Lukas Leaf
Executive Director
Lukas is an avid, passionate outdoorsman and chef born and raised in Minnesota. His father first introduced him to the Boundary Waters at the age of 12 and he has been hooked since. From weekends on the ice in his family’s fish shack on Mille Lacs Lake to spring fishing trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, connecting with nature and our cherished wild places has long been cemented as a way of life. He is a dedicated husband and father to twin girls and spends his free time fishing, foraging, hunting, camping, and cooking his way through the great outdoors.
Email: [email protected]
Matthew Schultz
Program Manager
Matthew is a native Minnesotan who has been an avid outdoorsman and staunch conservation advocate for years. It was in Minnesota where he found his love for public lands, fishing, and conservation while paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with his family. After High School, Matthew joined the US Navy, where he had the opportunity to learn the ropes of western hunting and fishing while stationed in Nevada and later in Washington State. Following his time in the Navy, Matthew completed bachelor’s degrees in both Political Science and History at the University of Eastern Washington, all the while volunteering as a board member with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and finding time between classes to enjoy the outdoors. Now, Matthew resides in Ely, Minnesota, where he can be found paddling local lakes, fishing for everything from brook trout to muskellunge, and bowhunting the big woods of Northern Minnesota.
Contact: [email protected]
Katie McKalip
Katie McKalip has over two decades of experience helping advocacy organizations shape narratives, increase effectiveness, advance policy, engage diverse constituencies and expand their impact. Over the course of her career, she has successfully amplified the voices of influential groups across the outdoor and conservation space.
She is the founder and principal of Conservation Media Strategies, where she provides strategic guidance on communications campaigns, media relations, executive positioning and issues management. In this role, she partners with organizations, foundations and leaders to navigate complex policy landscapes, elevate visibility and drive meaningful engagement.
Previously, McKalip served in senior communications roles with organizations including the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers – where she helped raise BHA’s profile as one of the fastest-growing and most effective conservation groups in North America – and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, where she helped the then-fledgling TRCP attain national prominence.
McKalip is also a leader in professional media circles, having served as president and board chair of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the oldest and largest organization of outdoor communicators in the U.S. She is the recipient of OWAA’s prestigious Jade of Chiefs Award, recognizing overall impact on national conservation issues, and the Ham Brown Award for career leadership in the outdoors. She is a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club. She lives in Missoula, Montana, and enjoys recreating with her husband, two kids, and dog in the Last Best Place.
For Media Inquiries: [email protected]
Jake Dahlke
Digital Content Manager
Jake is a dedicated hunter, angler, and all-around outdoorsman that has a strong passion for wild places. His love for the Boundary Waters was discovered on his first 7-day trip during his sophomore year of high school. Jake graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in marketing and a goal to use his degree in the conservation field. In his free time, you can find Jake fly fishing for trout and steelhead, backpacking, and hunting whenever possible.
Contact: [email protected]