Ducks Unlimited Announces New Chief Conservation Officer

Ducks Unlimited Announces New Chief Conservation Officer – Nick Wiley will lead DU’s conservation programs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Nov. 27, 2017 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced today the hiring of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Executive Director Nick Wiley as its new Chief Conservation Officer (CCO).

“I am pleased to announce that Nick will be joining Ducks Unlimited’s executive team as our Chief Conservation Officer,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “Nick brings a wealth of experience in wildlife management and habitat conservation, and I know he will be a great fit for DU.”

Wiley is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 31 years of experience in fish and wildlife management. He is currently Executive Director of FWC and served as president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) during 2016-17. He is also the current chair of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports.

“While I’ve been honored to be a part of the FWC for nearly 30 years, I’m excited to join Ducks Unlimited and look forward to leading their conservation programs,” Wiley said. “I strongly support DU’s conservation mission, and I’m eager to join their excellent professional team working for the largest wetlands and waterfowl organization in North America.”

Reporting to DU’s CEO, Wiley will serve as a strategic leader and member of DU’s executive leadership team. He will also lead a national/regional department with approximately 215 employees. In addition, Wiley will oversee a conservation program operating budget of more than $100 million.

“The role of Chief Conservation Officer is vital to our growth and success,” Hall said. “To date we have conserved more than 14 million acres of waterfowl habitat across North America, but there is much work yet to be done to fulfill our vision of skies filled with waterfowl today and for future generations. Nick’s experience, enthusiasm and leadership will strengthen our ability
to conserve and restore habitat in the landscapes that are most important to our continent’s waterfowl.”

Wiley will begin his new role in January 2018.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.