Brings background in agriculture and conservation to new position
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are proud to announce Karl Binns as the organization’s community and inclusion program manager. In his new role, Binns will work in collaboration with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the organization’s employee team, volunteers, members, supporters and future conservationists to attract a broader audience into upland wildlife conservation.
“Karl is a proven leader with a seasoned résumé in agriculture and conservation. He also brings professional experience implementing programs and taking on new initiatives,” said Sarah Mills, vice president of human resources for PF & QF. “We are delighted to have Karl as a crucial member of our internal team and look forward to his collaboration with NRCS to reach and attract a wider scope of audiences into the uplands.”
Binns’ main duties will include promoting career opportunities with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to students at educational institutions, implementing the organization’s community and inclusion roadmap and workplan, and establishing and maintaining relationships with diversity-focused external organizations. These critical efforts will ensure PF & QF is reflective of the communities and the diverse populations it serves. Additionally, Binns will help manage workflow for internship programs across the organization and cultivate relationships with strategic partners to boost Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce committed to the organization’s habitat conservation mission.
Prior to this role, Binns served as a senior talent and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant for Look East Consulting and the Center for Food Integrity. He has also worked for Cargill as a farmer equity manager, helping build supply chains for minority farmers throughout the United States. Additionally, Binns managed large corporate portfolios in early talent for Merck Animal Health, focused on improving diverse talent hiring, retention and employee business resource groups.
“Growing up on the eastern shore of Maryland, habitat conservation has always been a critical backdrop to my life and career,” stated Binns. “I am looking forward to amplifying the work of the PF & QF community.”
Additional qualifications for his new role include being the former president of the Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) nonprofit, a certification from University of South Florida in DEI, Google Project Management, and the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2011.
For more information about diverse and inclusive community building efforts for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, contact Karl Binns at KBinns@PheasantsForever.org.