LAFAYETTE, La. - June 23, 2015 - Gary Salmon, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was elected to Ducks Unlimited's national board of directors during the organization's annual convention held recently in Milwaukee.

"The leadership of our board of directors ensures we are fulfilling our mission to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl," said DU CEO Dale Hall. "Our board members are not paid for their work; rather they volunteer their time and resources because they feel so strongly about conservation. I welcome each new member and look forward to working with them in the years to come."

Salmon is owner of HPS Oil and Gas Properties, Inc., a full service land company. Salmon's father taught him that it was the responsibility of each and every hunter to give back to the resource and ensure the next generation could enjoy the same bounty and experiences. Salmon's giving back started in his 20s when he volunteered for the Lafayette chapter committee. Now he sits on the national board. Salmon is a Benefactor Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited, Inc., a Heritage Sponsor of DU Canada and a Sponsor in Perpetuity of Ducks Unlimited Mexico as well as a Grand Slam Sponsor in Perpetuity.

"I support Ducks Unlimited because it's important to give back to a lifetime of enjoyment and memories formed around the duck hunting experience," Salmon said. "I've looked at the whole spectrum of organizations that do waterfowl conservation, and DU continues to be far above the others in getting the best bang for your buck."

In addition to the elections of volunteer leadership, this year's convention featured presentations by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack; Virtual Instruments CEO, John Thompson and Caterpillar Inc. CEO, Doug Oberhelman. Next year's convention will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, June 1-5.

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 www.facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at www.youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.