Former head of the Arizona Department of Fish and Game helps guide future operations of
The Habitat Organization
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are pleased to announce the appointment of Larry D. Voyles to their National Board of Directors. Voyles, a former director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department and ardent conservationist, joins the 16-member board that meets quarterly and oversees the operations of Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever.
“I am very pleased to welcome Larry Voyles to our National Board of Directors,” said Howard Vincent, president and CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “Larry’s extensive experience and passion for conservation will help us ensure an even brighter future for our nation’s highlands. We also recognize his enthusiasm for desert quail and look forward to his contributions as we continue to elevate the Quail Forever brand.”
Voyles is a third-generation Arizona native who earned a BS degree in wildlife biology from Arizona State University in 1974. He served as a sworn peace officer his entire tenure with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). , which spanned nearly 43 years. In 2008, he was tapped to lead AZGFD as a director and CEO, overseeing nearly 700 employees and an annual budget of more than $100 million for nearly a decade until his retirement in July 2017. He ended his career as the second-longest-serving ranger in the department’s history.
A lifelong outdoorsman and highland hunter, Voyles shares his passion for the outdoors with his wife of 47 years, Donna, and their daughter, Lena. The couple reside in Prescott, Ariz., and spend much of their time raising and training English Pointers. Every year in late September and early October, the family is in Plentywood, Montana, chasing grouse, ptarmigan and pheasants. In November, Voyles turns his attention to quail in the Southwest, traveling through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in search of Mearns, scaled, Gambel, and bobwhite quail.
“It is an incredible honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of serving such a great conservation organization,” said Larry Voyles. “Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are premier organizations conserving grassland habitats for upland birds and other wildlife on a large scale across the continent. I am honored and excited to be able to serve in this capacity and look forward to a bright conservation future for highland wildlife.”
Voyles is currently the President of the Arizona Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation, which exists to provide donor-based fiscal support to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish with the goal of improving the department’s conservation delivery capacity. Among his many other accomplishments, Voyles previously served as president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, secretary of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and served in various positions on the Council for the Advancement of Game and Shooting Sports, Wildlife Heritage Conservation and Hunter. Council and the Joint Federal/State Task Force on ESA Implementation and Federal Aid Administration.
About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 400,000 members, supporters, and partners is dedicated to protecting our highlands through habitat improvement, public access, education, and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent—the only national conservation organization to operate through this grassroots structure. Since its inception in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 567,500 habitat projects benefiting 22 million acres.