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DU Iowa Takes National Award

DES MOINES - TEAM Iowa DU has adopted a "No Excuses" attitude about helping Ducks Unlimited achieve it's vision of "Wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever." The results of this commitment became apparent as TEAM Iowa DU was recognized recently at DU's national convention for performance and innovation.

"This recognition was accomplished during a time that will be marked as economically challenging on many levels," said Dave Haggard, DU Iowa state chairman. "Iowa persevered because we have a passion for our mission. We don't let challenges become excuses, and we have a commitment to our team and emphasize that by the way we identify ourselves - "TEAM Iowa DU."

The Des Moines legal and public affairs firm Brown Winnick, along with DU volunteers and staff, won one of only four Wings of Innovation awards for government relations work in support of Iowa's initiative for sustainable natural resources funding. Brown Winnick's Nancy Boyd, Michael Treinen and Marc Beltrame provided tactical recommendations and lobbying support on the measure, all pro-bono.

"The pro-bono government relations support offered by Brown Winnick has proven to be critical in the continued success of the sustainable funding measure," said Joe Satrom, a DU director of public policy. "The firm did an excellent job of monitoring legislative activity and advisingDU staff and key volunteers on the status of proposed measure."

Also honored with the award were Iowa volunteer and national conservation programs committee member Bob Shimanek, former state chairman Jim Thomas, current chairman Haggard, DU representatives on the sustainable funding committee Tammy Kircher and Jon Kruse, DU Director of Conservation Programs Ryan Heiniger and DU Director of Public Policy Satrom.

As a result of Iowa's strong TEAM effortIowa DU's state chairman was recognized as one of the top in the nation after comparisons were made with other state chairs on an Olympic scoring metric. Some of the categories included Grassroots Net Income percent Increase, Adult Event Membership percent Increase, New Volunteers percent Increase, Total New Life Sponsor Pledges per Regional Director Region and Net New Chapter/Events percent Increase.

Iowa was also recognized as ranking in top ten in the following grassroots categories:

Total Income Ladies Events - 3rd
Total Greenwings - 7th
Total Members - 8th
New Feather Society Pledges - 9th
Total Grassroots Income - 9th
Total new Life Sponsors - 10th
Event Dollars per capita - 10th
Total Sponsors - 10th

In addition to the honors already listed, chapters across Iowa received recognition for outstanding performance:

University Chapter "Sweet Sixteen" - Iowa State University Recognized as one of the Nations "Top Ten" Performing Chapter 

 Northeast Iowa (Waterloo) Recognized as one of the Nation's Top 100 Chapters

 Jones County

 Webster County

Winnebago/Hancock Count

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands nature's most productive ecosystem and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.