DALLAS – Dick Davis, a veteran conservation journalist who spent the
last five years as Director of the Texas – Oklahoma Region for the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has been named executive
director of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, effective June 1.
Davis and a current staff of three based in Dallas, will lead
efforts to provide private support for the work of the Texas Parks
& Wildlife Department, for which the foundation is the official
non-profit partner.
“We’re delighted that Dick has come on board,” said Pat Oles,
Chairman of the TPWF board. “We’ve been very impressed with his record
over many years of conservation efforts and in non-profit work. “We
think that he’ll be a great fit for our foundation and will be a great
leader in helping us achieve our potential.”
Davis began his journalistic work on behalf of conservation when
still a high school student in Duncanville by writing articles for the
Dallas Morning News outdoor page. He later served as sports
writer-photographer for the Waco Tribune-Herald, where an article about
his personal tryout with the Dallas Cowboys was named “Best Feature
Story” by the Texas Sports Writers’ Association. In 1975 he began to
publish in such magazines as Outdoor Life, Gray’s Sporting Journal,
Southern Outdoors and Game & Fish Publications.
His award-winning series, “Outdoor Magazine,” first appeared on 150
public television stations, then later on cable. It was three times
named “Best Television Production” by the Outdoor Writers’ Association
of America. The series also won the Theodore Roosevelt Award for
Conservation from the National Outdoor-Travel Film Festival.
While living in Louisiana serving as Outdoor Editor for a major
daily newspaper, his articles won Best News Story, Feature and Column
by the Louisiana Press Association. He also helped found the Louisiana
Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. And, he was
instrumental in the establishment of the Tensas River National Wildlife
Refuge.
“Everything I’ve done in my career, from writing about natural
resource management for newspapers and magazines to producing
television programs to working for other non-profit organizations, has
prepared me for this job,” Davis said. “The people who work for the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have always been among my heroes.
Now to be able to assist them and the department in accomplishing their
conservation goals on behalf of the people of Texas is both an honor
and dream come true.”
During his five years with the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, he helped increase the number of grants to Texas
organizations from about 8 to about 30 annually and the average federal
and private investment rose from $300,000 to $1.5 million a year. He
also established the Texas Legends Award recognizing individuals for
life-long conservation accomplishments. Recipients have been Tobin
Armstrong, Karen & Tim Hixon and Dick Bartlett, all supporters of
the TPWF.
“The Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation has a rich history, from
the outstanding conservationists who have served on its board to the
hundreds of supporters who have contributed to its many efforts and
special projects,” said Davis. “One of my short-term goals will be to
visit with as many of those folks as soon as possible to enlist their
continuing support, engage them again in our work and to invite and
incorporate their suggestions on how to make the foundation stronger in
the future.
“At the same time, we will reach out to new people who may have
never supported ours or any other conservation organization, invite
them to join our team and help ensure the permanent protection and
management of Texas’ unique natural resources.”
– Lake Mohave
– Lake Mohave
