A new day

I will be ending my work for the Maine Professional Guides Association at the end of the month. Here is their press release sent this morning.

The Maine Professional Guides Association would like to announce the stepping down of Executive Director Don Kleiner after over a decade of outstanding service to the organization. A Master Maine Guide himself, Don has been a tremendous asset to the association as well as to the protection of Maine’s natural resources and outdoor heritage. 

During Don’s service to the organization, he made great strides in tying professional guiding to Maine’s economic development and tourism sectors. He also led efforts to improve landowner relations in Maine and to support conservation programs, such as Land for Maine’s Future. 

In 2014, facing an unprecedented attack from the Humane Society of the United States, Don provided consistent and capable leadership that led to a historic electoral victory for Maine sportsmen on the No on 1 campaign. Symbolic of that leadership, Don went on to catalyze the efforts of the Maine Wildlife Conservation Council, which still today raises money in anticipation of future attacks on Maine’s outdoor heritage. 

Don helped grow the Maine Professional Guides Association both financially and in membership. That worked created the foundation for the organization to withstand the blows of a worldwide pandemic, which Don helped the industry to navigate. 

Don is well respected on the water, in the woods and at the State House by fellow guides, Maine’s landowner community, policymakers, and regulators. On behalf of the Maine Professional Guides Association, we wish Don the very best in whatever endeavors the future may hold and thank him for all of his efforts on our behalf. 

Don will return to running his guide service Maine Outdoors in Union full time.

Looking forward to getting to Maine Outdoors full time and spending time on the water with all of you.