John Martin recently retired after 25 years as a Certified Financial Planner for A.G. Edwards & Sons. In 1987, he became a founding member and the first president of The Valley Land Fund (VLF), a non-profit land trust located in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas.

John's dedication to the conservation of wildlife and habitat of private lands led to his creating the VLF's biennial Wildlife Photo Contest. This leadership role in developing partnerships between landowners and wildlife photographers was further enhanced in 2002 when he became a board member of the National North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA).

Now, John is Founder and Chairman of the Images for Conservation Fund (ICF), which has established The Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. The first Pro-Tour competition is planned for The Hill Country of Texas in April 2006.

As residents of the Rio Grande Valley for the past 28 years, John and his wife Audrey live on reforested wildlife habitat north of Edinburg, Texas. He also is a long-time board member and former president of the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) Foundation. John holds a master's degree in business administration and has been a lecturer at UTPA's College of Business.

Always thinking long-term, John actively promotes his vision of preserving wildlife for future generations through the power of photography and positive economics for private landowners.

Photographer, author and inspirational speaker Connie Bransilver is a full-time professional photographer living in Naples, Florida. She has photographed nature on all seven continents and is former President of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), a 2,300-member organization. Connie's photography has appeared in several recent books, periodicals and multimedia presentations.

She is best known for her in-depth studies of lemurs, of the Great Apes and other African and Asian motifs. Connie was instrumental in setting up the Duke University Primate Center Board of Visitors, served as its first Chairperson, and is currently one of seven Base Camp Leaders for the Jane Goodall Institute. She credits Jane Goodall as being one of her greatest inspirations.

Connie is a member of the exclusive Fujifilm ProNet Talent Team. She was the Explorers Club Grand Prize winner with her photograph of chinstrap penguins on an iceberg in 1997, and the African Wildlife Foundation's Photographer of the Year for 1999. She lectures widely on conservation, including the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Lecture Series. She has appeared on television and radio to discuss her passion for conservation.

"Eclectic" can best describe Connie's background. Growing up in New Mexico, she barrel raced, showed Quarter Horses and danced. After graduating from Duke University, she worked in the US Congress. She attended law school in New Mexico and was elected to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, one of two women of 525 delegates. She secured passage of a resolution to reform the US rape laws and testified before Congress on behalf of the ABA. In 1975, she moved to London and joined Merrill Lynch International as a private banker covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Each year she was eligible she won the coveted "Falcon" status award connoting top achievement. She resigned from Merrill Lynch in 1992 to devote herself full-time to photography. She has studied at the Corcoran School of Art and the Smithsonian photography program.

Mr. Petersen has spent 25 years in the high tech industry. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He has held numerous development and executive positions in the aerospace, robotics and computer industries, most recently with Dell Computer Corporation.

An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Mr. Petersen has been a supporter and member of numerous environmental causes and organizations over the years. Mr. Petersen now serves on the Texas Advisory board for Environmental Defense.

Mr. Petersen owns a ranch in central Texas where he has been focusing his conservation efforts on managing the ranch and restoring its habitat to the benefit of endangered species and other wildlife native to central Texas.

Mr. Petersen believes that the future of conservation is dependent upon the activities of private landowners and has been working to educate landowners and the public about conservation activities taking place on private lands. He is very interested in developing opportunities for landowners to manage their properties for the benefit of wildlife while also generating income from those activities to sustain the habitat over the long term.

Carol has been involved in education for over 30 years. Her career began as an elementary school teacher in 1970. She went on to earn a Masters degree in Student Personnel Services and another in Environmental Education.

In 1980, she began an administrative career in higher education at The University of Texas-Pan American. She has worked as Assistant to the University President Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez since 1981.

In 1987, she became a founding board member and Secretary of The Valley Land Fund, a non-profit land trust located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

From her Masters degree in Environmental Education, Carol has held strong interests in environmental issues and in educating children to the interdependence of man and nature. She enjoys her love of the outdoors, her two dogs, Buck and Coco, and nature photography as a hobby.

As a member of the Edinburg Rotary Club, Carol is active in many projects that benefit the community, and she was awarded Rotarian of the Year in 1992. She has also served on the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce and is active on many university committees and councils. She received the University President's Excellence Award.

The members of the Images for Conservation Fund (ICF) share a philosophy of using nature photography to communicate, educate, and demonstrate the value of native wildlife habitat. Carol is a founding member of this new organization and serves as Secretary and Treasurer to the Board.

During his career, Nev�rez has been recognized by several Texas governors and U.S. presidents for his contributions to the world of education. In 2000, he was featured in The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Nev�rez has repeatedly been named to Hispanic Business Magazine's "100 Most Influential Hispanics in America" and he is considered as one of the "50 Most Influential Hispanics in Business Technology."

Over 20 years ago, Dr. Nev�rez established the UTPA Foundation and provided the leadership for nationwide funding with Corporate America. Dr. Nev�rez was at the forefront of the Distinguished Leadership Series, which brought General Norman Schwarzkopf, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former President George W. Bush to UTPA.

