Officers & Directors

TEXAS HUNTER EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS ASSOCIATION IS GOVERNED BY OFFICERS & DIRECTORS WHO SERVE AS VOLUNTEERS AND ARE ELECTED BY THE MEMBERSHIP.

To learn a little more about each director, please click on their name and an information box will pull up for you. Should you wish to contact a director, please proceed to the contact form to send an email.

President - Doug DuBois Jr

President – Doug DoBois Jr

Hello, for those of you who do not know me, my name is Doug DuBois, Jr. and I’m honored to have been elected President of the Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association (THEIA) during THEIA 2026 in Lueders, Texas.

We had a good weekend of Train the Trainer seminars on Teaching Multi-Generational Classes, How to Teach: Stop the Bleed, How to Teach: Gun Cleaning 101 and How to Teach: Muzzle Loading 101, as well as a timely update on the threat to livestock and wildlife from New World Screwworm and information from the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Quail Foundation.

I’m certain there will be more in Target Talk about the conference and the recipients of incentive awards and awards for volunteer instructors.

We are looking forward to hosting THEIA 2027, April 9 – 11, 2027 at Camp Buckner, outside of Burnet, Texas, near Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Caverns. Plan now to attend.

About me: I’ve been a TYHP Huntmaster since 2003 and through TYHP became a TPWD Hunter Education Instructor in 2009. My childhood memories are full of hunting adventures with my dad and his friends and their sons/daughters across the state and my earliest exposure to Firearm Safety was an NRA Gun Safety Course in 1966 at the 1 in 100 Gun Club outside my hometown of Beaumont. Firearm Safety and Hunter Education are the backbone of the Texas Youth Hunting Program and I’m excited to assist Instructors across the state to train more safe hunters and firearms enthusiasts. I’m a Past President of the Austin Woods & Waters Club (2010-2011) and received their Jack Lyons Sportsman of the Year award in 2008, 2018 and 2022. I’ve also served as the Chairman of the TYHP Advisory Committee through the Texas Wildlife Association from 2010 – 2014, along with serving on several other committees within TWA. I also served as Executive Director of the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) from 2014 – 2017.

As Hunter Education Program Director, Matt Smith pointed out during our conference, the hunter education student profile is changing and interest in firearms is well represented outside of the hunting community in target shooters and personal defense interests. We look forward to working with Matt, and our Hunter Education Training Specialists Randy Spradlin, Brock Minton, Venessa Wallace and Chris Mitchell, who are expertly assisted in the office by Kevin Vo, our multi-talented Administrative Assistant, to adapt the Hunter Education curriculum and teaching methods to reach as broad an audience as possible.

Vice President - Kathy Glass

My life journey has been an adventure. I am 5 th generation Jeweler, sat down at the bench at the age of 15 in 1974. I am very community orientated and love teaching all ages about shooting, hunting and wildlife. I have lived on the Barrow Foundation Ranch for nearly 50 years, but believe it or not I did not start hunting until 1981 – yes I went
hunting with my father since an early age and LOVE watching wildlife in any capacity. Teaching the next generation about shooting, hunting and wildlife conservation has been a passion for a long time. Our family got into Pre 1840 reenactments, we used to attend the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous on the Whittington Center property in Raton New Mexico, enjoying shooting Black Powder rifles. In 2003 I became a Huntmaster in TYHP (Texas Youth Hunt Program) and ran hunts until 2021 – I still cook for hunts and
guide on some hunts especially TPWD 101 hunts. I have been honored to receive West Texas Region Volunteer of the Year in 2017, TPWD Volunteer Team in 2021, TWA Volunteer of the Year award in 2021 and the TD Carroll award from THEIA in 2026. I have served THEIA as the Treasurer 2022-2026 and now I am honored that the membership has placed me in the Vice President position. I will do my best to continue to serve the THEIA membership.

Treasurer - Monica Spradlin

I’m honored to serve on the THEIA Board as Treasurer. I have a passion for Hunter Education, responsible firearm ownership, and for helping others discover and enjoy the
outdoors.

My journey into Hunter Education began with a simple desire to spend more time volunteering alongside my now-husband, Randy, while we were dating. What started as
an opportunity to be together quickly grew into a genuine commitment to the Hunter Education program and the incredible volunteers who help make it successful.

Since becoming an instructor, I’ve assisted with Hunter Education classes and supported numerous events behind the scenes. I’m also
an NRA Recruiter, and I enjoy encouraging safe, ethical hunting while helping introduce men, women, and children to hunting, shooting sports, and our outdoor heritage.

Outside of my volunteer work, I own Sage & Stitch, a small handcrafted business where I manage the finances, operations, and day-to-day responsibilities. My experience as a small business owner has strengthened my organizational and financial management skills, and I’m excited to bring those skills to my role as THEIA’s Treasurer.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside such a dedicated board and look forward to supporting THEIA’s mission and helping our organization continue to grow and make a positive impact in the hunting and outdoor community.

Secretary - Myranda Baker

The best way to describe me is: jump in feet first and do the best I can. I have always been told by my parents that my first hunting experience was in the blind in diapers cause my dad missed me.

My first hunt I remember is with my dad and my Uncle Jeff who was quadriplegic in ground blind learning how to set up the rifle stand to his chair and playing with a knife sharper I called a “baby dinosaur”. When I was 16 one of the Ag classes I took ended up getting my hunter education card, that Christmas I got my first rifle and was taken on my first hunt for myself. Ever since then I started assisting in Hunter Ed classes with Sandy Mason, and over time it turned into setting and tearing outreach event set ups. In my last semester of college I helped in the kitchen on a Youth Hunt, the next hunt I was trained as a guide and have been on every hunt I can since. Along with taking up Youth Hunts, Sandy asked me to think about taking and getting certified as a Hunter Ed Instructor…safe to say I did not think twice and signed up right away.

Now I am not only a Hunter Ed Instructor but a Bow Hunter Ed Instructor and have integrated that into the Youth Hunts. Labor Day weekend 2025 I received a call asking if I would take over the Secretary position of THEIA…once again feet first I did and have now been officially elected for this position by my peers. The one thing I did not expect and still in shock over is receiving the statewide Hunter Education Instructor Award of 2025. I hope to continue to live up to that accomplishment and further the education of the youth in Texas and always make my Uncle Jeff proud in Heaven.

Parliamentarian - Sanford (Sandy) Mason, III

Region 1 Director - Thomas Bass

Region 2 Director - