I apologize for the delay in getting a message to the members. As you may recall, George Vandel stepped down as President of the SDWA and I stepped into the role. I look forward to leading the group and focusing on waterfowl issues in South Dakota.
Preliminary Plan:
The first thing I plan on doing is working with the previous board and seeing who wants to stay on as board members. I’ve been told that a number of board members are willing to resign with the hopes that others will step up to that role. I personally want to thank the previous board members and the folks that formed the SDWA. With that in mind, if anyone is interested in being a board member, please reach out to me.
The second thing I plan on doing is reviewing the members list and attempting to update dues. Many members are not up to date which is not necessarily a fault of their own. In the last few years, the SDWA hasn’t sent out any notification if a member’s dues were past due. I’m going to attempt to set up an easier way to pay dues. I’m hoping that I can utilize Venmo or PayPal for due collections. I’ll also set up a PO box in Webster if members want to pay via check. I’m going to visit with the board and discuss what dues should cost and the length of membership.
Vision:
I firmly believe that the power of this group will be our voice. I do not envision having annual in person member meetings or any type of fundraising events. The most power we will have is our ability to contact Legislators and the SDGFP regarding waterfowl issues we find concerning. I’m hoping that we’ll have a seat at the table if there are working groups related to waterfowl in South Dakota.
If you have any questions or comments for me, please feel free to email or call. As I stated earlier, I’m looking for board members. If anyone is interested, please let me know.
Cody Warner
605-590-0001
cody.warner01@gmail.com