OFFICERS

Steve Scott
Chairman, 2007 - 2008
Director, term ends 2008
Norman, Oklahoma

Steve Scott is a lawyer, a college professor and the producer of two award-winning television series on the VERSUS Network: Safari Hunter’s Journal and Steve Scott’s Outdoor Guide. In addition, he is co-executive producer, with the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, of Western Hunting Television. An avid communicator, Scott speaks regularly to outdoor and civic groups, discussing topics on sports and entertainment law, personal finance, wildlife conservation and hunters’ rights. He was the “Personal Finance” columnist for The Daily Oklahoman for several years, and has written for many publications, including Petersen’s Hunting, African Sporting Gazette, Game Trails, Outdoor Guide Magazine, The Hunting Report and The Bird Hunting Report. Scott is married to Libby, and has three beautiful “hunting buddy” daughters, Hayley, Madeline and Alexa.

Judd Cooney
President, 2007 - 2008
Director, term ends 2009
Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Cooney has been active in the outdoor writing and photography fields since 1964. In 2001, Cooney was inducted into the Bowhunter's Hall of Fame and he has been a senior member of the Pope and Young Club since 1980. During the past 41 years, while Cooney has written about and photographed the outdoor experience full-time, he's also provided guiding and outfitting services. Cooney's specialty is hunting but he's covered a vast array of subjects, from politics to flowers. His images have graced the covers of Outdoor Life, Sportsmen's Bowhunting, Colorado Outdoors, Harris Publications, Vulcan Publications, Aqua Field Annuals, American Hunter, Deer & Deer Hunting and many more. Cooney is currently the calling editor for Fur, Fish & Game, and he has a column titled "Cooney's Corner" in Predator Extreme. Cooney has also authored three books: Advanced Scouting for Whitetails, Bowhunter’s Field Manual and Decoying Big Game.

Chris Chaffin
Treasurer, 2006 - 2007 & 2007 - 2008
Director, term ends 2009
Melbourne Beach, FL

Chaffin is President and CEO of Chaffin Communications, Inc. and former vice-president of public relations and conservation – and the executive director of Fish & Wildlife Journal and STEP OUTSIDE TV for The Outdoor Channel. Former positions also include director of PR/Conservation Partnerships and SHOT Show press room manager for NSSF. Chaffin has been an outdoor communicator for more than 30 years. He combined his degree in communications – with emphasis on public relations and advertising – with his love of the outdoors and spent 20 years as an information officer and supervisor for both the Utah and Idaho state wildlife management agencies. He also did some freelance writing and photography. Over the last 15 years, he has worked on the national scene representing several prominent components of the outdoor community – promoting hunting, fishing, the shooting sports and conservation. Chaffin served two terms as president of The Association for Conservation Information. He has helped craft national conservation legislation and chaired the IAFWA Education, Outreach and Diversity Committee. Chaffin also served on the national Ballot Issues Coalition Steering Committee and currently sits on the North American Hunting Heritage Steering Committee.

Stephanie Mallory
Secretary 2007 - 2008
Director, term ends 2008
Birmingham, Alabama

Mallory started her career while still in college at as an apprentice for founding POMA board member John E. Phillips. Today, she continues to write for outdoor publications and is a marketing and public relations representative for a variety of outdoor companies. Mallory is intimately involved in POMA<35, the group focused on young and upcoming outdoor communicators and industry professionals. When not working, Mallory spends time with her husband, Brett, and their sons Ethan, who’s already expressing a great interest in the outdoors, and the newest addition to the family, Ransom. In addition to hunting and fishing, Mallory also enjoys traveling, mountain biking, skiing and camping.
 

DIRECTORS

Barbara Baird
Past Secretary, 2006 - 2007
Director, term ends 2008
Rolla, Missouri

Baird is a freelance writer from Missouri who promotes getting outside through stories focused on topics from fish gigging to bouldering. She contributes to the outdoor pages of the Columbia Tribune and the Springfield, MO News-Leader. She is also a freelance editor for local, regional and national publications. Her bylines have appeared in numerous magazines, including America’s 1st Freedom, Turkey Call, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, Women in the Outdoors, Heartland USA, Southern Traveler and Midwest Traveler. She writes two self-syndicated columns, “The Gear Gal” and “The Accidental Ozarkian,” and a new column for The Outdoor Wire called “Babbs in the Woods.” She also writes “Out West” for Turkey Call. Baird is an NRA-certified pistol instructor and teaches handgun-related courses. Baird’s husband, Jason, an avid photographer, often accompanies her on assignments.

