California Waterfowl members elected four new directors to CWA's board on Aug. 4 at the annual Meeting of the Members.

“We’re so very grateful for the passion and dedication that our board holds for our mission and work. Strong board leadership is pivotal in moving this organization forward," said CWA President John Carlson, Jr. "I’m looking forward to working with our current, past and new board members as we accelerate our efforts to inspire conservation and better serve our membership.

"CWA is a growing organization and with that comes more responsibility," he added. "As such, the fiduciary, governance and fundraising roles of our board are more important than ever."

CWA's new board members are:

Mark Bittner

Mark is a CWA volunteer and Life Member who learned from the ground up, volunteering at various dinners and then deciding to make a significant commitment to CWA by donating both time and support. His initial exposure to waterfowl hunting was waiting in the “sweat line” at 0-dark-30 at the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area. A great many lessons learned and good times were gained from those early experiences. Over the years he has also leased blinds from Williams to Willows to Gridley and seemingly everywhere in between. Today, he leases and manages several blinds in the Suisun Marsh. Mark’s interest in advancing CWA’s mission at the board level is predicated upon his background and experience as chairman of the CWA Blackhawk Committee; senior business executive; volunteer coach for Challenger Baseball (physically and mentally disabled athletes), Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raiser family, and volunteer for Dogs for Diabetics and Habitat for Humanity.

Austin Edwards
Austin has duck hunted for many years in the California Delta and Yolo Bypass and is currently a California Waterfowl Bronze Benefactor. Austin brings excellent business leadership skills, teamwork mentality, energy and his network to benefit the goals of the organization. Austin’s skills include leadership and business strategy, accounting, negotiation and finding solutions to challenging issues.

Mike Marshall, DDS
Mike is a fourth-generation Californian who grew up hunting with his father, mother and grandfather in the Imperial Valley. He started his affiliation with CWA with its first Southern California fundraising shoot in the late 1990s. Mike is a Life Benefactor of CWA. He has been a member of the Mystic Lake Duck Club since 1997 and is responsible for its habitat management. Mike has been on a number of professional and charitable boards over the years and recently finished a six-year term as a trustee for the California Dental Association in Sacramento. He is the founder and president of the San Jacinto Valley Wetlands Foundation, which provides support for restoration, management and preservation of wetlands and wildlife in the San Jacinto Valley.

Sheryl Timberlake
Sheryl is an emergency department nurse in the Fresno area and a Life Member of California Waterfowl. She has a background in collaborative process performance and research and development for consulting companies after over a decade with the Legislature and the California Secretary of State. Sheryl hunts on both public and private lands in the Central Valley and the Suisun Marsh. Her other passions include time with family, volunteering with search and rescue, traveling extensively, diving and enjoying our natural world. She has a strong appreciation for conservation and restoration, the traditions of hunting and fishing and expanding participation in outdoor activities.

Two of the new members have filled vacant seats, and two have replaced outgoing board members Peter Raffetto and Wil Smith.

In addition, current board member Rik Jimerson was elected chair of CWA's Administration and Finance Committee.