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2024 National Convention
Restoring Our Great Waters – Taking Action Today to Secure a Better Future
At the Izaak Walton League’s 2024 national convention, conservation advocates from across the country celebrated our historic work to protect the nation’s great waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay, and shared ideas about actions needed today to secure a better future.
We also enjoyed Steven Marking’s performance of “A Visit from Will Dilg” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the League’s success in establishing the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which kickstarted the modern conservation movement.
Issue 3 of Outdoor America magazine will report details about the elections, resolutions, awards and presentations from the convention.
The League’s 2025 national convention will be held July 18-19 at the Tundra Lodge Resort, Waterpark & Conference Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
On the opening morning of the Convention, Executive Director Scott Kovarovics provided a report on what the League has accomplished in the past two years. In a presentation showing measurable progress against the vision statement that then-President Vicki Arnold presented at the Convention in 2022, Scott reminded us that the vision is not “full of gauzy platitudes,” but rather is an actionable roadmap for achieving the organization’s goals.
“Monitoring is a means to an end, not an end in itself,” Scott said. The Clean Water Hub, which makes monitoring data available to decision-makers and the general public, is a great resource for education and advocacy. The national office also offers other resources to help volunteers with advocacy work.
See the slides from Scott’s presentation.
Elections
On an uncontested ballot, the League members present at Convention elected a slate of national officers:
- National President – Jodi Labs
- National Vice President – Herbert Pritchett, Sr.
- National Secretary – Jim Storer
- National Treasurer – Scott Meyer
The sitting members of the Izaak Walton League Endowment Board elected one new colleague and re-elected two incumbents:
- Jim Piateski of Maryland (three-year term)
- Pamela Meara of Virginia (three-year term)
- Ron Moore of Illinois (three-year term)
League members in attendance at the Convention elected three directors to three-year terms on the Executive Board:
- Jack Johnson of Iowa
- Luann Noll of Illinois
- Bill Kelly of Idaho
Resolutions
Delegates voted to adopt a resolution regarding the regulation of dredging effluent. Following a revised resolutions process that gave delegates more time to consult with the chapters they represent, the League membership voted not to adopt a resolution related to incentivizing alternatives to gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment.
The new resolution will be officially added to the League’s policy handbook. It will also appear in the next issue of Outdoor America.
Awards
League chapters, members, volunteers and partners were recognized for accomplishments in conservation, youth engagement, shooting sports and other areas of excellence. A full list of winners is will be available online soon. More information about the honorees will be published in Outdoor America this fall.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.