Dr. Nev�rez has served on various committees and councils, including American Council on Education, American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He has chaired the Hispanic Association for Colleges and Universities, and the Texas International Educational Consortium (TIEC). He has served as the vice chair of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, and as a member of the Fundacion Solidaridad Mexicano-Americano-AC - Mexico/U.S. education collaborative effort.

A native of McAllen, Texas, Nev�rez received a bachelors degree in agriculture from what is now Texas A & M University-Kingsville, a masters degree in elementary education from Michigan State University and a doctorate in science education from New York University.

Dr. Nev�rez cares deeply about the future of North America's wildlife and is eager to help make the Pro-Tour a reality.

Katharine Armstrong is President of Katharine Armstrong, Inc., an Austin based consulting firm specializing in corporate affairs, government relations and not-for-profit clients at both the state and national levels.

Armstrong is a fifth-generation Texan raised on her family's South Texas cattle ranch. She is an artist, an avid outdoorswoman and the mother of three children. She was appointed to the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Commission in 1999 by Gov. George W. Bush and named Chairman in 2001 by Gov. Rick Perry, becoming the first woman to head the agency.

Armstrong worked steadily to build and improve TPWD's relationships with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board, resulting in long-term benefits for the formulation of water policy in Texas. During her tenure as Chairman, Armstrong oversaw the development of the Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan, a strategic plan that will guide TPWD's conservation efforts over the next decade.

Previously, Armstrong worked for Senator John Tower and in the Nixon White House before joining Smith Barney, Harris, Upham & Company in 1976. Starting her career at Smith Barney as an account executive in Dallas, Armstrong became a Vice-President in the Municipal Finance Department in New York.

She has served on many boards and advisory committees, including the selection committee for the White House Fellows Program, Vice-Chairman of the Dallas Zoological Society, the Central Park Conservancy, Camp John Mark Meyer, and the Park Cities Republican Women's Club. She currently serves on the advisory boards of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M; Corpus Christi and the James Madison Book Award. She is Chairman of the South Texas Native Plant restoration project at Texas A& M Kingsville, and is a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Texas Wildlife Association.

As a co-founder in 1992 of Rock Creek Capital and as General Partner of Rock Creek, Art's duties include overseeing the day-to-day operations of Rock Creek Advisors in its role as manager of the Partnership, overseeing the funds interaction with the Advisory Committee and managing individual portfolio company investments.

From 1997 through 1998, Art served as the Chairman and CEO of Hiway Technologies, Inc., guiding the Company through its merger with Best Internet and the sale of the combined companies to Verio (VRIO). He previously served as the CFO of two distribution businesses in the Southeast from 1987 to 1993. From 1980 to 1987, Art held a variety of financial, M&A;, and operations positions with The Charter Company, and was a CPA with Arthur Andersen & Co. from 1976 to 1980.

Until its recent sale to NTT, Art served as a director of Verio (VRIO). He is also chairman of Fortune Financial, Inc. (FORU), director of Encore, Inc. and FCC, Inc. Art is a graduate of Stetson University School of Business with a degree in Accounting.

Thomas Koeneke has been a practicing attorney for 26 years and managing partner of Ellis, Koeneke & Ramirez, L.L.P., law firm since 1982. Mr. Koeneke holds Bachelor degrees of Arts and Science from the University of Colorado, and a law degree from Baylor University. He was elected to the Interlegal-International Network of Lawyers in 2002.

In addition to practicing law, Mr. Koeneke has been an active participant in the conservation of wildlife habitat and historical structures for over twenty years. He also has been involved with farming and ranching in Colorado and Texas.

Mr. Koeneke was a founding director and officer of The Valley Land Fund, a non-profit land trust in south Texas. He has served as a director for Los Caminos del Rio, Inc., and the Hidalgo County 4-H Foundation.

He also participated in the Trust for Public Lands' National Land Counselor Program. He is now proud to be a founding director for the Images for Conservation Fund.

Edward H. Munoz has a successful 30-year leadership record in the global chemical and plastics industry, and in emerging technologies.

Mr. Mu�oz joined the Hoechst Celanese organization in 1988 as Director of Manufacturing for Engineering Resins. In 1990, he was promoted to Vice President and General Manager of the Plastics Division of Hoechst Celanese, and in the following year, became President of the Advanced Materials Group.

He held several Senior and CEO positions with Celanese and the Hoechst Corporate Group, including CEO of Ticona (1999-2002) and the Mexican Celanese subsidiary, Celanese Mexicana, S.A. (1993-1995), at that time the largest privately owned chemical processing company in Mexico, with sales of over one billion dollars. Mr. Mu�oz went on to serve as President for the Worldwide Pigments Strategic Business Unit of Hoechst, AG, in Frankfurt, Germany (1996-1998), and as President of Worldwide Technical Fibers, Hoechst the following two years.

