BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA –-(Ammoland.com)- William M. Yandell III has been appointed chairman of the board for Delta Waterfowl.
Yandell, 61, is a lifelong waterfowl hunter and businessman from Memphis, Tennessee. He has served on Delta’s board since October 2012.
“I joined the board because I believed I could make a difference in advancing Delta’s goals and objectives,” he said. “My priorities are to make sure Delta remains financially sound and delivers conservation projects and waterfowl research our members want.”
Yandell has a diverse business background, with experience in agriculture, oil and gas, wireless telecommunications and real estate. In 2010, he became a partner at Heritage Land & Development, a company that redevelops historical buildings. Yandell holds degrees from Woodberry Forest School, Rhodes College and the University of Mississippi Law School. He has been a member of the Mississippi State Bar since 1981.
He started hunting at age 6, taking a single-shot .410 afield for doves. He went on his first duck hunt two years later at a flooded timber club in Mississippi.
“I love any type of wing shooting, but my favorite is duck hunting,” Yandell said. “I like to hunt in all types of environments — marsh, pond or green timber. When I was young, my favorite duck was the ring-necked duck because they are so fast. I remember when hunting with my father, I would want to shoot the ringnecks and he would want to shoot the mallards.”
With Delta’s strong commitment to duck production, conserving breeding duck habitat, hunter recruitment and retention, and leading-edge waterfowl research, the organization is poised to have an even greater impact for duck hunters.
“Our goals for Delta include increasing membership, revenues and operational capacity,” Yandell said.
As chairman, Yandell succeeds Larry Kaumeyer of Edmonton, Alberta, an energy company executive who helped the organization expand delivery of Delta’s Hen House program, Predator Management research and duck habitat programs farther west to better benefit hunters in the Pacific Flyway.
“All of us at Delta would like to thank Larry Kaumeyer for his leadership and vision as board chairman for the past two years,” said Dr. Scott Petrie, Delta’s chief executive officer.
In addition to Yandell’s appointment, Chip Pitfield of Toronto, Ontario, is the new vice chairman, while Paul Douglas of Calgary, Alberta, takes on the role of secretary. William M. Mounger II of Jackson, Mississippi, will continue to serve as treasurer.
Returning Delta board members are Kaumeyer; Charles C. Hager Jr. of Bozeman, Montana; John H. Dobbs Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee; George C. Freeman III of Richmond, Virginia; Daniel C. Hughes Jr. of Jackson, Mississippi; and Ruffner Page of Birmingham, Alabama. Thomas G. Henning of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has joined as a new board member.
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.