TRCP New Hires to Boost Communications and Water Resources Expertise

Liz Ogilvie of the American Sportfishing Association and Alex Funk from the Colorado Water Conservation Board will join the organization in August

(Washington, D.C.) — The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is proud to announce two new hires, who will strengthen the organization’s communications and water resources conservation efforts.

Liz Ogilvie, most recently chief marketing officer at the American Sportfishing Association, will join TRCP as chief communications officer on August 16, 2021. Alex Funk, most recently an agricultural and rural resiliency policy specialist at the Colorado Water Conservation Board, will begin his new role as TRCP’s director of water resources and senior counsel on August 23, 2021.

“We’re thrilled to have Liz and Alex joining us at a critical time for both conservation and the TRCP—as our national leaders are making decisions that will affect hunting and fishing for decades to come and as the organization is about to celebrate 20 years of fulfilling its purpose as a convener, collaborator, and thought-leader in the conservation community,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO. “Their expertise and leadership will enhance our efforts and help us grow as we enter this new chapter.”

Ogilvie has worked in various segments of the recreational fishing industry–from retail to television to nonprofits–for more than 20 years. Most recently, she was the chief marketing officer for the American Sportfishing Association, where she oversaw the trade group’s communications strategy, the Keep America Fishing advocacy campaign, and the fundraising and distribution of conservation grants by the FishAmerica Foundation. Her focus as chief communications officer will be to shape the TRCP’s voice in grassroots advocacy and public relations, and she will also oversee the operations and finance arms of the organization. Learn more here.

Funk previously served as the Agricultural and Rural Resiliency Policy Specialist at the Colorado Water Conservation Board, where he acted as the agency’s liaison to agricultural stakeholders on federal and state water policy issues. In this role, he also assisted with the implementation of the Colorado Water Plan and represented CWCB in multiple venues, including Colorado’s Natural Working Lands Task Force and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Forum. Earlier in his career, Funk was the Western policy director for the National Young Farmers Coalition, focusing on Farm Bill policy, and a fellow with American Rivers. His focus at TRCP will be on water policy and strategy, particularly in the Colorado River Basin. Learn more here.

This month, the organization says farewell to Melinda Kassen, who will be retiring after a 30-year career working on Western water law and conservation policy.

See the full TRCP staff roster here.

Founded in 2002, the TRCP is the largest coalition of conservation organizations in the country, uniting and amplifying the voices of sportsmen and women by convening hunting and fishing groups, conservation organizations, and outdoor businesses to a common purpose.