Greg Whalin - Chair
Greg came to his love of the outdoors via the Boy Scouts (rising to the rank of Eagle Scout) running around in the wilderness of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (Boundary Waters is still his favorite place to spend a week or two). As an adult, he moved from the Midwest to NYC to pursue a career in tech startups. As a co-founder of Meetup, he developed a respect for the power of small local community groups to effect change. Now Greg lives in the lower Hudson Valley where he spends most of his free time exploring, hiking, backpacking, hunting, foraging, and fishing in New York's public lands. His passion for conservation led him to BHA where he is a life member.
Andrew Pelletier - Vice Chair
Andrew is currently pursuing his passion for conservation through his camera lens, working with local land conservancies and conservation groups to promote the important work they do in the field for public lands and wildlife. After pursuing a degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, he explored the natural world on adventurous wildlife research and management projects. From rearing white sturgeon along the banks of Lake Roosevelt in Washington, triangulating wood ducks in central Wisconsin, and collecting grizzly bear hair samples from the Alaskan wilderness, he finally migrated back home to the Hudson Valley. Growing up in Wingdale, NY, his passion for all things outdoors began, as he spent his childhood tagging along with his family hunting, fishing and camping. During his time at Stevens Point he was a founding member of the UWSP BHA Collegiate program and looked to continue that mission now back in his home state. Where he looks to share his passion for wildlife conservation, archery and antler hunting while assisting others in learning more about the outdoor community.
Ted Krueger - Treasurer
A native of Western New York, Ted grew up hunting, fishing, and camping with his family. Whether it was on their family tree farm or on summer trips to the Adirondacks, the best memories from his childhood were those spent outside. Of all the outside activities hunting definitely stuck the most. Ted has been lucky enough to call Missouri and Idaho home at different times in his life, which offered up new hunting experiences. It was the time spent in the mountains of Idaho that really opened his eyes to the value of public lands. Ted and his wife took every available opportunity to explore them and spent many a weekend searching for the elusive elk or floating and fly fishing on the Teton River. Ted thought the first step and the least he could do to ensure the stability of public lands and keep these areas accessible for future generations was to join BHA. After moving home to NY Ted was eager to volunteer with his local chapter. These days you might find Ted hiking a high peak, paddling the Moose River, or skiing the trails near his home in the Mohawk Valley.
Bill Delaney - Secretary
Bill grew up on his family’s farm in Western NY. His earliest memories of hunting were laying prone in the hayfields shooting woodchucks with his dad who was an avid long-range shooter, engraver and gunsmith. Squirrels, turkey and deer were Bill’s fall pursuits throughout his teens, before joining the Marines at 18. After serving four years, Bill attended the University at Buffalo, receiving a BA in Communication. After pursuing a second BA in Political Science and working on Capitol Hill for a semester in 2010, Bill became a father, which is what brought him back to his passion for hunting and the outdoors. Being a single dad, he realized the best example he could set for his son involved following his passions. After attending BHA’s Muster in 2021, Bill realized he’d found his tribe, and an opportunity to merge his passions with his experience. The family farm has been sold off and he now hunts the State Forests of Western NY. Bill brings to the board a wide range of skills from his career in sales and logistics, as well as his passion for hunting, fitness and, more so, preserving our public lands for future generations.
Brandon Dale
Brandon grew up in South Louisiana, camping, kayaking, hunting and fishing. After moving to New England for college, he is now an avid multispecies fly-fisherman. Now living in NYC for medical school, he finds solace in the woods and waters of the Hudson Valley, Southern CT, the Catskills and Long Island. He enjoys all outdoor pursuits, but chasing deer and brook trout captivate most of his mind space… When he’s not studying or in the lab, you can find him in the mountain ridges, bowhunting urban bucks or waist-deep wading for trout. Brandon is committed to conserving and passing along the traditions of the land, especially for underrepresented hunters and anglers. As an NYC resident, he’s passionate about increasing land access, public-land knowledge and community among NYC and Tri-State area hunters and anglers.
Valorie Titus
Val grew up in a small town in Upstate NY and was an outdoors enthusiast at an early age. From the time she could say "zoologist", she knew she wanted to work with wildlife and conservation. She spent much of her time hunting and fishing with her family, who instilled an appreciation for wilderness in her and encouraged her love for wildlife. Following her PhD from Binghamton University, she has made a career as an environmental educator at the collegiate level and is now the program coordinator for Natural Resources Conservation and Management at Paul Smith's College. She has been a certified Hunter's Safety Instructor for both archery and firearms. She has taught courses on Hunting History, Ethics, and Management, Game Management, and Wild Game Preparation and is an instructor for the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow program. She is also on the executive committee for The Wildlife Society’s Hunting and Trapping Conservation working group. She has been a BHA volunteer for the last several years, most recently serving on the Ohio board in 2022 and assisting with the 2023 Muster in the Marsh. She lives in the beautiful Adirondacks with her husband, 2 kids, and 5 dogs.
