Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation names Hall of Fame inductees, Legacy Award recipients

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has announced the 2018 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees and recipients of its Legacy Award. Hall of Fame inductees are Jim Hinkle, Ellen Moorhead Fennell and Randy Young. Johnelle and the late J.B. Hunt will receive the Legacy honor.

“For more than 100 years, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has worked to conserve the state’s wildlife resources, thanks to the selfless contributions of people such as our 2018 slate of inductees and award winners,” said Deke Whitbeck, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. “We are delighted to be able to celebrate these success stories and the five outstanding Arkansans behind them.”

Honorees will be recognized during the 27th Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet, slated for Aug. 24, 2018 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Tickets for the event are $125 and tables of 10 are available for $1,250 each. The night will include dinner, live and silent auctions, and induction ceremony. Reception and silent auction will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. The full list of honorees includes the following:

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Jim Hinkle, Mountain View
A former Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner, Hinkle served 14 years on the board of the National Wild Turkey Federation, ultimately serving as president of the national chapter of the organization. During that time, he worked for the expansion and improvement of habitat throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada through various NWTF initiatives.

Ellen Moorhead Fennell, Little Rock
In various roles with Audubon Arkansas, including vice president and executive director, Fennell was an outspoken advocate for native bird species, flyways and nesting habitat throughout Arkansas. During her tenure with the organization, she was instrumental in securing funding for several state initiatives including environmental programs in the state’s schools, water quality education, energy policy and habitat restoration.

Randy Young, Dover
Young joined the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission as an entry-level water resource engineer in 1971; just four years later he was deputy director/chief engineer and was appointed executive director in 1985, a post he would hold under five governors over the next 31 years. Among his many accomplishments was working hand-in-hand with conservation groups to fight erosion, floodwater and sediment damage that threatened fragile ecosystems.

LEGACY AWARD
J.B. and Johnelle Hunt:  Legends of Arkansas’ business and philanthropic communities, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt built J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a five-truck operation into one of the largest transportation companies in the nation. The success of the company is rivaled only by the couple’s philanthropy. Among the most recent examples, a $5 million pledge toward building the forthcoming Northwest Arkansas Nature and Education Center in Springdale, yet another legacy for future generations that bears the Hunt stamp.

FOUNDATION BACKGROUND
Proceeds from the event support the year-around work of the Foundation, whose mission is to promote the outdoors in Arkansas. AGFF’s mission supports Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) initiatives, particularly those aimed at getting young people unplugged and engaged outside.

Established in 1982, the Foundation is an independently operated nonprofit organization that serves as the fundraising adjunct to the AGFC. Its membership includes enthusiasts of hunting, fishing, and conservation education for Arkansas youth.

To purchase tickets to the event or for more information, contact the AGFF office at 501-223-6468.