Saint Paul - Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of James Cox, Wayne Enger, Scott Rall and Bob Schroeder to the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council.

A constitutional amendment establishing the Outdoor Heritage Fund was passed by Minnesota voters November 4, 2008. The Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council was created to manage and make recommendations to the legislature on appropriations of money from the Outdoor Heritage Fund. The council will consist of 12 members including four public members appointed by the Governor.

Cox, of Cologne, is the owner of Midwest Thermo Equipment Inc. He is a lifetime member of several outdoors, habitat and conservation organizations. Specifically, Cox has been actively involved in his local chapter of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association (MWA) and from 2003-2006 Cox was the president of the MWA statewide organization. As president of MWA, Cox was instrumental in turning the organization around from earlier financial and organizational problems. Cox is also an active member of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and serves on the board of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust. Cox is appointed to a term that expires January 3, 2011.

Enger, of Perham, is the Otter Tail County Director of the Farm Service Agency. He is a recent past president of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, and former member of Minnesota Bow Hunters Inc., Ducks Unlimited, and Future Farmers of America. He served as a Governor’s appointee on the Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund Advisory Task Force and has a number of years of experience as an advanced hunter education instructor. Enger is appointed to a term that expires January 7, 2013.

Rall, of Worthington, is an active member of organizations carrying out habitat and natural resource protection in southwest Minnesota. He is a lifetime member of Pheasants Forever and currently serves as the president of the Nobles County chapter of P.F. Rall has served as the president of the Southwest Minnesota Fishing Club. He is a member of the National Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited. Rall writes a weekly outdoors column in the Worthington Daily Globe and spends much of his free time as a Labrador dog trainer. Rall is appointed to a term that expires January 3, 2011.

Schroeder, of Minneapolis, was the deputy chief of staff to Governor Pawlenty from 2003 to 2008. He previously served the state of Minnesota as the deputy Secretary of State, and assistant commissioner at the Department of Administration. Schroeder has a bachelor of arts degree in botany from Drew University in New Jersey, and a master of science degree in forestry from Duke University in North Carolina. Schroeder practiced forestry for over ten years and is the former chair of the Minnesota Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and former chair of the Environmental Quality Board. Schroeder is appointed to a term that expires January 7, 2013.