CHICAGO, Illinois - April 23, 2020 - The Chairman's Elite chapters are among Ducks Unlimited's most prestigious volunteer chapters throughout the nation. Every year, the list is reserved for the chapters that raise at least $1 million for DU's habitat conservation work.

This year, the following Chicago-area chapters ranked at the top of list:

  • West Suburban Chapter, Lagrange
  • Lake Forest Area Chapter, Lake Forest

"These fundraising events are the backbone of DU's habitat conservation efforts, and the volunteers who make up these chapters are the force making a difference for North American waterfowl populations," said DU President Rogers Hoyt Jr. "It takes a great deal of effort to achieve these levels, and these chapters deserve to be congratulated by every person who enjoys the outdoors."

The Chairman's Elite chapters were tops among the more than 2,600 DU chapters nationwide that host more 4,200 fundraising events throughout the year. DU's event fundraising system has become a model for other conservation organizations around the world and has funded a significant portion of the more than 14.5 million acres of wetlands and associated habitat DU has conserved since 1937.

"The hard work and dedication from DU's event system volunteers and staff drive the organization's conservation mission from a financial, membership and policy strength perspective," Hoyt said. "DU chapters across the country are showing that the future of waterfowl populations and the wetlands that filter our water and protect us from flooding are important to them and to their communities. The more money we raise, the more habitat we can conserve and the closer we are to preserving our waterfowl hunting heritage. I would like to personally thank our chapters for their achievements and look forward to seeing them among our distinguished chapters next year."