MEMPHIS, Tenn. - July 23, 2019 - Ken Carroll, of Brandon, Mississippi, was elected to Ducks Unlimited's national board of directors during the organization's 82nd annual national convention held recently in Hawaii.

"Ducks Unlimited's board of directors provides the leadership we need to fulfill our mission to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl," said DU Chairman of the Board Paul Bonderson Jr. "DU board members do not get paid for their work. These dedicated men and women volunteer their time and resources because they are passionate conservationists. I welcome each new board member and look forward to working with them in the years to come."

Carroll is president of Casters of Jackson where he has worked since 1988. He has been an active volunteer for Ducks Unlimited since 2003 serving in numerous local, state and national volunteer positions, including state chairman, Scholarship Selection Committee member, Youth and Education Committee member, and state trustee and national delegate. Carroll is also active in the Northwest Rankin Athletic Association for which he has served as a volunteer coach for youth baseball, football and soccer. He and his wife, Kristin, are members of Crossgates Baptist Church, Ducks Unlimited Life Sponsors and President's Council members. Both of their children have been DU Legacy Greenwing members since they were infants.

"I found my way to Ducks Unlimited one fall afternoon in 2003," Carroll said. "I was walking into my local service station and noticed one of the small DU event posters taped to the glass beside the door. Intrigued by the poster, I wrote down the details and attended my first Ducks Unlimited event at Cindy's Fish House in Brandon, just a few miles from where I lived. I was hooked after just that one event and started volunteering on the committee that year."

In addition to new board member elections, this year's convention featured a celebration of the successful completion of DU's ambitious "Rescue Our Wetlands: Banding Together for Waterfowl" campaign, which raised an astonishing $2.34 billion and conserved 2,236,435 acres of habitat for waterfowl, other wildlife, people and the communities in which they live.

The celebration featured an address from DU Major Donor and Wetlands America Trust trustee James Cox Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises.

Team DU also honored the career of retiring Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall and formally welcomed new CEO Adam Putnam.

This year's convention also featured opportunities for conservation-related education, special tours and entertainment and a Friday keynote addresses by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

Axalta Coating Systems CEO Robert Bryant accepted DU's Corporate Conservation Achievement Award on behalf of Axalta during the Friday business session. The award was created to recognize corporations from the United States, Canada or Mexico that have made exceptional contributions to conservation in North America.

The second annual Wings Over Wetlands Awards Gala, held to honor DU's top volunteers, was again hosted by conservationist, environmental journalist and television personality Jeff Corwin.

Special thanks to First National Bank of Omaha, provider of the official Ducks Unlimited Visa card, for sponsoring this year's convention.

Next year's Ducks Unlimited National Convention will be held May 26-30 in Orlando, Florida.