DSC Board Elections

[mdwest]

Voting has supposedly now opened for DSC board elections.

Sadly it doesn't appear DSC has gotten its act fully together.

I received an email on Feb 20th saying that on the 21st I'd receive another email from "YesElections" with a specific title, and that voting would be opened..

No follow on email has been received (Ive scrubbed spam, trash, inbox, junk, etc..etc.. using both the specific title they provided and the email domain they provided saying where the email would come from)..

Anyway.. if anyone needs it.. here's a link:

https://www.biggame.org/dsc-voting-members-2025-director-elections/


Some concerns I have going into this election..

The new CEO said in January that he'd be communicating again with membership by late January or early Feb about changes planned for DSC.. to my knowledge no such communication has happened (I certainly haven't gotten an email, received a phone call, etc.. and I know they have my correct email address.. because I got his first email sent after ATL 2025.. and then the email on the 20th saying elections were about to open).. So.. what exactly is going on?

the other primary concern is.. make your own decisions.. but look at the people being considered for the board... (you'll have to do a little research on your own here)..

4 of the 5 people running for positions are on the current board (no change).. 2 of them were very much involved in the ATL decision that I am aware of (unsure about the other 2)..

the 5th person I don't know at all... while she has been in and around the outdoors industry for a while.. her resume gives me a bit of pause.. being the Chief People Officer for a company where some of your principal duties were overseeing diversity and inclusion programs makes me want to know a bit more about exactly who this person is, what their values are, and where they would push the organization moving forward.. Im not sure DEI belongs in a global wildlife conservation organization..



None of this bodes well for me.. DSC certainly made some mistakes in its recent history.. there is a reason the board had a major falling out and had members leave abruptly.. and a reason when the last CEO left he cited (its in the board minutes) that he was uncertain about DSC's future.. a reason why a recent President resigned while still in their term..

I have held out high hope that the organization (specifically the board) would have learned from these mistakes, and in the interest of the future of the organization would be making some course corrections in the interest of saving it..

Based on what Im seeing right now, that doesn't appear to be the case.. it very much looks like to me that they are instead doubling down..

 

[deewayne2003]

the 5th person I don't know at all... while she has been in and around the outdoors industry for a while.. her resume gives me a bit of pause.. being the Chief People Officer for a company where some of your principal duties were overseeing diversity and inclusion programs makes me want to know a bit more about exactly who this person is, what their values are, and where they would push the organization moving forward.. Im not sure DEI belongs in a global wildlife conservation organization..

Wow.... I looked into it

She's also an ambassador for "Sporting Lead Free"

WHO WE ARE — Sporting Lead-Free

Sporting Lead-Free is a non-political, educational initiative working to reduce inadvertent lead consumption by wildlife and people through the voluntary choice of lead-free ammunition and tackle.

www.sportingleadfree.org

 

[wesheltonj]

I received the voting email very early this morning. Not sure which one or ones to vote for. I do personally know one of them and another by name only.

DEI for Orvis and Lead Free, really?

 

[AimSmall]

So, I guess you do realize the DSC nominating committee will accept nominees from any member?

Did you propose any nominees?

Who were they and what were their qualifications?

 

[Green Chile]

Well...I have gotten numerous emails this week from DSC on banquet tickets, crawfish boils and other hoopla. I have gotten no emails from them on elections or significant updates.

 

[K-man]

My ballot went into my spam folder, I found it yesterday. Not much bio available on the nominees from DSC. I am a bit dismayed at the lack of communication from DSC as to the lackluster performance from the convention. And I am a Chapter board member! I hold out hope that the rest of the DSC board will get the ship righted and sailing well again

 

[mdwest]

So, I guess you do realize the DSC nominating committee will accept nominees from any member?

Did you propose any nominees?

Who were they and what were their qualifications?

A decade as a life member, a wife that’s been a life member for a decade, volunteer/DSC 100 for 6 shows… attended +/- 8-10 monthly meetings every year for years back when they were doing that.. personal relationships with past presidents, past board members, and the former CEO…

Yeah… there’s a pretty good chance I know what the process is…

If you’re in tune with how DSC works internally you already know the answer to your underlying question… as do others here that have been involved with the organization for years… (why weren’t others nominated)…

If you’re paying attention on AH and tracking posts by myself and others expressing concern, you also know the problems aren’t new, that numerous people (vendors and members) have communicated those problems with multiple board members and have made attempts to be involved in problem resolution to no avail.. almost everyone that has expressed concern for the better part of a year at this point has also expressed that they want the organization to succeed… but the organization appears intent on failure..

