Alexa Sandoval and Grant Foster Elected to Mule Deer Foundation Board of Directors

During its meeting at the recent Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) board of directors elected to add Alexa Sandoval and Grant Foster as new board members. In addition, long time board members Dan Harrison and Bob Jacobs transitioned off the board. 

“I know I speak for the entire board when I say that we are excited to have Alexa and Grant join the Mule Deer Foundation board of directors. Both are passionate about mule deer and mule deer hunting and bring important skill sets to our already outstanding board of directors,” MDF President/CEO Joel Pedersen stated. “I also would like to thank Dan Harrison and Bob Jacobs for their many years of service on the board. Each has played a key role as we have undergone significant growth and change at the organization and we appreciate their volunteer leadership.”

Alexa Sandoval retired in 2018 as the director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish after 24 years of service. She began her career with the department as a game warden and held several other positions including game manager, federal grant coordinator, and chief financial officer until being appointed director in 2014. She considers herself a lifelong conservationist and is an avid hunter, angler, and outdoorswoman. She shares her passion for wildlife conservation with her husband, Ernie, who also retired from the NMDGF after 25 years of service as a sergeant in the Law Enforcement Division. Mrs. Sandoval currently serves as the chief financial officer for a rural electric utility in central New Mexico.

“I have spent my career dedicated to the conservation of all wildlife, but particularly to the iconic western mule deer,” Sandoval noted. “I am honored to serve as a member of the Mule Deer Foundation board and look forward to working with our dedicated staff and volunteers to further our success.”

Grant Foster is an avid hunter and a partner with the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney. He has over 30 years of legal experience helping businesses—including many of the top businesses in the hunting industry—protect and enforce their intellectual property. For decades Foster has been actively involved in helping conservation organizations develop, promote, and establish conservation policies, objectives, and laws that promote wildlife conservation and management. Among others, Foster helped draft the amendment language to Utah’s constitution, known as Prop 5, that now requires a super majority two-thirds vote before any hunting laws can be changed by ballot initiative.

“Mule deer have a special place in my heart. Each fall my mind turns to brown mule deer bodies and velvet antlers roaming in the mountains and valleys of the West. This passion, which began when I was a young boy, has been fueled by the toil and sweat of many others who preceded me,” Foster commented. “As a member of the MDF board of directors, I look forward to giving back and passing on this passion for mule deer to future generations.”

“Alexa and Grant will be outstanding additions to the MDF board and we welcome them to the team,” said board chairman Chad Schearer. “They each bring an important perspective that will help our board continue to navigate MDF’s path of growth. As an organization, we’ve been able to raise our visibility and become a key leader for mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation and we appreciate people with a valuable set of credentials volunteering to help define our future.” 

About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved in your state or become a member at www.muledeer.org or call 801-973-3940.