SeOPA

Southeastern Outdoor Press Association

SEOPA is the nation’s premier regional outdoor communicator’s organization

May, 1964 Founded at Fontana Village, N.C by Tennessean Evan Means
1965 Treasury contained $35.26 for publication of a newsletter
1973 Tom Rollins executive director
1974 SEOPA boasted 95 active and 39 corporate members
1976 Meetings were decreased from twice annually to once because of an increase in gasoline prices
1977 SEOPA was chartered
1984 SEOPA logo was redesigned to include Arkansas
1985 Sharon Coe (Rushton), SEOPA’s first woman president
1987 initiated the SEOPA Education Fellowship Endowment with scholarships to deserving Southern students in outdoor-related fields
1988 Tom Rollins retired as executive director.
400 members with assets of almost $20,000 and acquired a reputation as the largest, most active and progressive regional outdoor press association.
1988 Carle Dunn executive director.
1988 SEOPA office was moved to Zwolle, La
1992 Outdoor Tables and Tales cookbook was published
1992 Gail Wright succeeded Carle Dunn as executive director
1992 SEOPA office was moved to Gilbert, S.C.
1995 West Virginia, Missouri and Texas were added to the SEOPA area
membership climbed from 375 to 579
1996 Gail Wright resigned and was granted honorary lifetime membership status in the organization by the board of directors
1996 Stephanie E. Wise was selected to serve as executive director, and the office was moved to Sumter, S.C.
1999 Lisa McDowell (Snuggs) executive director
1999 office was moved to Unionville, Tenn
2001 first Southeast Outdoor Showcase debuted in Gulf Shores, Ala
2002 new website was unveiled to include links to members’ sites and a color version of the newsletter
2002 SEOPA moved to North Carolina
2004 established the Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America Inc. (OJEFA)
a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to further education, research and network opportunities in the field of outdoor journalism for students, active outdoor journalists and outdoor journalist organizations.
2005 the annual conference was canceled because of weather (Hurricane Katrina)

SEOPA
P.O. Box 115
Badin, NC 28009

http://www.seopa.org

About SEOPA

The Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) is a regional professional organization for outdoor writers, photographers, broadcasters and other communicators who cover hunting, fishing, shooting and conservation. It was organized in May 1964 at Fontana Village, North Carolina, with Tennessean Evan Means playing a leading role in its founding. Its stated purposes include promoting quality communication about outdoor activities and issues, ethical conduct among outdoor communicators, fellowship within the field and education for members and the public.

For gun owners and hunters, SEOPA matters because its members produce much of the outdoor coverage read and watched across the South, and its annual conference connects those communicators with firearms, ammunition and outdoor industry companies. The four-day conference moves around the region; the 52nd annual meeting was held October 5-8, 2016, in Lakeland, Florida. SEOPA’s Excellence in Craft awards, sponsored by Mossy Oak, recognize members’ work in categories such as writing, photography, video and radio, and most judges are non-members who review entries blind. The association also supports young outdoor communicators through conference scholarships and remains active in 2026.

Key Facts

May 1964: SEOPA organized at Fontana Village, North Carolina
50th anniversary: Conference returned to Fontana Village to honor the first meeting
October 5-8, 2016: 52nd annual conference held in Lakeland, Florida
October 2016: Excellence in Craft awards presented with sponsor Mossy Oak

Sources

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