NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The National Wild Turkey Federation recognized Rhonda Johnson, Louisiana State Chapter Board of Directors chair and Chopin Committee treasurer, with the Lynn Boykin Hunting Heritage Award for a distinguished career dedicated to preserving hunting heritage and conserving wildlife.
“People ask me if I get paid for volunteer work,” Johnson said. “I tell them, ‘Yes, so much I can’t even take it to the bank.’ I just make small deposits in my heart each year.”
Johnson accepted the award during the 44th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show.
The Lynn Boykin Hunting Heritage Award’s namesake was a former president and chairperson of the NWTF’s National Board. During her tenure, she emphasized the importance of hunting heritage and helped create a new outlook for the organization. Today, the NWTF’s mission to celebrate and preserve North America’s hunting heritage is some of its most important work.
Johnson has established an immense resume serving the NWTF in multiple capacities, from sitting on the Louisiana Board of Directors to being a committee member for multiple local chapters. In addition, Johnson spends time throughout the year planning and coordinating with partners to prepare properties, acquiring wheelchair accessible hunting blinds, scheduling hunts and reaching out to the community to facilitate participation in the Wheelin’ Sportsmen events.
Johnson’s outside-the-box approach for the NWTF has expanded the typical mentored hunt to include alligator and frog, and she has held additional banquets to raise funds specifically to fund Wheelin’ Sportsmen events. Her approach frees up Super Fund dollars to be used for habitat enhancement.
“Rhonda goes well beyond the call of duty,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “Her innovative thinking and dedication to the NWTF mission has made our presence in Louisiana that much stronger.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of work, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. The NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative is a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to conserve enhance more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruit at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting. For more information, visit NWTF.org.
