Glen is an Assistant Provost Radford University Carilion, in Virginia. His over 30 years in higher education and experience as a firefighter/paramedic has created a unique mix of backgrounds that fuels Glen’s passion for educating people on the safe practices of tree stand use. Glen is an active Hunter Education Instructor in Virginia and a member of the Virginia Tree Stand Safety Team. Glen’s education includes an undergraduate degree in Healthcare Administration, a Master’s degree in Education and a Doctorate in Health Sciences. Glen has published articles and presented at the local, state, national and international levels on various topics, including research conducted on tree stand safety and hunter’s attitudes and behaviors toward tree stand safety. In his leisure time, Glen enjoys music with his wife, Karen, and listening to their son, Hunter perform. Glen also spends time teaching hunter education, hunting and fishing with his son.
After serving as a member of the Indianapolis Fire Department for 26 years, Sean retired to pursue a career in the business world. As the Chief Operating Officer for the American Hunting Lease Association, Sean is responsible for educating landowners and hunters about the benefits hunting leases. Sean’s work allows him to speak with hunters from all over the United States. Since hunting, fishing and the outdoors have always been Sean’s passions, he feels spending time with like-minded individuals is a true blessing. Sean lives in Indianapolis with his wife of 25 years and his two daughters. In addition to hunting, Sean enjoys tennis, reading and the roar of Indy cars.
Jay Everett is the Marketing Manager for Hunter Safety System. Prior to joining Hunter Safety System in 2013, Jay was an owner and co-founder of the consumer hunting expo, Big Buck Expo, in Lakeland, FL. One of Jay’s first initiatives at Hunter Safety System was to enlist greater involvement of hunting industry leaders in the cause of tree stand safety. That initiative became the seed for the Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation. Jay is married with four children. His interests include time with family, hunting and fishing. Jay is a graduate of Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business.
Laden Force is a young career man of the outdoor industry, now working as a Vice President at ChessFight Marketing, a full-scale marketing and creative agency, and moonlighting as a Cohost of The Given Right TV on the Sportsman Channel. Raised on his family farm in northern Missouri, he cut his teeth on hunting white-tailed deer, eastern turkeys, waterfowl and quail. Laden is now an avid outdoorsman that thrives on pursuing game with a bow and sharing his passion with his three sons. He has been lucky enough to move back to small-town Northeast Missouri, where he and his wife, Jordan, are raising Stone, Wilder and Zee.
Jerry spent his early years in the airline and insurance industries before starting Hunter Safety System with his brother, John Wydner and best friend, Jim Barta in 2001. “Another life saved” is the reason why Jerry and the Hunter Safety System team creates innovative hunting safety products for their fellow hunters. Married for 40 years to his high school sweetheart Mary, Jerry and his wife have two children and four grandchildren. Family and work are Jerry’s passions and his hobbies include hunting, fishing and grandchildren.
Tom Gallagher has been actively involved in the outdoors industry for over four decades and has played an instrumental role in the evolution of tree stands and related hunting products. Tom is a retired Cabela’s Vice President of Merchandizing in Hunting. Tom also serves on the Board of Directors of Hunter Specialties and previously served on the Boards of the Archery Trade Association (ATA) and the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association (TMA).
Tony Overbaugh is the CEO of Trophy Treestands, Inc.; which launched in 2019 specializing in hunting treestands, blinds, and accessories. Trophy Treestands is a innovative treestand company that builds its products on the Gold Standards of safety, quality, and top-notch customer service. Previously, Tony was the CEO and owner of X-Stand Treestand until he sold it in 2014. Tony’s nearly 25 years of experience in the outdoor industry brings extensive knowledge and experience to the growing hunting market. Tony has accomplished many milestones during his impressive industry tenure including: inventing the original jaw safety system that has revolutionized ladder stand safety, awarded Field and Stream Best of the Best Product, and designed the worlds lightest climbing treestand. Tony is respected in the industry as several of Tony’s designs have transformed the hunting industry over the years. Many are now used as standards across the industry by other outdoor companies who see the importance of safety and innovation. Tony resides in Virginia with his wife, Julie and their three children.
