Our Board

Current Board Members
 
John Smeltzer, Ft.Collins, Board Chair
John joined the CWF Board in 2005 following his retirement as Public Services Manager (Asst. Director - Field Operations) for the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW). John's early professional career includes 3 years as a science teacher in Iowa, his home state. While working for the CDOW, John served as a wildlife researcher; a staff specialist in the Law Enforcement Unit; regulations manager,and Human Dimensions section manager in addition to role as Asst. Director. John is a biology graduate of Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa and Colorado State University, Fort Collins. He is married (Marsha) and has two adult children (David and Katie). He belongs to a variety of hunting, fishing and conservation organizations.
 
Greg Benzmiller, Secretary, Colorado Springs
Greg was born in Colorado and has spent a lifetime exploring and enjoying all the State has to offer both recreationally and economically.  Greg is an avid archery hunter, hiker, camper, whitewater enthusiast and cyclist.  An Assistant Professor of Graduate Programs, Greg teaches business in College of Management at Regis University for Professional Studies.  Greg has worked across many industries and started several companies providing practical experience and fostering an interest in how business can utilize Colorado’s resources sustainably.  In addition, Greg has watched Colorado growth and now that he is a father has become increasingly concerned about protecting Colorado’s natural resources -both flora and fauna- from a host of modern abuses.  “Few places in the United States can compare with Colorado’s wonders be they sublime or magnificent:  I want to do my part to ensure that Colorado will always have these special attributes for everyone, now and far into the future.”
 
Kent Ingram, Treasurer, Littleton
Kent grew up in Denver where his father introduced him to rabbit hunting west of Brighton Colorado at age 8.  This early experience led to many outdoor pursuits during his youth including fishing and trapping.  While earning a BA and MA in Business Administration from Western State College in Gunnison, Kent was able to hone his outdoor skills and enjoy the area’s many outdoor offerings.  A resident of Alaska in his early career, he harvested all the major big game species, including a boar Grizzly.  Moving back to Colorado, Kent and his wife Linda raised three daughters and became active in wildlife advocacy through the Colorado Wildlife Federation becoming President and Board Chairman as well as Sportsman’s Advisory Group co-chair. Kent was accorded the William Funk Award for Building Community by the Colorado Association of Non-Profits.  He is a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and the National Wildlife Federation.    An admitted multiple sportsmen who loves fly fishing, duck & turkey hunting, and especially fall mule deer hunts, Kent stands for average sportsman’s needs, public access and protecting roadless areas.  Kent holds positions favoring no net loss of public lands, improved OHV enforcement, against high fence shoots and the commercialization trend in hunting and fishing.
 
 
Harvey Nyberg, Out of State Director - Montana
A retired wildlife biologist and lifelong active outdoorsman, Harvey is an avid conservationist with a keen interest in sustainable use of renewable natural resources.  Harvey is committed to conserving fish, wildlife and habitat and management that encourages and preserves access to these resources for all citizens.  He is married with two grown sons and three grandchildren.
 
 
 
Mike Hora, Director at Large, Lyons
Michael Hora is a native of Illinois who enjoys living in Colorado.  A long time business executive, he now spends much of his time honoring the land and learning about all things wild in Colorado.  Michael seeks a responsible balance between the interests of those who own land and those for whom outdoor pursuits in the future depend upon good decisions today.
 
 
Mark Phillips, Director at Large, Lafayette
 
Gary C. Miller, Director at Large, EstesPark
Gary C. Miller is a wildlife biologist who has worked for federal agencies, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and as a private consultant.  His professional and personal interest and experience is in the conservation of "all things wild" - game and nongame species; prairie, mountain, and wetland communities.  Or, in the words of Aldo Leopold (one of his heroes), "...to keep every cog and wheel..." of our natural world.  He sees growing the next generation of thinking and voting conservationists as our most important challenge. Gary is a ranger (field biologist) at RockyMountainNational Park and lives in EstesPark, sharing his habitat with elk, mule deer, creatures with carnassials, and numerous avian animals
 
Luke Schafer, Director at Large, Craig
Luke was born and raised in a small farming town in southeastern Michigan where he learned the value of conservation at a tangible and practical level by seeing the benefits of conserving wildlife habitat on the family farm.  Through the years, hunting and fishing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula provided him with the opportunity to understand the need for wild places and balancing of development and preservation so future generations may have sporting opportunities.  After graduating from CentralMichiganUniversity he moved to Craig to work for the Colorado Environmental Coalition in the efforts to conserve the wildlife habitat, water resources and wild places of the YampaRiver Basin.  In his spare time he loves chasing mule deer, pretending to be a fly-fisherman and exploring Colorado's little known desert country.


