Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood announced today that Tim McDermott, formerly the chief marketing officer for the Philadelphia Eagles NFL football franchise, will become the chief marketing officer for TU. Also, Kirk Deeter, who serves as editor of TROUT Magazine, will take on the role of director of strategy and outreach for the non-profit coldwater fisheries conservation organization.
“Tim brings a unique perspective to TU, and we’re fortunate to have him on board,” Wood said. “His top priority will be working to significantly grow TU’s membership over the next five years so we can increase our influence and build our volunteer base to make TU even more effective in the future.”
McDermott brings nearly 20 years of marketing and media expertise to TU, largely working for professional sports teams, including the Eagles, the Washington Capitals NHL hockey club, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s also an avid fly fisher, and a longtime supporter of TU.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join Trout Unlimited and contribute to its efforts to improve fishing through conservation all across America,” McDermott said. “TU has a stellar reputation among the angling community. I’m looking forward to helping the organization grow, becoming an even larger force for conservation, and fueling growth in the fly fishing and outdoors industry.”
Deeter, who has edited TROUT since 2012, will take on new responsibilities starting immediately. As the director of strategy and outreach, he’ll be TU’s direct contact with the fishing and outdoor industries and work with McDermott and TU’s National Communications Director Chris Hunt to coordinate marketing, media and promotions efforts through those industries.
“I’m excited about my new responsibilities, and I’m looking forward to working with people in the industry who depend on TU’s work to keep fishing viable all across the country,” Deeter said. “I will continue editing the magazine, and we’ll be much more aggressive when it comes to using TROUT to market our work to our membership and beyond. More importantly, I’ll help people in the industry make the connection between the work we do and their bottom lines—it’s all connected, and we need industry support to make fishing better and get more people into the sport.”
Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and visit us online at tu.org.
