Board Member

Bruce Stanton has worked at PRADCO Fishing in Fort Smith, Ark., since 1996. He began his career there in public relations and eventually became Vice President and General Manager in 2002. The company has expanded greatly under his leadership due to several successful organic brand launches, including YUM and BOOYAH, and several acquisitions, including Lindy, Bandit, Bobby Garland, Gene Larew, War Eagle and Norman Lures. Bruce served on the American Sportfishing Association’s Board of Directors from 2007-2008 and was also the Industry Liaison for the Outdoor Writers Association of America in 1999-2000. In 2018, Bruce became a member of parent company EBSCO’s “Founders Club,” which represents a legacy of company leaders who have achieved outstanding results in sales, profits and the development of teams. He is a past Chairman of Deacons at East Side Baptist Church in Fort Smith and still serves as a deacon. Bruce has coached all three of his sons in church and school leagues over the years, including baseball, basketball and soccer. He has fished all over the world in his job, as PRADCO sells fishing products to more than 60 countries. His favorite place to fish is for bass and walleye at Broken Bow Lake in rural, southeastern Oklahoma. Bruce has been married to his wife, Wyann, for 32 years.

Neil Paul has served as the Executive Director of Visit Anderson since 2015 and has served Anderson
County since 2010. With the development of Anderson County’s Green Pond Landing and Event Center at Lake Hartwell, Paul has entrenched himself in the fishing industry.
Through Paul’s leadership, Lake Hartwell has hosted a significant number of local, regional, and national fishing tournaments at Green Pond Landing and Event Center, most notably the 2022, 2018 and 2015 Bassmaster Classics, and he has been instrumental in hosting many other national level tournaments and events. During Paul’s leadership at Visit Anderson, Anderson County has experienced their highest ever returns on Accommodations Tax which is a direct result of the increased tournaments and events at Lake Hartwell.
A self-proclaimed fish head, Paul is involved in the fishing industry far beyond travel and tourism. He is a Life Member at B.A.S.S. and serves the Bassmaster Elite Series throughout each season as a Marshal and has written for B.A.S.S. on numerous occasions. Youth fishing is his passion where he founded and co-directs the High School Bass Class, a classroom style program designed to develop anglers and provide opportunities for anglers after high school. In addition, he serves as a Brand Ambassador for Dynamic Sponsorships for Toyota Bonus Bucks, Yamaha Power Pay and the Costa Compete and Conserve Programs.
In addition to his passion for fishing, Paul serves on the Board for the South Carolina Sports Alliance and is a member of the South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance. Paul has received the “Game Changer” award for his leadership in Sports Tourism in 2018 and has been recognized locally for his leadership efforts in the Anderson community.

Todd Hammill’s efforts in the fishing industry began in 1997, first as general manager/COO of Gemini Sport Marketing, the company who pioneered the creation of the custom tournament jerseys anglers everywhere sport today. He currently is CEO for Wired2fish, Inc., where he was involved in the creation of the Wired2fish.com website and digital media network in 2007.

Mike is a 20+ year veteran of the outdoor industry. He has been instrumental in the development of numerous brands in the fishing segment. Helping companies start from scratch in the US fishing market or existing companies grow into the fishing segment.

He and the Outdoor Brand Team have helped companies in multiple roles of sales, management, marketing and brand building at all levels. His passion from an early age has always been fishing and that continues today with a focus on a small group of preferred partners in the fishing market.

Mike currently lives in Iowa with his wife and two children.

John has been involved in the business side of bass fishing for over 30 years, handling media relations, advertising coordination and event marketing/planning projects for major tackle companies as owner of Catalyst Marketing Services – based in South Bend, Ind., a city and area with a rich history in the sportfishing industry.

He is a member of the American Sportfishing Association, where he is the long-time chair for the trade organization’s PR/Communications committee, and is also a member of B.A.S.S., the International Game Fish Association, Muskies Inc., and the Smallmouth Bass Alliance. He was an early industry supporter of the high school/college bass fishing movement, including organizing the Shimano High School/College Bass Fishing Symposiums that brought industry executives, trade associations, bass fishing organizations, coaches and fishing club youth coordinators together to help grow the sport.

Currently president of the BFHOF Board, John has served as Board vice-president, chaired the Communications Committee, and as chair of the Nominations Committee, he worked closely with other Board members to create a more transparent process in the Hall induction process including the creation of a bass fishing expert-qualified ‘selection panel’. He is known to stop by the St. Joe River in his hometown on his way to and from the office to make a few casts for smallmouth bass – yet his favorite bass fishing experience comes late every summer at his good friend’s cabin near Sioux Narrows, Canada where somehow, he has yet to tip over his kayak in his excitement from hooking big smallmouths on topwaters!

Steve Bowman is a 30 plus year veteran of outdoor writing. Covering B.A.S.S. for over three decades. He’s a lifelong angler and avid hunter. Formerly the outdoor editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and executive editor of ESPNOutdoors.com.  He is the co-author of the Arkansas Duck Hunters Almanac and The Season: A Photographic Look at the Sport of Duck Hunting.  A 2015 Inductee into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame, a 2017 Inductee into the Arkansas Waterfowler Hall of Fame and a 2020 Inductee in the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

He gives of his time as an Auxiliary Sheriff for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.  He’s currently the editor/manager for tournament coverage on Bassmaster.com and Manager of Anglers Relations for B.A.S.S. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2012.