Brian Bohnsack Email & Phone Number

Wichita, Kansas, United States

The Arkansas River Coalition has a long history of conservation and recreational access achievements along the river in Wichita and the surrounding area. One of our most recent achievements is developing a kayak access ramp along the Little Arkansas River in Wichita and sponsoring a Sea Scout ship for Wichita's youth. I have served as the Vice President for 2 years and feel honored to work with these dedicated volunteers.

Alma, Kansas

I am the Founder of Fish Wizards. We are a group of fisheries scientists that lead educational tours focused on Kansas' native fish species in the Flint Hills. This is an annual event and it serves as a fund raiser for the Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway. Attendees have come from as far away as New York to experience this event.

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas Area

I work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's liaison to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. I am the project officer for the cooperative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Foundation. I also work closely with a wide range of government and private industry partners in the boating and fishing industries. I worked closely with influential members of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation's Board of Directors to serve as a catalyst for the renewed efforts to increase marketing and outreach to the Hispanic community. In particular, I connected former head of the U.S. Census Bureau, Dr. Steve Murdock, with leaders of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and also the American Sportfishing Association. As a result of this, the "Vamos A Pescar" marketing program was initiated by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. (My junior high school, high school, and university Spanish teachers would be proud!). In addition, I worked with RBFF staff members to arrange a national live webinar that was hosted by Discovery Education at our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. This is one of flagship national wildlife refuges and is supported by one of the most successful friends group, the Ding Darling Society, of any refuge. Finally,I alerted former RBFF staff member Christine Dobday about the need to assess the on-line fishing license programs used by state fish and wildlife agencies.

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Headquarters, Falls Church, Virginia

I serve as the Designated Federal Officer for the Department of the Interior's Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. The Council is a Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) group appointed by the Secretary of the Interior and serves as an advisory board to the Secretary and Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on policies/programs and matters pertaining to boating and fishing. In addition, I also am the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's liaison to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF). As the liaison, I oversee and administer the Service's cooperative agreement to RBFF for their implementation efforts with the National Outreach and Communications Program. This program provides federal funding for efforts to promote boating and recreational fishing throughout the country. This program helps ensure our continued conservation efforts because fishing license fees and excise taxes on fishing equipment and boating fuels taxes are the primary sources of funding for state fisheries agencies conservation programs.

Washington, Dc

I served as the coordinator of the Association's Industry/Agency Coalition. The Coalition is a diverse group of government and non-governmental organizations involved with fish, wildllife and boating conservation in the U.S.

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia

I was the national coordinator for these popular and important federal grant programs that provide funding for boating-related activities to state agencies and other organizations. I also assisted with budget planning, policy development, program assessments and various other tasks associated with the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs.

Texas Parks And Wildlife Department Heaquarters Office, Austin, Texas

My position with Texas Parks and Wildlife allowed me to use a wide range of skill sets. I led and conducted reseach on saltwater angler' attitudes towards native sea grass protection measures being implemented by the agency; I honed negotiation and communication skills while working closely with commercial fisheries stakeholders and industry leaders; I diversified the agency's outreach to minorities by having agency publications translated into Vietnamese for this sector of their commercial fishing constituents; and I coordinated various human dimensions research efforts with other agency divisions.

Kansas Department Of Wildlife And Parks Headquarters Office, Topeka, Kansas

I served as the Federal Aid Coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for approximately 6 years. In this position, I was the agency's liaison to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on all matters pertaining to the Federal Aid in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant programs. In addition, I assisted the agency's Boating Law Administrator with the state's Recreational Boating Safety Program. I was a member of the agency's Planning Section. The agency at that time was a recognized leader in its comprehensive planning efforts for fish and wildlife conservation. The agency was one of only 4-5 in the country with the federally recognized status as a "Comprehensive Planning" option with its federal funds. During my tenure with the agency, I identified significant internal administrative issues associated with compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. I worked very closely with staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior's Inspector General's Office, and the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit to verify the administrative problems and provide corrective action plans to fix these gaps. I was recognized by many agency staff for my integrity, principles and internal fortitude to move the agency forward during this time frame.

Master Of Public Administration - Mpa, Public Administration, 4.0

Activities and Societies: WSU Campus Recreation Committee Kansas Chapter of Water Environment Federation Science Olympiad volunteer.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Fisheries And Wildlife

Activities and Societies: Graduate Research Assistant in the Human Dimensions of Recreational Fisheries Laboratory. Listserv moderator.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Fisheries And Wildlife Sciences-Human Dimensions

Activities and Societies: American Fisheries Society Fisheries Administration Sectionof AFS Fisheries Management Section of AFS Human.

Master'S Degree, Zoology- Fisheries Science

Activities and Societies: American Fisheries Society, Oklahoma Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish.

Bachelor'S Degree, Biology

Activities and Societies: In addition to classes, I worked as a biological specimen preparation technician (aka "skull picker").

Biology, General

Activities and Societies: In addition to classes, I was a laboratory assistant for several classes and worked for Dr. Ross Johnson.

Education record

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Wildlife, Fish And Wildlands Science And Management