Megan Fedrick, IHEA-USA Director of Partnerships and Development, has spent 24 years working in wildlife conservation. She began her career as a fisheries biologist and officer in the Mississippi Delta managing public waterways, providing technical assistance to landowners, and enforcing wildlife and fisheries regulations. She was the MS Wildlife Federation Officer of the Year in 2003. She transitioned from fisheries to the role of an outreach educator and eventually the Director of Education for the MS Museum of Natural Science. Megan spent six years training conservation officer cadets at the state training academy, as well as administering the Hunter Education program for the state. She eventually oversaw the management of the state shooting ranges and served as Mississippi’s Boating Law Administrator. She worked intensively with training officers on investigating hunting and boating-related incidents. In 2021, Megan became the first female law enforcement Major in her agency’s 90-year history. In her current position, Megan connects IHEA-USA with national partners, communicates with state administrators, and provides training for law enforcement and instructors alike. She oversees the IHEA Hunting Incident Academy and the IHEA Hunting Incident Database. Megan and her husband Bryan, a wildlife biologist, and their son J.D. live in central Mississippi.
Marilyn leads the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) as its Executive Directors and is a two-term board member of the Archery Trade Association. NBEF is a global nonprofit is dedicated to bowhunter safety and education through standardized curriculum. She has served on the NBEF Board of Directors since 1996. In recognition of her contributions to the archery and hunting community, Bentz has received the prestigious Fred Bear Achievement Award. In 2005, Bentz was inducted into The Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame. She began her career in the outdoor industry through a professional connection with renowned entrepreneur Chuck Saunders. Bentz advanced through key leadership roles in top archery and hunting companies, including National Sales Manager and Director of Marketing at Saunders Archery, followed by senior positions such as Director of Sales and Marketing and Vice President of National Sales at McKenzie Targets, Knight & Hale/Code Blue–PRADCO, and Golden Eagle/Satellite Archery/Bear Archery/North American Archery.
Mitch Strobl has dedicated his career to developing technology that connects people to the outdoors. He was instrumental in the development of online hunter education courses and videos that teach hunters across the country how to be safe, responsible, and legal hunters. He also works with State Fish & Wildlife agencies to develop online license sales systems and mobile applications to streamline buying and using licenses and tags. Mitch lives with his wife in Dallas, Texas. Family, work, and hunting are Mitch’s passions. His hobbies include fly-fishing, baseball, photography and woodworking.
I had over 20 years of experience at Summit Treestands. I joined the company at a young age of 19 and never looked back. My passion is making sure that hunters are safe and secure to insure that they enjoy each and every hunt, and then return to their friend and family to share the great outdoor stories and experiences. I am currently serving in the role of Brand Manager, responsible for the overall direction of the Summit Brand. I live in Huntsville, AL with my wife, Phoebe, and my daughters, Morgan and Emma. Like me, my family shares a passion for the outdoors- from hunting, fishing, and camping to college football and outdoor sports- we love it all!
With over 25 years with Realtree, David is a familiar face in the outdoor world. David is VP of Television and Video Production – that means he wears a lot of hats at Realtree. He serves as co-host, along with Bill and Tyler Jordan on Realtree Outdoors on Outdoor Channel and Monster Bucks TV on Sportsman Channel. David’s main responsibility at Realtree is to “fly the flag” at various industry and consumer events around the country and to represent Jordan Outdoor Enterprises in a positive and ethical manner. David lives in LaGrange, GA and plays golf with his three sons as much as possible. David says it’s the ultimate foursome. A University of Georgia alum with a degree in Ag Economics, David is quick to tell you he considers himself “blessed beyond measure” and strive to glorify God in everything he does.
Melissa Neely is a Wildlife Biologist with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. She oversees Region 5 Sportsman Education Program, Upland Gamebird Program, and manages several Wildlife Management Areas. In addition, Melissa works locally with nuisance and conservation projects concerning bear, moose and deer. Previously, Melissa worked on projects across the country including marine biology in the Bahamas island of Eleuthera and raptor ecology in New Mexico. Melissa received the International Hunter Education Association’s Edward Kozicky Award in 2012 and 2013. Her hobbies include hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and camping. She currently serves on the International Hunter Education Association Board as Vice-President. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.