30-year Hunter Education Volunteer Instructor Nolan Smith received the 2024 Todd Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award during an awards ceremony Saturday recognizing outstanding volunteer hunter education instructors. The award ceremony was held during the annual Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Hunter Education Instructor Workshop at Camp Grant Walker.
Smith was one of 17 volunteer hunter education instructors honored for outstanding service and their commitment to the Louisiana Hunter Education Program by LDWF Hunter Education Program Manager Mitch Samaha. In addition, 89 volunteers were recognized for their years of continuous active service as volunteer instructors.
Volunteers recognized at the awards ceremony Saturday include:
Todd Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award – Nolan Smith
Regional Individual Awards
North Region – Kimberly Cedars
South Region – Bill Barber
Regional Team Awards
North Region – Christopher David, Jessica Greene, Drake Pousson, Clint Savoie and Neil Whatley with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office
South Region – Bill Baney, Linda Callais and Joann Louviere of Terrebonne
Hall of Fame Eagle Bust for 30 Years of Service – Hals Beard, Lafate Day, Tim Deshotel, Randy Foco, Frederick Gueho, Jr., Michael Lorio and Nolan Smith
Service Awards for Continuous Active Service
45 Years – Marion Johnson
40 Years – Howard Cannaday
25 Years – Alfred Buffington, Jeff Debileaux, Michael Halter, Larry Landry, Frank Reger, Charles Trahan
20 Years – Kimberly Cedars, Jimmy Davis, Steven Johnson, Lawrence Lapeyrolerie, Bobby Lowery, Tommy McGee, Derrick Sharp, Alex Verret Jr., Jonathan Young
15 Years – Robert Alexander, Ernest Babin Jr., William Cantrell, Billy Carlton, Wilson Cazes, Joshua Dahlem, Allen Dahmer, Doyle Donaldson, Tracy Donaldson, Brian Koretzky, James Lacassagne, Michael Lawless, Amret Mott, Jeremy Purvis, Oscar Smith, Danny Wallace, Johnny Wilson
10 Years – Michael Anderson, Richard Bean, Michael Cantrelle, Angela Chaisson, James Fruge, Anthony Geeck, Gene Guidry, Clarence Hebert, Reed Himel, Ron Kelmell, George McCrea, Nancy Myers, Alexander Petho, Emily Rains, Dewayne Rains, Christina Speyrer, Shawn Waguespack, James Wong
5 Years – Jacob Andrews, Justin Arbuckle, John Barnard, Edward Bernier, Aubrey Broussard, Alex Brown, William Busby Jr., Phillip Daniels, Edwin Daroca, Christopher David, Jonathan Emmerson, Fredrick Evans, Brentlan Fusilier, Leslie Furello, John Hagan, Christopher Johnson, Carrie Lane, Charles Ledet, Joshua Lester, James Lonadier, Billy Mount, Justin Pellerin, Christophe Pittman, Drake Pousson, James Reeve, Joseph Rome, Tasha Simmons, Christopher Skinner, John Stumpf III, Larry Townsend, Steve Umling, Neil Whatley
Volunteer instructors are the backbone of LDWF’s Hunter Education Program. Volunteers have a wealth of information and are invaluable in passing on the knowledge and skills of the outdoors to future generations. Volunteers donate countless hours of their time teaching thousands of students lessons of responsibility, conservation, firearms safety, and safety in the outdoors. Louisiana’s volunteer instructors teach Hunter and Bowhunter Education and provide instruction for other important hunting-related outdoor skills.
For more information about becoming a volunteer hunter education instructor, visit our website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/volunteer-hunter-education-instructors.