Peggy Clark, Director at Large, Longmont
Peggy Clark has lived and worked in Colorado for over 30 years and joined the Board of Directors in the spring of 2009.  A wildlife enthusiast, her goal as a board member is to encourage CWF to continue efforts to protect and preserve the states wildlife population while respecting the needs of a growing human population.  Retired from IBM, she brings 30+ years of professional, business experience to the team and views wildlife “a gift and a treasure”.
 
Dan Severa, Director at Large, Denver
 
Bob Goodnough, Director at Large, Golden 
 
John Gale, Regional Representative, National Wildlife Federation
After growing up in Idaho and working for the state senate while feeding an outdoors addiction as a whitewater river guide and ranger, John received degrees in Natural Resource Management from the University of Idaho. John then moved to Morocco in Northern Africa and immediately put his education and research to good use. There he worked for two years on biodiversity management initiatives with the Peace Corps (primarily tracking the foraging habits of the Barbary Macaque), community development and water issues with USAID, and many other natural resource projects with NGOs from France, Germany, and Northern Africa. He then found a niche for his ecumenical angling habits in Washington, D.C. lobbying on Capitol Hill and directing a variety of grassroots conservation programs for Trout Unlimited, a conservation organization committed to the protection, preservation, and restoration of coldwater fisheries. In early 2006, succumbing to calls from the western topography he grew up in, John returned west to work for the National Wildlife Federation in Boulder, Colorado. As the Regional Representative for CO, ID, NM, AZ, and UT, John oversees wildlife conservation efforts in those states and collaborates with NWF’s affiliates and partners there. His primary goals for state development center on building resources that will help NWF and its affiliates grow bigger, stronger, and more financially prepared to face the challenges of wildlife conservation
 
Region 10 Director, NWF Board of Directors – Kent Salazar
 

Co-Chairs of Issues  Committee  - Walt Graul And Kent Ingram

Executive Director,  Suzanne O'Neill

Communications/Media, Todd Malmsbury

Technology Consultant, David Nealey, Ph.D.
 
Directors Emeritus
  • Dennis Buechler
  • Jim Goddard
  • John Rold
  • Colleen Gadd
 
Past Presidents
  • 1952 - 1954  Herb Hockstrasser
  • 1955 - 1957 William H. Corlett
  • 1958 - 1959 H. Ray Macht
  • 1960 B.K. Linder
  • 1961 Harry G. Sims
  • 1962 Ross Russell
  • 1963 Douglas L. Gilbert
  • 1964 - 1966 A.J. Christiansen
  • 1967 - 1968 Robert F. Gantnier
  • 1969 Ralph R. Hill
  • 1970 Gilbert N. Hunter
  • 1971 - 1972 Hans W. von Barby
  • 1973 Robert F. Gantnier
  • 1974 Ed Merrick
  • 1975 - 1976 Lt. Col. Clifford A. Baker
  • 1977 - 1978 David G. Merrifield
  • 1979 - 1980 Delwin E. Benson
  • 1981 William H. Miller
  • 1982 John Cross
  • 1983 - 1984 Bob Black
  • 1985 Wayne Sandfort
  • 1986 Wally Gallegher
  • 1987 Gordon Woelfle
  • 1988 John Volker
  • 1989 Steve Flannagan
  • 1990 Eric Kelly
  • 1991 - 1992 Chuck Olmstead
  • 1993 - 1996 Peter F. Michaelson
  • 1997 - 1999 Dennis Buechler
  • 2000 Michael Dowling
  • 2001 Dennis Buechler
  • 2002 - 2005 Suzanne O’Neill
  • 2006-2007 - Kent Ingram
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