ANSWER THE CALL
Volunteer Highlight
The night before the 2024 Williston, North Dakota, RMEF banquet, an older gentleman called to ask Deb Jenner if it was too late to buy a ticket for RMEF’s statewide raffle for a chance to hunt elk in North Dakota. “I put his name on a ticket and held it at the front desk for him at the banquet,” says Deb. He went on to win.
“He called me later and thanked me for selling him the winning ticket. He’d waited all these years to hunt elk, and he was just thrilled to win that tag.” Spreading the joy of elk hunting is part of why Deb has volunteered for RMEF for 15 years.
Deb, her husband Clark and their sons Ryan and Nevin have all been lucky enough to draw North Dakota elk tags of their own over the years and have also hunted elk in several western states. “Because elk hunting is such an important part of our family life, it’s important to me to keep the hunting heritage and the wildlife and environment going for future generations,” she says.
After she and Clark began attending RMEF banquets, a family friend who was chapter chair at the time asked her to join their local committee in Williston. As their two sons grew older, they joined in volunteering along with their respective partners Tracie and Courtney. A natural leader, Deb eventually stepped up to be chapter chair and most recently North Dakota state chair, her current role helping coordinate volunteers and banquets across the state.
“It’s something she can do and know she’s giving back to everything that she and her family believe in, in such a good and positive way,” says Kris Lofstrom, RMEF director of eastern operations and former North Dakota regional director. “And she’s never wanted to leave because she’s basically found an extended family. She would meet you for half a day, and from then until death do y’all part, you would literally call her ‘Aunt Deb.’ She’s just that cool.”
