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 Images for Conservation Fund, which has established The Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. The first Pro-Tour tournament took place in The Texas Hill Country 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.
Edinburg, Texas
