Corrected: WOW adds additional board

Johnny Morris

Dale Hall

John Paul Morris

Megan Morris

Collin O’Mara

Nick Wiley

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Last edited 2:12 p.m., Oct. 9, 2017

Ahead of the Sept. 22 opening of Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, the attraction added an additional board.

According to Missouri secretary of state records, Wonders of Wildlife was a fictitious name filed in 2001 by the American National Fish & Wildlife Museum. The name was voluntarily canceled July 14. That same day, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Foundation reregistered the name. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris leads the new foundation board, and a second board continues to exist, according to Bass Pro spokesman Jack Wlezien.

The other WOW Foundation board members, in alphabetical order:
    •    Dale Hall, CEO of Ducks Unlimited and the former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
    •    John Paul Morris, Johnny Morris’ son, director of web sales for Bass Pro’s online store and a member of the company's hunting division;
    •    Megan Morris, Johnny Morris’ daughter and Bass Pro philanthropic adviser;
    •    Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Foundation; and
    •    Nick Wiley, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The American National Fish & Wildlife Museum board is still in place, Wlezien said. It comprises 19 members led by Johnny Morris, according to a form 990 filed with the IRS.

The members of the other board, in alphabetical order:
    •    Roseann Bentley, former Greene County commissioner;
    •    Andy Dalton, former conservation commissioner in southwest Missouri;
    •    Leland Gannaway, former Springfield mayor and retired attorney at Gannaway & Cummings;
    •    Jim Hagale, Bass Pro president and chief operating officer;
    •    Hall of Ducks Unlimited;
    •    Susan Henry, Johnny Morris’ sister;
    •    Rob Keck, Bass Pro director of conservation;
    •    Martin Mac Donald, Bass Pro director of conservation;
    •    Allan Marshall, director of live animal exhibits at WOW;
    •    Mike Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association;
    •    Doug Painter, former president and CEO of National Shooting Sports Foundation;
    •    Todd Parnell, retired president of Drury University;
    •    R. Max Peterson, National Museum of Forest Service History board member, 11th chief of the U.S. Forest Service;
    •    Jerry Presley, former director of the Missouri Department of Conservation;
    •    Tony Schoonen, chief of staff at Boone and Crockett Club;
    •    Kenneth Shuler, a former union leader;
    •    Peggy Smith, former WOW chief financial officer, resigned in May; and
    •    Bob Ziehmer, senior director of conservation for Bass Pro and lead director of the Johnny Morris Foundation, former director of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

During interviews last week with Springfield Business Journal, Gannaway and Parnell confirmed the validity of the list.