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.

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.

Dayna Cartwright is a native Texan whose family has owned a ranch along the Nueces River in the Texas Hill Country for several generations. She graduated with degrees in English and Journalism from Texas A&M; University and began her career with the San Antonio Express-News, where she was responsible for increasing revenue through the creation of new projects. During her successful decade at the newspaper, she launched more than 300 special projects including the highly acclaimed Express-News High School Sports Show, a weekly 30-minute television show which received wide community support. Several of her projects won "First Place" and "Best of Show" wins through national newspaper trade association contests and are still continued at the newspaper nearly a decade later.

Cartwright eventually shifted her focus to broadcast media with stints in television and radio and later became Media Buyer for Our Lady of the Lake University system, where she purchased all print, broadcast, and outdoor media for the private university's 6 campuses throughout Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. During her time in that role, the University significantly increased its profile within the community and across the state, and garnered increased enrollment for the Weekend Degree program.

After nearly two decades in media, Cartwright began her own company in early 2004. As owner of Cartwright Media Group Incorporated, her company publishes Travelhost Magazine of the Texas Hill Country, where she is Publisher/ Editor. Concentrating on tourism and relocation throughout the Texas Hill Country, the magazine was nominated as New Business of the Year in 2004 by the Boerne Chamber of Commerce and has already become the leading visitor publication in the area.

Cartwright is a member of several organizations including the Boerne Chamber of Commerce, Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Kerrville Chamber of Commerce, Bandera Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Hill Country Homebuilder's Association, and the Texas A&M; Former Students Association. She has been active on several past boards and has volunteered her time with many organizations including the American Marketing Association, the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Season Ticket Committee, and Leadership Boerne (Class of 2004-2005), and several charitable causes.

She has guest lectured for MBA-level marketing courses on the topics of advertising, promotion and marketing and has also written articles for a variety of business, trade, and tourism publications.

Cartwright spends weekends with her family on the ranch, where she is a great lover of nature. She makes her home in Boerne, where her husband is Publisher of the Boerne Star newspaper and an operating partner with a Texas newspaper group that owns dozens of community newspapers across the state.

He has published his photos in the Exxon Calendar and in Erwin and Peggy Bauer's book Bears; Behavior, Ecology, Conservation. Rod also has a line of note cards and postcards as well as fine art prints. He does numerous presentations each year to groups and organizations to further nature photography and conservation. Recently, he has begun setting up guided and unguided photo shoots for photographers on private lands in the Texas Hill Country.

Rod is a charter member of the North American Nature Photography Association as well as being a member of the Central Texas Hills and Rivers Region board of directors and steering committee.

Rod is married to Kaylan and has a ten year old son, Zac, who also loves photography.

He is now a rancher and consultant on fish, wildlife and the environment.

His major professional activities and awards include: President and member of founding committee, World Aquaculture Society (1974); First President of the U.S. Aquaculture Society (1989-1991); Board of Directors, Texas Aquaculture Association (1970-1982); Superior Science Award for Fisheries, Texas Ag. Extension Service (1970); Distinguished Service Award, Texas Aquaculture Association (1971 & 1991); Certified Wildlife Biologist, The Wildlife Society (1980); Professor of the Year, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, TAMU (1988-90); Wildlife Conservationist of the Year, Texas Natural Resources Conservation Service (1997); Lifetime Achievement Award, U.S. Aquaculture Association (1998); Friend of Wildlife Award, Texas Wildlife Association (2000); and Honorary Life Member, Texas Chapter, The Wildlife Society (2004)

Dr. Klussmann is Chairman and Founder of the Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Wildlife Association and the President and Founder of the Texas Youth Hunting Association. He also serves as Chairman of the State Wildlife Committee of the Texas Farm Bureau and is on the Executive Board of the Office of Rural Community Affairs and the Texas Wildlife Association,

He is a Director and the Policy Development Committee Chairman for the Gillespie County Farm Bureau and a Board member of the Natural Resource Foundation of Texas. He also has been a speaker on Environmental Issues and Endangered Species at Congressional Hearings and 20 Area Meetings attended by 5,000 people.

