Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Allan Hoover
Allan became a hunter education instructor in the Kansas City Region in April of 1998 and a bow hunter education instructor in 1999. Allan quickly became a driving force in the hunter education program and immersed himself in all aspects, while still holding a full time job. Allan became an active member and in 2003 a life member of The International Hunter Education Association (lHEA) and was a Charter Life Member of the Missouri Hunter Education Instructors Association (MHEIA). In 2004, he was elected to the MHEIA Board of directors.
Allan then became a member of the CFM: Board of Directors. He worked tirelessly to promote hunter education and nominated dozens of state instructors for CFM Hunter Education Instructor of the Year awards. He took on the role as Committee Chair for the CFM Sportsman's Rights, Firearms, and Hunter Safety Resource Committee and was leading their efforts in new and positive directions. In 2005, Allan was elected to the IHEA Board of Directors. Allan received the IHEA Executive Director's Award for his tireless efforts around the nation, and around the world. Allan continued to be active in committees and the New Administrator Academy for the IHEA.
Through all of this, Allan was able to teach, schedule, and coordinate over 88 HE/ BHE classes, and numerous hunting clinics and mentored hunts. He logged over 1,000 volunteer hours for the HE/ BHE program, and earned their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Recognized for his soft-spoken eloquence, clarity, directness, and succinctness, Allan was asked to speak with legislators on several subjects surrounding hunting and the Department, including efforts to sunset the Design for Conservation Sales Tax and efforts to change the make-up of the Conservation Commission.
Allan came up with a unique idea to provide young hunter education students full immersion into hunting and trapping, and as a result, the Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation (MHHF) was born in the spring of 2007. MHHF brought Allan's idea to life with a spring hunter education clinic that included a turkey hunt, a fall hunter education clinic that included either a deer hunt or a pheasant/ chukar hunt, and a trapping clinic. Soon, Allan began pushing for a nation-wide movement for hunter education. At the 2010 International Hunter Education Association Conference (IHEA) in Estes Park, Colorado, Allan presented the MHHF program model He presented the MHHF model again at the 2012 IHEA Conference in Kansas City.
In 2011, Allan retired from his truck driving profession and accepted a position as the Executive Director of MHHF. As was his way, Allan picked up the pace, meeting with MDC administration, other MDC regional staff, and organizations. Interest in MHHF increased, and Allan's efforts were rewarded as several new MHHF chapters were formed and began conducting hunter education under this model. Allan continued to work with and mentor several start-up chapters in various stages of development, most notably in the Springfield and St. Louis areas. More than 200 families have been introduced to hunting through MHHF.
Allan Hoover was a humble, self-effacing, gentle man who described himself as a dumb old truck driver. ~ It is true that Allan was a truck driver but he was also an intelligent, insightful man of vision who has left an indelible footprint on Missouri's hunter education program.
Story Courtesy of Conservation Federation of Missouri News