Commissioners recognized multiple TWRA staff members for their service and heard presentations from partner organizations about youth and newcomer outreach programs aimed at expanding participation in hunting and shooting sports.

TWRA Director Max Don presented brief remembrances for two recently deceased conservation partners and previewed agenda items. Staff awards presented included Dustin Thames (biodiversity biologist of the year), Jake Riggs (wildlife technician of the year) and Pam McDonald (2025 wildlife biologist of the year, Region 2 Laurel Hill). Presenters described nominees’ work in bat monitoring and white‑nose‑syndrome grant work, large cave surveys and habitat/forest management at WMAs.

“Dustin's efforts are integral to ensure the agency, maintains contribution to such a large geographic monitoring program,” a staff presenter said while describing Thames’s role coordinating the agency’s bat survey data and securing white‑nose grants. The presentation noted Thames secured roughly $200,000 in white‑nose grants since taking the bat‑coordinator role and coordinated large‑scale site protection and fencing to protect cave hibernacula.

TWRA also previewed outreach and partner programming. Dylan Barnes, program manager for the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) at the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, described state participation and said Tennessee ranks highly nationwide across multiple disciplines; he highlighted SCTP’s role in recruiting youth and providing safe, coached shooting opportunities. Jeff Beasley and Jeb Beasley of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation described the Hunting & Fishing Academy, an R3 (recruit, retain, reactivate) program that TWRA funds; Jeff said the academy has engaged roughly 27,000 participants and 700 volunteers and reported measured outcomes showing many participants continue to hunt or self‑identify as hunters after participation.

Commissioners and staff promoted the agency’s first biodiversity summit at Middle Tennessee State University on Oct. 22 and commended outreach partners for their work connecting new audiences to hunting, fishing and shooting sports.

Ending: Commissioners closed the recognition segment with congratulations to awardees and expressed support for continued outreach and R3 work. The commission did not take formal action related to awards or grant funding at this item beyond recognition and partner updates.