He is currently a member of the: State Animal Health Committee; Agriculture and Wildlife Committee (appointed by then-Governor Bush); Black-Capped Vireo Recovery Team, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and the Quail Council & White-tailed Deer Committee, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

TWA is a statewide organization whose membership controls many millions of acres of wildlife habitat. TWA is absolutely devoted to the perpetuation of wildlife, wildlife management, hunting, private property rights, and water for wildlife. TWA also participates at the national level with similar groups.

Mr. Langford also is a professional photographer of nature, wildlife and western images. He has won many national and international awards and is published worldwide.

His family has been in the ranching and flour milling businesses in Texas since 1851. He operates a family ranch with cattle and hunting.

Mr. Langford was appointed and re-appointed by then-Texas Governor George W. Bush to serve as a member of the Agricultural Resources Protection Authority. He also was appointed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman to serve on TPWD's first-ever Hunting Advisory Committee (where he served as Co-Chair), and TPWD's first-ever Education and Outreach Advisory Committee, where he serves on its Executive Committee.

Mr. Langford was elected to the first-ever Board of the Texas Nature Tourism Association. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of Texas Wild! and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service's Renewable Natural Resources Extension Act Advisory Committee. He is the recipient of the 2004 Harvey Weil Professional Conservationist Award.

Mr. Langford has testified before Congress, the Texas Legislature, and federal and state agencies regarding private lands concerns, water and natural resources issues, and hunting matters. He has been a guest on many TV and radio programs and is author of hundreds of articles on all of these subjects. He also has presented programs on these matters to: real estate boards, brokers, licensing programs and homebuilding associations; real estate appraisers; University of Texas/Austin Law School; agricultural associations, landowner groups and hunter/sportsmen's groups; elected officials at all levels of government and Chambers of Commerce; and many other groups in the business and non-profit communities.

Texas A&M; University, Class of 1963, (Marketing). Served 1961-65 in the United States Marine Corps. University of Texas/Austin, Class of 1968, (Marketing, With Honors).

He is a Member of the Society for Range Management, American Society of Media Photographers, Texas Outdoor Writers Association, The Wildlife Society (Texas Chapter), NRA (Life Member), Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and the Boone & Crockett Club.

Stan Meador is founder and general manager of the recreational division for his family's five-generation ranch near Eldorado, Texas. He has a BA in public relations and marketing from Texas Tech University with an emphasis in international marketing. Stan completed four exchange programs and has lived in The Netherlands, Spain and Mexico. Along with his family they have expanded their traditional ranching operation to include "ranching people" on the X Bar Ranch.

With eight plus years of experience in the nature tourism industry, Stan adds to the already-deep pool of knowledge as a member of the Executive Advisory Board and a consultant for AdventGX, a tourism development consulting company. He also serves as the vice-chair of the Texas Nature Tourism Council and is a member of the Legislative Affairs Committee, both associated with the Texas Travel Industry Association. As well, Stan serves on the Texas Mountain Bike Racers Association board. He is a founding board member and past president of the Texas Forts Trail, a regional cultural heritage tourism initiative. Most recently, he graduated from the Texas Agriculture Lifetime Leadership (TALL) program.

Locally, he is a past president of the Schleicher County Chamber of Commerce and served on an advisory committee for the Rural Challenge Trust Grant. Stan also serves as vice-chair of the Southwest Texas Tourism Partnership, which includes furthering tourism efforts in a six county region.

In recent years Stan has been invited to speak to a variety of groups and associations on subjects related to nature tourism and the same as it relates to agriculture diversification. Under his direction, the X Bar Ranch has been recognized statewide and nationally as a successful example of a diversified ranch operation and has received substantial editorial coverage on the ranch's nature tourism program for being a leader in the field.

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.