NSF Names John Heaston as New Executive Director
Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation Names Heaston as New Executive Director
(Lincoln, NE) A new face will be working on behalf of Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation. John Heaston is now leading the member-driven nonprofit’s advocacy on behalf of Nebraska’s anglers, trappers, hunters, and others.
“When I think about the great legacy of the Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation and its membership and leadership, I recognize that I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I am excited to help guide NSF into a promising future by further enhancing NSF’s reputation for being a ‘go to’ organization for practical solutions to outdoor issues in Nebraska,” said Heaston.
Heaston succeeds Scott Smathers in the role. “I want to build on Scott’s outstanding work over the last thirteen years to help grow the NSF’s membership, sponsorships, and partnerships across the state. Scott has left the NSF with an outstanding record of ensuring a legacy of outdoor recreation in harmony with the economics, ecology, and culture of the state.”
Heaston brings a wealth of experiences to the job, including more than two decades of experience in natural resources management, intra- and inter-state water research, policy, program development and management, conservation planning, project and partnership development, and conflict resolution. He spent 16 years working on Platte River Basin issues including serving on the Platte River Recovery and Implementation Program Governance Committee. He has also been a key player in developing multiple successful private lands conservation programs that focus on incorporating natural resource management into agriculture, industry, and communities.
A lifelong Nebraskan and avid outdoorsman, Heaston grew up in Elm Creek and enjoys hunting turkey and deer. “The natural wonders of Nebraska have sustained its residents for generations, and it is imperative that we steward those wonders for generations to come. The NSF needs to be at the center of those conversations, and I am deeply honored to standing alongside its outstanding board and members.”
