Michael Butler
Michael Butler is a native Tennessean. Greatly impacted by his experiences outdoors from an early age, Butler's passion for Tennessee’s wildlife and great outdoors led him to study
wildlife and fisheries science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and then earn his masters of science in fish and wildlife management from Montana State University.
Upon returning to Tennessee in 1996, he was recruited to join the Tennessee Conservation League, which later changed its name to Tennessee Wildlife Federation. In 2002, Butler was promoted to the chief executive officer, a position he holds presently. His work over the years with the Federation has allowed him to engage in and address several of Tennessee’s most significant wildlife and conservation needs. Butler has served on numerous conservation- and community-oriented boards, providing leadership on several initiatives. At a national level, Butler served as a member of the board of trustees for the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation from 2006 until 2012 as an appointee of President George W. Bush.
He lives outside of Franklin with his wife Wallis, their three daughters—Wesley Anne,
Campbell, and Ella—and their Labrador Retrievers.
Ashton Smith
Ashton Smith has been a leading Hollywood voice-over actor for over thirty years, working to promote leading feature films like Top Gun: Maverick, Lord of the Rings, Triple X, Time Machine, Austin Powers: Goldmember, The Mummy Returns, Shrek, Jason and the Argonauts, Westwing, ER, Touched by an Angel, National Geographic's Seconds from Disaster, and PBS's Forces of the Wild.
Smith has been an active wildlife and habitat conservationist, helping promote causes through fundraising and philanthropy. He currently resides in the greater Nashville, TN area promoting and managing emerging musical talent.
Marketing & Communications
Samantha Pedder Lind
Samantha Pedder is an experienced executive with an established record of success in business development, marketing, public relations, and fundraising. She is an innovator known for unique ability to blend knowledge and skills in science, business, policy, marketing, and technology to develop creative solutions. Currently, Pedder serves as a consultant and owner of Pedder Solutions, lending her expertise from her career of more than 15 years in the outdoor and conservation industry. Pedder is skilled in building authentic relationships with clients and colleagues and excels in forming coalitions across her network to resolve challenging issues, develop innovative ideas, and implement real solutions.
Samantha holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University, a Master of Natural Resources from Utah State University, and an Master of Business Administration from Georgia Southern University. She is a passionate volunteer for conservation organizations and has served on the board of a number of state and national organizations including Artemis Sportswomen and The Wildlife Society. Samantha is an avid hunter and angler, and a novice trapper. In 2019, Samantha adopted Jack, a silver Labrador retriever, who is keen on waterfowl, pheasant, and dove.