I don’t find it a coincidence that today I got a phone call from someone that was deeply affiliated with DSC for more than 20 years… that stated “the organization we used to know and love has ceased to exist and and will not ever return”… this person had a business relationship with the organization for a very long time and knows the current and past leadership most likely better than anyone that has participated in this and other threads on AH (recognizing that many participating know DSC extremely well)…

 

[jpr9954]

I got my ballot yesterday. Not saying anything about the quality of the existing board or the nominees because I really don't know but it was a joy to be able to vote online. Unlike the NRA which is still stuck in the 20th Century with only paper ballots, at least this is something the DSC is doing right.

 

[mdwest]

I got my ballot yesterday. Not saying anything about the quality of the existing board or the nominees because I really don't know but it was a joy to be able to vote online. Unlike the NRA which is still stuck in the 20th Century with only paper ballots, at least this is something the DSC is doing right.

Very valid.

 

[Green Chile]

I don’t find it a coincidence that today I got a phone call from someone that was deeply affiliated with DSC for more than 20 years… that stated “the organization we used to know and love has ceased to exist and and will not ever return”… this person had a business relationship with the organization for a very long time and knows the current and past leadership most likely better than anyone that has participated in this and other threads on AH (recognizing that many participating know DSC extremely well)…

That does not sound good!

 

[Philip Glass]

I received my ballot, did some research and read bios, and then chose to vote for one person only yesterday. As a Texan, seeing 3 out of the five not being from Texas, has me in agreement that Dallas Safari Club is certainly changing. I suppose that is progress but if an entity loses it's identity for the sake of growth then I don't think it is a good thing.
I am hoping for the best for DSC.

 

[Green Chile]

I received my ballot, did some research and read bios, and then chose to vote for one person only yesterday. As a Texan, seeing 3 out of the five not being from Texas, has me in agreement that Dallas Safari Club is certainly changing. I suppose that is progress but if an entity loses it's identity for the sake of growth then I don't think it is a good thing.
I am hoping for the best for DSC.

I saw the same thing by going to Dave's posted link. I don't think I ever did receive the direct email with ballot. There is definitely a trend away from TX and saying "Dallas Safari Club".

 

[jpr9954]

When it comes to DSC, I'm something of a newbie and thus much of the discussion of the problems with the organization, the board, Corey Mason leaving, etc. is over my head. I only joined in 2022 and went to my first convention because everyone I knew who had attended said it was a friendlier, less mercenary convention. I should add that none of these people were Texans so it wasn't a case of rooting for the home team.

I've read some posts here and on the "other forum" alluding to issues with the board, etc. I understand the disappointment about moving the convention to Atlanta and not some city in Texas. Weather, location, and a competing event made the 2025 convention something of a fiasco and I was there.

So at the risk of opening a can of worms, will someone spell it out for me? If you prefer, DM is OK.

I should add that I've become a board member for our NC/SC DSC chapter. The DSC home office people I have worked with as we get ready for our 1st even tomorrow have been great.

 

[Rare Breed]

Voting has supposedly now opened for DSC board elections.

Sadly it doesn't appear DSC has gotten its act fully together.

I received an email on Feb 20th saying that on the 21st I'd receive another email from "YesElections" with a specific title, and that voting would be opened..

No follow on email has been received (Ive scrubbed spam, trash, inbox, junk, etc..etc.. using both the specific title they provided and the email domain they provided saying where the email would come from)..

Anyway.. if anyone needs it.. here's a link:

https://www.biggame.org/dsc-voting-members-2025-director-elections/


Some concerns I have going into this election..

The new CEO said in January that he'd be communicating again with membership by late January or early Feb about changes planned for DSC.. to my knowledge no such communication has happened (I certainly haven't gotten an email, received a phone call, etc.. and I know they have my correct email address.. because I got his first email sent after ATL 2025.. and then the email on the 20th saying elections were about to open).. So.. what exactly is going on?

the other primary concern is.. make your own decisions.. but look at the people being considered for the board... (you'll have to do a little research on your own here)..

4 of the 5 people running for positions are on the current board (no change).. 2 of them were very much involved in the ATL decision that I am aware of (unsure about the other 2)..

the 5th person I don't know at all... while she has been in and around the outdoors industry for a while.. her resume gives me a bit of pause.. being the Chief People Officer for a company where some of your principal duties were overseeing diversity and inclusion programs makes me want to know a bit more about exactly who this person is, what their values are, and where they would push the organization moving forward.. Im not sure DEI belongs in a global wildlife conservation organization..



None of this bodes well for me.. DSC certainly made some mistakes in its recent history.. there is a reason the board had a major falling out and had members leave abruptly.. and a reason when the last CEO left he cited (its in the board minutes) that he was uncertain about DSC's future.. a reason why a recent President resigned while still in their term..

