Jan. 18, 2021 – The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) has elected veteran outdoors communicator Ken Perrotte of King George, Virginia, as its 2021 president.
Perrotte will lead one of the nation’s oldest and most established outdoors communications organizations. AGLOW was founded in 1956 for writers to connect, improve their craft and become better stewards of the outdoors by connecting with others in the industry.
Today AGLOW has grown into a national organization focusing on one of the most diverse hunting and fishing landscapes in the country. The Great Lakes host millions of outdoors enthusiasts every year who are vital to local economies and countless conservation efforts.
AGLOW has more than 400 members and prides itself on uniting all aspects of the outdoors industry. Writers, photographers, bloggers and video producers are joined by conservation and corporate partners as well as tourism professionals. Together, these diverse backgrounds blend to help all members tell a captivating and complete story of the Great Lakes region.
“It’s a tremendous privilege to be part of a dynamic leadership team representing one of the finest blends of outdoor communication professionals on this planet,” Perrotte said. “I like to think of the outdoors as an exceptionally large tent, capable of covering an incredible range of interests, including the traditional and emerging ways of communicating about those interests. We’ve got a great team in place. It’s time to get down to business.”
AGLOW offers numerous opportunities for hunting and fishing content creation, annual awards and an annual conference. Membership is open nationally in several categories. For details or to join, visit www.aglowinfo.org.
2021 Leadership
President
Ken Perrotte, King George, Va.
Ken is an award-winning writer/photographer and U.S. Air Force veteran. He is president of Kmunicate Worldwide LLC and manages/provides content for www.outdoorsrambler.com, covering hunting, fishing, wild game cooking, travel and more. He has written the weekly outdoors column for the Fredericksburg, Virginia, regional daily newspaper, The Free Lance-Star, since 1997. For 19 years, he was an outdoors writer and outdoors gear scout for the Military Times Media Group (and its predecessor the Army Times Publishing Company). In early 2015, he became the Conservation Field Editor for the National Wild Turkey Federation. Ken and his wife Maria were the wild game cooking columnists for Virginia Wildlife magazine for 10 years. He has had more than 2,000 published outdoors-related articles, with his work appearing in more than a dozen publications.
Vice President
Chris Sebastian, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Chris is public affairs coordinator at Ducks Unlimited, managing communications across DU’s 21-state Great Lakes/Atlantic Region. With nearly 20 years of experience in journalism and public relations, Chris brings a passion for multimedia outdoors storytelling to AGLOW. A lifelong Michigander, he works with hunters and partner organizations to help DU conserve thousands of acres of wetlands each year in the Great Lakes region.
Treasurer
Trent Marsh, Columbia City, Ind.
Trent is editorial manager at SPYPOINT, and wears many hats in the outdoor industry. An award-winning outdoor communicator, he has more than a decade of marketing industry experience. As editorial manager, Trent blends his ability to create engaging and relatable content with plain-speaking product language, while still churning out content for various online and print outlets.
Secretary
Karen Lutto, Boerne, Texas.
Karen brings more than three decades of industry experience to AGLOW. She is owner of Hunter Outdoor Communications, a Texas-based public relations agency with international reach. The company has gained a well-earned reputation as a respected, integrated communications company representing all corners of the industry. Karen is an avid outdoors woman that hunts and fishes all over the world. She has owned the company for 28 years.
Executive Director
Mark C. Smith, Culver, Ind.
Mark was a long-time media and corporate member of AGLOW having served on both the board of directors and executive committee before taking on the executive director position in 2016.
2021 Board of Directors
- Chairman Tim Lesmeister, Dunedin, Fla. Freelance outdoor writer, photographer, radio, and television host. Columnist for Outdoor News and co-host of Outdoor News Radio. Past president of AGLOW in 2020.
- Barb Carey, Oxford, Wis. Freelance outdoor communicator, licensed fishing guide and founder of Wisconsin Women Fish.
- Joe Henry, Cloud, Minn. Freelance outdoor communicator, executive director of Lake of the Woods Tourism.
- Josh Huff, LaPointe, Wis. Freelance outdoor communicator.
- Josh Lantz, Three Oaks, Mich. Communications manager and group editor, Traditions Media.
- Mike Schoonveld, Morocco, Ind. Outdoor writer, Lake Michigan charter fishing guide.
- Dena Vick, Little Rock, Ark. Freelance outdoor communicator.
