James L. Cummins

At A Glance:

* Received his Master of Science degree in Fisheries Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries management from Mississippi State University. He is a graduate of Greenville (Mississippi) High School.

* Professional interests include developing and maintaining private, voluntary, incentive, tax and market-based solutions to environmental problems.

* Personal interests include, hunting, fishing, restoring antique family wagons, buggies, surreys and old cars and collecting antique hunting and fishing equipment.

* Formerly served as a Legislative Fellow in the Office of Senator Thad Cochran in the United States Senate in Washington, D.C.

* As Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi, recently received the Earth Day Award from the Ag-Earth Partnership for service in working with Congress to develop the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

Up Close:

"A lot of environmental groups want to do good things for fish and wildlife. We want to do good conservation that works," says the Wildlife Mississippi Executive Director, James L. Cummins. James got his start in conservation as a teenager working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Conservation and working on his grandfathers' cattle, chicken and row crop farms near Kilmichael, Mississippi. "I considered going into chemical engineering, but thought fish and wildlife would be more rewarding," jokes James.

That was in the early eighties. Today, with a small, efficient staff of five employees, we continue to build a strong Foundation built on solid principles. "We wanted a set of principles that define how do the business of conservation, as well as create a great work environment."

His ability to convey the importance of good conservation to the small farmer who farms 40 acres to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate is obvious. "On the very first time I met my mentor and our Chairman, Clarke Reed, he told me, 'Enlightened self-interest is the greatest of all human motivations.' I try, every day, to live by that principle and whether I am trying to show a small farmer how to develop a gravel spawning bed for bluegill in a farm pond for his grandkids to fish in or explain to the Majority Leader the importance of the Wetland Reserve Program. If you know what motivates people, the rest is just a few technical details."

"In the end, it boils down to improving the quality of life in Mississippi."

As the Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Mississippi, duties include being in charge of all activities of all salaried employees, development of Wildlife Mississippi's goals, objectives, and programs in conjunction with the Board of Trustees. Develops standard operating procedures. Coordinates federal and state legislative programs. Prepares an annual budget in conjunction with Wildlife Mississippi's Chairman, President, Treasurer, and Bookkeeper. Directs membership programs. Editor of all publications, including the magazine. Coordinates activities of all committees. Evaluates the performance of each employee. Directs communications programs. Solicits foundation, corporate, private, and government donations/contracts/grants. Makes presentations to children's groups, civic clubs, and hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing clubs. Directs field operations, technical and financial assistance programs. Other duties as assigned by the Chairman, President, and/or Board of Trustees.

He is very involved in a wide array of organizations. He is a member of the American Fisheries Society, Bass Anglers Sportsman's Society, Mississippi Forestry Association, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, National Parks Conservation Association, The Nature Conservancy, Outdoor Writers Association of America, Quail Unlimited, Society of American Foresters, Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and The Wildlife Society.

He serves as Vice-Chairman of Mississippi State University's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Technical Committee, Wildlife Subcommittee, Chairman of the Board of the North American Waterfowl Federation and a member of the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

He has published over 60 articles and serves as the Conservation Editor of over 70 newspapers throughout Mississippi. He has been published in such magazines as Wildlife Mississippi, Delta Wildlife, Mid-South Farmer, Mississippi Outdoors, Future Earth, California Waterfowl, Mississippi Game and Fish Magazine and the Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

He has given over 30 formal presentations to such groups as the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Southeast Private Lands Biologists of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeastern Quail Study Group, Memphis Garden Club, the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts, the Mississippi Rural Development Council, the Mississippi State University Chapter of The Wildlife Society, the Mississippi Commission On Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Delta Environmental Network, the Mississippi Delta Advertising Club, the Political Economy Research Center, the Mississippi Ornithological Society, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Rice Millers' Association, The Garden Clubs Of Mississippi, the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, Southern Agri-business Forum, American Fisheries Society, Mississippi State University Fisheries Club, the Wildlife and Fisheries Staff of the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

These accomplishments reflect James's devotion to building a results-oriented organization whose single goal is to "improve the quality of life in Mississippi." It is a simple goal but one that takes leadership and involvement in all stages of the organization.

"What separates a great conservation organization from a mediocre one is a combination of a good mission, a supportive Board of Trustees, superb people to work with and a great staff. We are very fortunate to have all of those."

E-mail: jcummins@wildlifemiss.org

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