Gary Stefani
Gary grew up in eastern MA where he immersed himself in hunting, fishing, diving and foraging. He watched most of his early hunting areas disappear to explosive population growth and development. The experience left him concerned about the future of hunting and wild places, and fueled his passion for conservation. Following college, Gary moved to upstate NY, where he started a rewarding career in the aerospace industry. He switched gears in 2019 to focus more time on his outdoor interests. Today Gary lives with his wife Diane and three English setters. They split time between the Southern Tier and the North Country. Gary is a passionate upland hunter, pursuing grouse and woodcock on public land. He enjoys working with young English setters as a part time gundog trainer. He also enjoys fishing, deer hunting, hiking, camping, mountain biking and skiing.
Alex Mercado
Alex is an enthusiastic sportsman, finding fulfillment in archery hunting for whitetail and fishing for various saltwater species on Long Island. Growing up, he developed a strong connection to the outdoors, spending his summers exploring parks and preserves of Long Island, and fishing and hunting with family in central New York. Currently, he serves as a marine fisheries specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, focusing on conservation efforts such as bycatch reduction technologies and fish population surveys. Alex is also deeply involved in volunteer work, dedicating his time to organizations like NY BHA and the National Deer Association. His passion lies in preserving public land and water access for hunters and anglers across New York, ensuring these natural resources are protected for future generations.
Kelly Buchta
Kelly E. Buchta dedicates her time and passion to engage folks in conservation ethics as well as inclusivity in the outdoors, especially in the fly fishing community.
She is a former English teacher who fell in love with the mountains. Her love of the land and waters extends into her professional world. Kelly co-owns Dette Flies, a 96 year old family run fly shop located in Livingston Manor, New York as well as Royal Wulff Fly Fishing. She enjoys the enthusiasm of new anglers and helping them in their learning adventures. Kelly believes that the next generation of stewards is on us to cultivate and in doing so we continue to strengthen the connection of humanity and nature with respect instead of disregard.
An advocate of public lands, Kelly is actively involved in conservation issues within the Catskill region and beyond. The BHA mission of “public lands in public hands” is a core principle that motivates Kelly’s work. She is inspired by Aldo Leopold’s words to “think like a mountain” and works to foster this idea in others.
You’ll find Kelly exploring the outdoors with her Great Pyrenees or smiling in a stream somewhere in the Catskills.
Logan Misseldine
Logan spent his childhood exploring public lands in Northern Utah and Wyoming, while discovering his love of nature at the same time. Since moving to New York he’s found an appreciation for the public lands and waters on the East Coast. Despite having a deep interest in hunting since a young age it wasn’t until his early adulthood before he had the chance to pursue the sport. While he prioritizes hunting Ruffed Grouse, he can be found chasing deer, squirrels, and other upland game across Western New York where he now lives. An aspiring outdoor writer, Logan is currently attending college at Buffalo State University pursuing an English degree. He’s written for a number of outdoor blogs and contributed to publications such as Outdoor News. In his advocacy work, Logan is deeply committed to the simple notion that every human being has the right to access and enjoy outdoor spaces.
Trevor Keough
Trevor was born and raised in Saranac Lake, New York. He spent much of his childhood exploring the woods, rivers, ponds, and lakes in the surrounding Adirondack backcountry. As Trevor grew older, his love for the outdoors and conservation grew stronger guiding him to a career working with natural resources as a conservation forester. During his travels throughout the country, Trevor realized that access to public land and water is not as straightforward as it was for him as a child. It was for this reason Trevor was drawn to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, to ensure that the opportunities he had as a child can be more widespread and continue for generations.
Paul Gallery
Paul has spent almost all of his life exploring the outdoors and trying to figure out what it is he loves so much about natural spaces. It wasn’t until he met like-minded friends in the hunting and fishing world that he found his passion. This deep connection isn’t something he would have found without the friendships he formed. As a result, the community is a strong element of his environmental ethic. Professionally, Paul is a land manager responsible for most of The Nature Conservancy’s land holdings in the upper Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, and areas south and west of the Adirondack Park. Being a professional land steward for over a decade has sharpened Paul’s skills in conservation management and recreational access. This unique combination of life experiences led Paul to want to join BHA and help advocate for our public lands & waters.
John Barone