The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) Golden Glow Excellence-in-Craft Award is a hallmark of excellence in the outdoor communications arena. Each year, AGLOW's Council of Past Presidents meticulously reviews nominations and selects an individual or organization that has made exceptional contributions. This prestigious honor isn't handed out lightly. It reflects years of hard work, dedication, and impact within the community.
During the Annual AGLOW conference last month in Niagara, New York, Bill Hilts Jr. of Lockport, New York was awarded the Excellence-in-Craft Golden Glow as a testament to his award-winning contributions to outdoor communications. A respected outdoor communicator, conservation advocate, and industry leader, Hilts has been writing about the outdoors since 1980. Throughout his 46-year career, he has excelled in print, television, radio, photography and digital media, using his talents to promote conservation, outdoor recreation and sportfishing. His recognition also continues a family legacy, following his father, longtime AGLOW member Bill Hilts Sr., who received the same honor in 2008.
Hilts spent 35 years as Niagara County's Sportfishing Promotion Coordinator and 20 years as Outdoor Sports Specialist with Destination Niagara USA, helping establish a pioneering model for promoting outdoor recreation and tourism. He also helped form the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Promotion Council, serving as its president for more than 20 years and bringing together communities along Lake Ontario's southern shore to advance regional sportfishing promotion.
His commitment to conservation and community service extends well beyond his professional work. Hilts currently serves on the board of Catching Dreams Charters, a nonprofit organization that provides fishing opportunities for children battling cancer. He was also instrumental in the Greater Niagara BassEye Celebrity Challenge and Lower Niagara River Challenge, fundraising events that generated more than $3 million over two decades. In 2025, he received the Commitment to a Cure Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Western New York.
A past president of both the New York State Outdoor Writers Association and AGLOW, Hilts continues to serve on the NYSOWA board. His numerous accolades include New York State Professional Conservationist of the Year (1997), induction into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame (2007), and the M. Paul Keesler Award (2016) and Hans Paller Award (2017). His writing and photography have earned 25 first-place awards from New York and AGLOW outdoor writing organizations.
Currently the outdoor writer for The Buffalo News and a longtime contributor to New York Outdoor News, Hilts remains an active voice for the outdoors and the Great Lakes region. The 2026 Golden Glow Award recognizes not only Hilts' outstanding communications career, but also his enduring contributions to AGLOW, conservation, sportfishing and the outdoor community.
For more information about AGLOW and its many opportunities, visit aglowoutdoors.com
About AGLOW:
Founded in 1956, the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) is a dynamic organization of writers, editors, publishers, broadcasters, authors, lecturers, photographers, artists, electronic media specialists, outdoor industry representatives, and tourism professionals, working together to promote the conservation and responsible use of our outdoor resources. As individual outdoor communicators, we educate and inform the public through the written and spoken word. As an organization, we foster an unmatched fellowship among our members and provide amazing networking, educational and craft improvement opportunities.