May 27, 2009
New RMEF Regional Director for New Mexico
MISSOULA, Mont.—Doug Doherty of Boyne Falls, Mich., has accepted a position as New Mexico regional director for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Doherty will be relocating to the Albuquerque area.
His responsibilities include rallying and coordinating volunteers in Elk Foundation chapters across the state, fundraising, working with partners such as the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, and organizing on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Since 1984, RMEF and its partners have completed over 200 conservation projects in New Mexico with a value of more than $16 million.
In 2008, New Mexico received seven Elk Foundation grants totaling $109,000. Grants funded habitat conservation projects for elk and other wildlife in Catron, Lincoln, Mora, Otero and Taos counties. Grants for 2009 will be announced this summer.
“We welcome Doug to the Elk Foundation. He’s an instant asset and has already hit the ground running thanks to his extensive background and experience in this kind of work,” said Ralph Cinfio III, who oversees the Elk Foundation’s central division.
Prior to joining the Elk Foundation staff, Doherty spent seven years as regional director for the Ruffed Grouse Society in Michigan and Indiana. He coordinated fundraisers, youth events, gun dog trials, chapter workshops and habitat projects. Doherty studied architectural design at ITT Technical Institute and Ferris State University (Mich.).
The previous regional director for New Mexico, Allen Kerby, accepted a transfer to the Elk Foundation’s eastern Colorado region.