Jamie Rader and Johann Walker will begin their new jobs April 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – March 12, 2020 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced today the promotion of Jamie Rader and Johann Walker to directors of operations for DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic and Great Plains regions, respectively.
Rader will lead DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, headquartered outside Ann Arbor, Mich., helping restore and protect diminishing wetlands in 21 states, from Minnesota to Maine.
“I am pleased to announce that Jamie will be leading Ducks Unlimited’s conservation efforts in our Great Lakes/Atlantic Region,” said DU Chief Conservation Officer Karen Waldrop. “Jamie’s leadership experience and passion for the DU mission makes him the right person for this vital position. Ducks Unlimited is dedicated to reversing the trends of wetland habitat losses, restoring and protecting habitats, educating conservation values and making the Great Lakes/Atlantic region a better place for breeding, migrating and wintering waterfowl.”
Rader joined Ducks Unlimited in 2010 as a regional biologist and a manager of conservation programs in 2015 where he helped grow, diversify and implement conservation programs on private and public lands in DU’s Southern region.
In 2018, he was promoted to his current position of director of conservation programs where he oversees DU’s conservation efforts in the Southeast.
“I am confident Jamie will lead our Great Lakes/Atlantic Region to even greater heights,” said DU CEO Adam Putnam. “In addition to abundant natural resources, the region holds 45 percent of Ducks Unlimited members and accounts for more than 40 percent of major sponsor and 50 percent of the philanthropic dollars raised nationally. Jamie’s experience and enthusiasm make him the ideal candidate to continue Ducks Unlimited’s conservation mission in this vital and vibrant region.”
Rader earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in business from Bethel University in Tennessee. He holds a master’s degree in Wetland and Waterfowl Ecology from South Dakota State University.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to work in this new capacity with GLAR’s extraordinary DU staff, partners and dedicated volunteers,” Rader said. “The region holds many important areas for waterfowl and is rich with opportunities to conserve wetlands and improve water quality for ducks and people. There are opportunities to grow our programs and support base and ensure the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting.”
While Rader is heading up the Great Lakes/Atlantic region operations, Walker was named the next director of operations for DU’s 7-state Great Plains Region.
“Johann has a passion for and a deep commitment to wetlands and grasslands in the United States Great Plains,” said Waldrop. “DU’s Great Plains Region carries out conservation programs in seven states that include some of the most important nesting and migration habitat on the continent. We are pleased to have Johann leading the charge.”
Walker joined Ducks Unlimited in 2004 as a research biologist at the Great Plains Regional Office in Bismarck, North Dakota.
He managed and directed the science and planning team for Ducks Unlimited’s Great Plains Region from 2010 to 2013, leading and publishing research on habitat relationships of breeding waterfowl, land-use change, and conservation strategy.
“We are excited that Johann will be leading DU’s conservation programs in the Great Plains where upwards of 50 percent of the continent’s waterfowl nest in the Prairie Pothole Region states of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota,” Putnam said. “Johann has worked for 16 years for Ducks Unlimited in the Great Plains Region and is one of the premier waterfowl population ecologists in the country. I know his passion for the region and the waterfowl in it will help sustain Team DU’s success.”
Walker received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana and his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He grew up in Minnesota and Montana and is an avid outdoorsman. He is a member of the National Conservation Leadership Institute.
“I’m honored to be selected for this role,” Walker said. “My love for the Great Plains runs deep. Nothing could be more professionally fulfilling to me than working alongside our tremendous team of volunteers, staff and partners to make a brighter future for people, waterfowl and wetlands in this vital landscape.”
Rader and Walker begin their new jobs April 1.
For more information visit www.ducks.org. Follow DU’s newest Twitter feed – @DUNews1937 – to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.
About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14.5 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.
