The Federation is excited to welcome Bill Cooksey as its Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships. Bill is a well-known marketing and media relations professional with decades of experience in the outdoors industry.
“Bill brings to the Federation a wealth of knowledge from the wildlife and conservation industry. We have been fortunate to work alongside him for many years and are now excited for him to officially join our team to build long-lasting partnerships across the state.”
Mike Butler, CEO of Tennessee Wildlife Federation
Bill began hunting and fishing with his dad at a young age and quickly developed a passion for the outdoors. By his teenage years, he had hunted waterfowl in all four U.S. flyways and had fished his way across most of the country.
His passion became his career, beginning by selling duck and turkey calls and evolving into a lifelong pursuit of connecting people with the outdoors. In 2022, Bill was inducted to the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
Bill spent more than a decade at Avery Outdoors, Inc., where he worked his way up to Director of Marketing and Media Relations. He then became the Managing Editor at Mid-South Hunting and Fishing News before joining the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Vanishing Paradise program. With NWF, Bill played a key role keeping sportsmen and women actively engaged in conservation efforts along the Gulf Coast.
At Tennessee Wildlife Federation, Bill will be connecting with sportsmen and women and outdoor industry experts, organizing them to take action when Tennessee’s natural resources are under threat.
“Hunters, anglers, and the businesses which support them have long been the backbone of conservation in North America. While I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to connect sportsmen and outdoor businesses with decision makers in other parts of the country, the opportunity to work with my fellow Tennesseans on the myriad of wildlife, habitat, and water issues across our diverse state is incredibly exciting!”
Bill Cooksey
Bill is an avid hunter and fisherman, and he especially enjoys duck and turkey hunting. He is also a four-time Tennessee duck calling champion.
