MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Jan. 29, 2015 -Wetlands America Trust (WAT) recently elected Jim Konkel as one of its newest trustees. The WAT board is the land trust arm of Ducks Unlimited (DU) - a world leader in waterfowl and wetlands conservation.

WAT oversees DU's endowment and land holdings, including conservation easements. Not only has WAT been successful with this charge, the trustees have individually taken up the mantle to introduce DU and its conservation mission to their friends, family and colleagues.

"With his recent pledge in excess of $1 million, Jim joins the ranks as one of Ducks Unlimited's most generous supporters," said Dan Thiel, WAT's chief operating officer. "His philanthropic support is an excellent expression of concern and support for North America's wetlands and waterfowl."

Konkel, of Scarborough, Maine, is no stranger to DU, and currently serves as an at-large board member and is an American Director for Ducks Unlimited Canada. He is also a member of the DU development and event/volunteer management committees, and chairman of the national shooting sub-committee, and has served as state chairman, state vice chairman, regional vice president for the Northeast Atlantic Region, as well as many other roles. In addition to Ducks Unlimited, Jim supports a number of local charities in Portland, Maine, including the Portland Symphony Orchestra on which he serves as a trustee.

"I have volunteered with Ducks Unlimited for nearly three decades, and can honestly say that I couldn't have served a more worthwhile cause," Konkel said. "The new role as a WAT trustee merely solidifies my passion for waterfowl and habitat conservation, and I look forward to many more years as a DU volunteer."

For more information about DU and WAT, visit www.ducks.org.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 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. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Media Contact:
Matt Coffey
(901) 758-3764
mcoffey@ducks.org