MEET OUR 2024 AMBASSADOR COHORT!
ALEX SMITH | Bristol, VT
I was born in Long Lake, NY- in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and my first love is still tracking deer on the snow in the Adirondack Big Woods. I now live in Bristol, Vermont with my wife and two sons, both of whom have lifetime hunting and fishing licenses and accompany me in the woods nearly every weekend. I just received my license to start an education-based guide service, though I’ll continue to work as a tile setter during the majority of the year. My lead-free journey started when living in Colorado when we found out my wife was pregnant, and I’ve been enjoying the performance, health benefits, and reduced concern in harm to non-target species that lead-free ammo provides.
D.J. ZOR | Columbia Falls, MT
I grew up learning to hunt and fish with my grandpa as my mentor. After spending some time away from hunting and fishing while in the Navy, I returned to it with full enthusiasm as a way to find quite and solitude. That quiet and solitude is what's enabled me to see the full potential of wild spaces and how important they truly are. I've been actively involved in conservation efforts since getting out of the Navy from boots on the ground stewardship work and native species restoration efforts to advocacy at the local and national policy levels.
FRANK VIRGILIO Virgilio | Hammonton, NJ
With a four-decade-long commitment to environmental stewardship, I have dedicated my career to wildlife management and natural resource protection, armed with a background in environmental science and conservation. My journey began in the early 1980s, tackling challenges in protecting and managing New Jersey's fish and wildlife to maximize their long-term biological, recreational, and economic values for all New Jerseyans.
Throughout my career, I have championed the integration of eco-friendly practices into outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Recognizing the pivotal role of lead-free ammunition and tackle, I have actively promoted the adoption of these alternatives to mitigate environmental impacts. Striking a balance between conservation and recreational pursuits; my work emphasizes the importance of responsible choices in outdoor enthusiasts' equipment. By fostering awareness about lead-free alternatives, I strive to ensure that our shared ecosystems thrive for generations to come, harmonizing the joys of hunting and fishing with the imperative of sustainable resource management.
Beyond the professional realm, my love for the outdoors extends to hunting, fishing, and wildlife photography, fueling my passion for the very resources I work tirelessly to safeguard.
JOE GRAFF | Missoula, MT
Hello my name is Joe Graff I grew up in the Apalachin mountains of Western Pennsylvania , chasing brook trout with by fly rod and whitetails will my bow. I've since moved to Western Montana to study wildlife biology at the University of Montana. My Favorite things to pursue here in Montana are Dusky Grouse and Mule Deer, but I still like to get in my tree stand with my bow for whitetails.
LAUREN TONTI | Whitney Point, NY
Lauren lives in the Southern Tier of NY and has been hunting since 2010 and fishing since 2020. Deer and turkey are her primary hunting activites with the goal of traveling to hunt elk and pronghorn. Conservation and putting food on the table are her motivation. She loves wading in a stream or fishing off the kayak for trout. As an adult onset hunter, Lauren spends a lot of time mentoring other new hunters, primarily women. She received her Hunter Education Instructor certification in 2023.
THE LEARNED FAMILY | Fredonia, WI
We are an outdoor family that loves to bird watch, hunt, fish, hike and camp. We live in South Eastern Wisconsin. Hannah and Lauren are both very involved in soccer. We spend a lot of time in the spring woods hunting for morel mushrooms. We are very excited to start our journey with SLF!
LENNY LICHVAR | Boswell, PA
Professionally, Lenny is the District Manager for the Somerset Conservation District in Pennsylvania and is a freelance outdoor writer/photographer and a co-author of the book Keystone Fly Fishing. He authored one of the first national articles on non-toxic fishing weights in Fly Fisherman magazine 20 years ago. Voluntarily, he is actively involved in local, state, and national sportsmen and non-profit organizations and agencies including 12 years as a Commissioner for the PA Fish and Boat Commission. He currently serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited.
THE PRIETO FAMILY | Buellton, CA
In 1984, Anthony found out about lead toxicity being fatal to avian species with the death of IC-1(Immature Condor 1) in CA. It completely changed the way Anthony started to hunt. When he couldn’t entirely remove the carcass of a Blacktail Deer or Wild Pig, he began burying and completely covering up the gut pile in the field because there were still five wild CA Condors free-flying where he hunted. Anthony urged, encouraged and taught his hunting buddies to do the same. That was the beginning of Anthony's lead-free outreach.
Unfortunately, for the next 11 yrs, only lead ammunition was available and he continued his gut pile burying practice…UNTIL, in 1997 his dear hunting buddy, Corby Poulis found, an all-copper Barnes bullet. That fall his family tried it out in Montana. One bull elk, one mule deer buck and one white-tailed buck later, they were ALL sold. Anthony has never looked back!
In 1999 Anthony started volunteering with USFWS on the CA Condor Recovery Program. In 2000, Anthony and colleagues formed the very first informational website regarding lead toxicity, radiographs and most importantly, lead-free ammo alternatives. Anthony's three sons ALL now hunt lead free!
REBECCA JONES | Flower Mound, TX
I’m an adult onset hunter who loves being outdoors, either walking the woods, shimmying up rock faces in the high desert or plunging into the deep blue sea. The only thing greater than being outside is being outside with my sweet 6 year old sidekick/daughter and nurturing her passion for all the animals and the natural world. Critical to me is providing my family with clean, healthy and ethically sourced meats. My decision to transition to lead free has occurred pretty early in my hunting journey and came about when my daughter nearly broke her tooth on a lead bb in her pheasant dinner. I learned a few valuable lessons from that experience, (how to properly clean my birds being one of those), but most especially it made me to want to understand just what the impacts are of lead in our food sources through the act of hunting. Well the rabbit hole opened up and down I went. I’m proud to be pursuing lead free sporting practices.
TOMMY SHAFFER | Punxsutawney, PA
My name is Tommy Shaffer. I love to paddle and fish for smallmouth bass on PA's streams. I am passionate about eagles and all raptors. I do volunteer work through the PA Master Naturalist and PA Master Watershed Steward programs.
TYLER RIGGS | Spokane, WA
Lifelong hunter and angler from the northwest. Current obsessions include chasing North Idaho jungle elk with a bow and chucking meaty streamers to unsuspecting mountain trout. My bird dog, Gus, is trying (unsuccessfully) to turn me into a marathon runner.