I have held out high hope that the organization (specifically the board) would have learned from these mistakes, and in the interest of the future of the organization would be making some course corrections in the interest of saving it..

Based on what Im seeing right now, that doesn't appear to be the case.. it very much looks like to me that they are instead doubling down..

My question is in all seriousness as much as all of us respect you why are you not on the board? You would be awesome for this! The same for @Philip Glass but he is already so involved for all of us in SCI (Thanks!!!!!)

 

[mdwest]

My question is in all seriousness as much as all of us respect you why are you not on the board? You would be awesome for this! The same for @Philip Glass but he is already so involved for all of us in SCI (Thanks!!!!!)

The real answer is a lot more complex… but the simple/short answer is… while I love DSC and used to be a whole lot more involved in the organization than I currently am, I’ve made no attempt to get on the board for a handful of reasons…

I’m the CEO of a mid market sized firm that keeps me very busy, has an associated travel schedule, etc..

I sit on the board of that same firm

Until recently I also sat on the board of a very busy O&G start up

And, I sit on the board of 2x different non profits (one tied to charitable work in South Africa.. the other is tied to youth shooting sports)…

My strategic focus is already spread thinner than it probably should be.. I don’t know that there’s much more left to give to anyone else and actually do it right and provide the level of commitment DSC should expect from its board…

Then add in 2 smaller scale businesses that I help run/maintain with my wife, a pretty healthy international hunt / travel schedule (we’ll be abroad 4 1/2 weeks this year hunting), and all the other things I do (like burning time on AH lol)… the little bit of time I’ve got left typically gets spent with family as a priority…

That’s not to say I don’t stay very involved in the hunting community… I had dinner last night with a South African outfitter that has an operation in the Eastern Cape to chat about how we can partner to help out an orphanage that’s a few miles down the road from his property, I obviously spend quite a bit of time working with Bos en Dal Safaris to try to assist them with their operation, and then I’ve always got some side project in the works like the annual party we host during DSC (TTHA this year), or the PH Course that 10 AH members are attending in Sept, etc..

So I choose to stay plugged in, maintain relationships with various past and present leaders in a variety of hunt and shoot organizations (including DSC), chat/advise/suggest/recommend/assist or just talk as appropriate… and hope to bring several different groups some measure of value along the way.. but don’t really think I’ve got the dedicated time available that DSC deserves (they have monthly board meetings that last hours, additional meetings and discussions among board members throughout the month, etc)… assuming the organization would even want my contrarian old butt to begin with lol…

 

[Hunt anything]

I received my ballot and voted for 2, I had no trouble at all.

 

[Rare Breed]

The real answer is a lot more complex… but the simple/short answer is… while I love DSC and used to be a whole lot more involved in the organization than I currently am, I’ve made no attempt to get on the board for a handful of reasons…

I’m the CEO of a mid market sized firm that keeps me very busy, has an associated travel schedule, etc..

I sit on the board of that same firm

Until recently I also sat on the board of a very busy O&G start up

And, I sit on the board of 2x different non profits (one tied to charitable work in South Africa.. the other is tied to youth shooting sports)…

My strategic focus is already spread thinner than it probably should be.. I don’t know that there’s much more left to give to anyone else and actually do it right and provide the level of commitment DSC should expect from its board…

Then add in 2 smaller scale businesses that I help run/maintain with my wife, a pretty healthy international hunt / travel schedule (we’ll be abroad 4 1/2 weeks this year hunting), and all the other things I do (like burning time on AH lol)… the little bit of time I’ve got left typically gets spent with family as a priority…

That’s not to say I don’t stay very involved in the hunting community… I had dinner last night with a South African outfitter that has an operation in the Eastern Cape to chat about how we can partner to help out an orphanage that’s a few miles down the road from his property, I obviously spend quite a bit of time working with Bos en Dal Safaris to try to assist them with their operation, and then I’ve always got some side project in the works like the annual party we host during DSC (TTHA this year), or the PH Course that 10 AH members are attending in Sept, etc..

So I choose to stay plugged in, maintain relationships with various past and present leaders in a variety of hunt and shoot organizations (including DSC), chat/advise/suggest/recommend/assist or just talk as appropriate… and hope to bring several different groups some measure of value along the way.. but don’t really think I’ve got the dedicated time available that DSC deserves (they have monthly board meetings that last hours, additional meetings and discussions among board members throughout the month, etc)… assuming the organization would even want my contrarian old butt to begin with lol…

Well done! Congratulations on a life well lived!!!! Completely understand you are spread thin…greatly respect and appreciate your thoughts and posts on AH.