INDIANA, Pa. - — To further serve as the guardian for wild deer conservation, the National Deer Alliance recently approved Bryan Burhans of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Greg Simons of Wildlife Systems, Inc. and Chuck Sykes of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to its board of directors. Sam Burgeson, president of Wildlife Research Center, was elected as the organization’s new chairman.

“The National Deer Alliance has made incredible progress fighting for wild deer conservation and our hunting tradition,” says Burgeson, who has served on the board for four years. “There’s still a lot more for us to do, and it’s a privilege and an honor to be a part of that and this quality organization.”

“It’s a great honor to serve on the board, on behalf of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, to help further NDA’s mission,” says Bryan Burhans, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “Despite the relative abundance of deer in the Commonwealth, we and many other states are facing threats to this species, and chronic wasting disease is just one example. I look forward to working with fellow board members to support NDA’s important work.”

“Our native deer species have served as our principal platform from which conservation dollars have been generated for over 100 years. It’s imperative that our hunting community step up our game in serving as effective advocates to protect the broad, sustainable values of our wild deer herds across North America,” says Greg Simons, principal and general manager at Wildlife Systems, Inc. in San Angelo, Texas. “Ever since attending the NDA strategic planning meeting in Minneapolis a few years back, I’ve felt like NDA represents a coalition of conservation leadership that can serve as an important and needed voice for helping to shape future initiatives and public policy efforts as we navigate through the inherent hurdles that our hunting and wildlife communities face.”

“It is both an honor and a privilege to represent the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on the board of directors for the National Deer Alliance,” says Chuck Sykes, director of the Wildlife and Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Deer hunting is a time-honored tradition and way of life for me and millions of others across the county and it is also a huge economic engine. I look forward to assisting NDA in promoting and protecting wild deer conservation and ensuring future generations of hunters have the same deer hunting opportunities we enjoy now.”

“We are fortunate to add Bryan, Greg, and Chuck to our board of directors and we look forward to their valuable contributions to our work,” says Nick Pinizzotto, NDA president and CEO. “Each of these gentlemen have extensive experience that is directly related to our mission and they will help us continue to grow and be effective in an increasingly turbulent deer and hunting policy arena.”

Visit the NDA website at nationaldeeralliance.com for a complete list of the organization’s board of directors. Membership to NDA is free and you can join and sign up to receive the weekly On Watch e-newsletter.

About National Deer Alliance: The NDA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to serve as the guardian for wild deer conservation and our hunting heritage. Focusing primarily on issues at the policy level, NDA is a leader in advocating for sustainable, science-based conservation of wild deer and fair-chase hunting, and is a source for credible, responsible, and timely information. NDA is an established and respected leader in the fight against chronic wasting disease. Learn more at nationaldeeralliance.com.

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Media Contacts:

Nick Pinizzotto, National Deer Alliance, P: 833.255.3337; nick@nationaldeeralliance.com

Michelle Scheuermann, BulletProof Communications, LLC, P: 651.964.0264; michelle@bulletproofcomm.com