In 2002, he co-founded the Mu�oz Investment Banking Group.

Mr. Mu�oz is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Texas-Pan American Foundation and a member of the Council of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He was a Charter Member of the Executive Committee of the Bilateral (U.S.-Mexico) Business Council for Sustainable Development of the Gulf of Mexico, and Chairman of the International Advisory Council of Texas A&M; University at Corpus Christi. Ed is an avid nature photographer, and committed to the conservation of wildlife habitat.

He holds a B.S. degree in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Texas, and an MBA degree from Texas A&M; University.

Pat currently works in Dallas for Stancil & Co. as a financial analyst. She specializes in Oil & Gas Mergers & Acquisitions. When not working, she and husband Topp Robertson enjoying flying to birding and wildlife locations like the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

Pat helps charities in many ways such as board development, capital campaigns and projects like the upcoming book, Images for Conservation: Inaugural Texas Hill Country Edition. This is the color photo book that will showcase the winners of the world's first Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. Pat and her team, which includes Diane Smith (San Antonio, Texas), are working on this beautiful and educational book which will be delivered in early November 2006.

Pat is a graduate of Rice University and has spent the last 21 years working in the finance arena. She has experience in international finance, internal audit and financial investments. In her spare time she has volunteered with many charitable organizations over the years, including The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council and The Valley Land Fund. She has a special interest in land trusts and tax accounting for charities and businesses.

At the age of 16, Gabby Salazar is dually enrolled as a junior in high school and a first-year student at Guilford College. She resides in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. Gabby began photography at age 12, and what started as a hobby to share with her father has become a defining point in her life and her artistic medium.

Gabby attended the 2002 Summit of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) as the youngest participant of the NANPA Infinity Foundation Student Scholarship Program. During the 2002 Summit she began to plan the creation of a Youth Committee that would actively involve young people as NANPA members. This committee is now its first year.

Gabby has a deeply embedded love for nature photography and plans to incorporate photography into her career. She is strongly committed to help open the world of photography and conservation to other young people so that they will be prepared to take the lead in the coming years. Student involvement is key in offering fresh perspectives and innovate ideas, and, as the Youth Director for ICF, Gabby is eager to pursue this endeavor.

Gabby placed in the top 7% of photographers in the 2002 Photographers� Forum contest through Photographers� Forum magazine. She also was featured in Shutterbug magazine�s Student Union in March of 2003. She was named the �Youth Category Overall Winner� in Nature�s Best International Photo Contest 2003. She has been published in Nature�s Best magazine, and has a photograph on display in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Gabby �s photography earned her the prestigious title of BBC Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Additionally, her work has been published in a number of calendars and newsletters. She has traveled to Russia and nearly a dozen different states, strictly for photographic pursuits. She funds these photographic ventures through the sale of fine art prints at local galleries and restaurants. For supplemental income, she also runs a portrait business called �Moments to Remember.�

As Chairman of PRONATURA, an organization dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity throughout the Republic of Mexico, Mr. Zambrano leads the way for ICF in bringing the Pro-Tour to his country.

The mission of PRONATURA is: "la conservaci�n de la flora, la fauna y los ecosistemas prioritarios, promoviendo un desarrollo de la sociedad en armon�a con la naturaleza" with a goal to build conservation awareness and to establish its photo tourism industry.

Roberto Zambrano is a member of the Board of Directors for CEMEX, as well as the Texas Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which has endorsed The ICF Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. In 2000, The Nature Conservancy�s International Division bestowed to him its Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is a member of CONABIO, the Mexican Council for Sustainable Development, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), which has also endorsed the ICF Pro-Tour.

Coming from the Huasteca Canyon area of the Sierra Madre near Monterrey, Mexico, Mr. Zambrano earned an engineering degree from Instituto Tecnol�gico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. His career background is in manufacturing and marketing.

Roberto Zambrano is an accomplished nature photographer, and he is currently developing a photo book on the nesting and development of hummingbirds.

Mr. Zessin has traveled the world extensively pursuing his photography hobby, especially since his life-changing trip to Africa in 1990, and his appreciation of wildlife has deepened dramatically over the last 14 years. He is an excellent public speaker of habitat protection and has given more than 100 slide shows of wildlife, landscapes and unique cultures to various Audubon clubs, civic clubs, colleges and museums.

Mr. Zessin holds a BA of Business in Marketing from Western Illinois University. He is member of the North American Nature Photography Association and the Audubon Outdoor Club.

In 2000, Mr. Zessin formed a group of volunteers in 10 counties surrounding Corpus Christi, Texas, and created the $75,000 Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest, planning its fourth biennial competition. The "Kritters 4 Kids" program he recently introduced has become a powerful medium for teaching elementary school children about local wildlife, ecosystems, and habitat management.

Mr. Zessin has been a driving force in bringing the cause of wildlife protection through the power of photography. He sees the Pro-Tour of Nature Photography as a most exciting avenue to showcase the beauty of our wildlife and our need for conserving it.