Jay Cassell
Director, term ends 2010
New York, New York

Cassell is a veteran editor, writer, book author and outdoorsman who serves as the deputy editor for Field & Stream magazine. After earning an M.A. in magazine journalism from Syracuse, he got his first job as production editor of Outdoor Life. Moving to Sports Afield, he became part of an editorial team that built that magazine into one of the best outdoor magazines in the 1980s and 1990s; then, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cassell went to The Lyons Press and, as its editorial director, helped ramp it up from a small publishing house to one that published more than 270 books a year during his tenure. Cassell has also written for Field & Stream, Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, Petersen's Hunting, Time, Business Week and many other publications. He has hosted a number of outdoor television shows, has written or edited five books, and is working on his sixth.

Michael Faw
Director, term ends 2010
Fort Worth, Texas

As a professional outdoor communicator and photographer for more than two decades, Faw has written works and shot photographs that have appeared in dozens of international, national, regional and state publications. He currently works full-time as a freelance editor, writer and photographer; and covers a wide range of outdoor sports with an emphasis on hunting, shooting and optics. Faw's education and vast outdoors experiences have helped him work as a full- or part-time editor and writer for numerous publications. Working as an editor, Faw learned about the corporate media environment and the challenges faced when preparing magazines, books and electronic media. As a full-time freelancer, he has learned the challenges that today’s writers and photographers face when trying to earn a living and building working relationships within the corporate environment.

Vickie Gardner
Corporate Partner Director, term ends 2008
Rancho Cucamonga, California

Vickie Gardner is an outdoor enthusiast, grandmother of five and the Vice-President of STUFF and Marketing at Alpen Optics, based in Southern California. Gardner and her husband Tim own and operate the 10-year-young, award-winning Alpen Outdoor Corporation. As an outdoor education teacher for many years, Gardner was aware that good optics are an important tool and put that knowledge to use in her marketing of Alpen Optics. Two years ago, Vickie started hunting and fishing to better understand the needs of the outdoor industry. Now, keeping her in the office is a challenge. Her involvement with a multitude of companies and media keep her up to date and in the field.

Andy Lightbody
Director, term ends 2009
Gunnison, Colorado

Lightbody has been an avid outdoorsman since early childhood and has been active in the outdoor writing/journalism field since 1977. He has written several dozen books and hundreds of articles, edited thousands of manuscripts and selected thousands of photos for use in various publications in the U.S. and abroad. Lightbody owns Rocky Mountain Television (RMTV) Network, through which he produces and hosts outdoor-related, syndicated TV programs. Lightbody is also a regional correspondent for Fishing & Hunting News and a regular contributor to many leading outdoor publications.

Bill Miller
Director, term ends 2010
Anoka, Minnesota

Miller is the Vice-President, Media Development & Production of the North American Media Group (NAMG), Executive Producer, North American Outdoors Television and Executive Director of the North American Hunting Club (NAHC). Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin, Miller landed a job as the first-ever associate editor for the North American Hunting Club's (NAHC) North American Hunter magazine. Twenty-three years, 11 magazines, 12 television shows, 10 job titles, dozens of book contributions, two complete NAHC books and millions of words have passed, and Bill remains with the North American Media Group (NAMG). Miller authors an every-issue column for NAH, occasional features, television scripts and some freelance projects. He also hosts North American Hunter on VERSUS Network and ESPN’s Shoot More, Shoot More Often.

MANAGEMENT

Laurie Lee Dovey
Executive Director
Past Secretary 2005 - 2006
Johnstown, PA

Dovey has been crafting outdoor copy for 20 years, with an emphasis on hunting and fishing. Dovey has had over 1,600 articles and 600 images published and has received more than 50 writing and photography awards. In addition to crafting several monthly columns, Dovey writes a wide range of hunting, fishing and technical features for dozens of international and U.S.-based publications. Dovey was a founding board member of POMA and added the POMA executive director position to her full-time freelance writing and photography career in 2006. lldovey@professionaloutdoormedia.org or lld@lldovey.com.

 

Shelly Moore
Executive Assistant
Johnstown, PA

Moore maintains POMA's office in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Shelly manages the day-to-day administrative business, including accounting, banking functions, membership records and databases, application processing and general membership communications. smoore@professionaloutdoormedia.org