Konway, Metheny, and Opre Elected to POMA Board of Directors 5-22-2010
gengberg May 22nd, 2010
Konway, Metheny and Opre Elected to POMA Board of Directors
JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA- The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) announced the election of Bill Konway (Ind.), Lisa Metheny (Ind.) and Tom Opre (Mont.) to the organization’s board of directors.
They were elected to three-year terms that begin at POMA’s 5th Anniversary Business Conference in August 2010.“The board looks forward to welcoming Bill, Lisa and Tom, and relying on their enthusiasm and expertise,” said POMA Chairman Chris Chaffin. “They bring a tremendous range of work and life experience that is sure to benefit the organization.”
Chaffin also thanked candidates Brandon Butler, David Drew, Kathy Mattoon and Carrie Wilson for agreeing to serve POMA and accepting their nominations as board candidates. Brandon, David, Kathy and Carrie are active and valuable POMA members. We appreciate everything they have contributed to the organization, Chaffin said.
POMA is a professional association of individual communicators and Corporate Partners who believe in, defend, support and promote the heritage of hunting, fishing, shooting and traditional outdoor sports through writing, photography, videography, electronic media and other means. The organization serves the membership by helping members grow professionally, improve business skills, better their working environments and grow their businesses.
Bill Konway, Leroy, Ind. – After high school in Chicago, Konway chose to try my hand as a commercial diver. Within months, he was training and diving for a company in Southern California. To his dismay, he discovered the diving part was only a means of transportation to an underwater job site. Within a year, he was back in the Midwest and back on Lake Michigan fishing away my summers, and hunting big-water diver ducks in the winters.
Konway’s life changed when he was given the opportunity to write for a small local magazine. His small column quickly led to a columnist position at a local newspaper, writing about all things hunting and fishing. This is where he made what he thought was an amazing and shrewd discovery. The newspaper would pay him extra if he’d submit photos with the columns. The next column was an illustrated how to fillet a fish in 15 easy steps piece that likely launched his passion and career path.
Fifteen bucks. That’s what he was paid for the 15 photos. Suddenly, he was a photographer. Nearly 30 years later, Konway is fortunate to shoot everything from sunrises to sailing geese, Waylon Jennings to the Presidents Bush, and a Clinton thrown in for good measure.
He spent 25 years working as a full-time photojournalist for a Chicago daily newspaper. It was good steady work, but it was no longer the dream. So, call him crazy, plenty of his friends did, as well as some family members, but three years ago, Konway retired or quit, depending on whom you ask, and began a quest to try and make it as a full-time, full-fledged photographer in the outdoors industry. So far, so good.
Lisa Metheny, Terre Haute, Ind. — Lisa Metheny is an award-winning outdoor writer, photographer, seminar speaker and outdoor skills instructor. Metheny has numerous articles and photographs published in a variety of publications. Metheny regularly conducts seminars on traditional outdoor sports such as archery, shooting and hunting and she holds a variety of instructor certifications. She regularly teaches hunters education and archery classes and has become an advocate for promoting traditional outdoor recreation to families all across the United States. Metheny is also an avid and accomplished hunter with many big game species to her credit.
Metheny currently serves on the Board of Directors and Ethics Committee for the Hoosier Outdoor Writers Association. She is also a member of the POMA Money Line committee. She served on the Indiana Wildlife Federation Board of Directors and on a variety of local committees for such organizations as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and NWTF Women in the Outdoors. Metheny has actively pursued a career in outdoor communications for nearly a decade.
Prior to becoming a full time outdoor communicator she served as National Youth Director for the American Haflinger Association (AHA). Metheny created and implemented the youth program for the AHA which has awarded thousands of scholarship dollars to college bound equine enthusiasts from the United States and Canada. She also served as Secretary for her state equine association. However her most important and rewarding role has been as a wife and mother of three active kids. Metheny is a member of POMA, SEOPA, HOW, NRA, RMEF, NWTF and DU.
Tom Opre, Swan Valley, Mont. — Hunting is in Tom’s blood. Opre has traveled the world from Africa to Alaska to Argentina in the pursuit of big game, incredible wing shooting and trophy fishing.
Opre followed in his father’s footsteps, noted writer and columnist Tom E. Opre (Detroit Free Press, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life), into the outdoor business world — though his path led him to film making. After attaining a BA in Communication from Grand Valley State University (MI), Opre’s trail included stints working for legendary outdoor filmmaker Glen Lau; to producing documentary films for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel; to directing/producing national TV commercial projects (Federal Cartridge, Mathews Archery, Knight Muzzleloaders, Berkley, Sea Doo, Polaris ATV, Prois Hunting Apparel, and Chevrolet); to directing/shooting extreme sports films.
As the owner of Tahoe Films, Ltd., a full-service film and video production company since 1990, Opre continues to direct, produce and shoot a variety of projects for the outdoor recreation industry. Currently, he is the host and executive producer for Primal AdventuresTM on Versus.
Also, Opre supports a variety of professional, 2nd Amendment, and conservation organizations including: Outdoor Writers of America (OWAA), Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), National Rifle Association (NRA), National Shooting Sports Association (NSSF), Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) - current board member, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Opre resides in the Flathead Valley of Montana with his three children.
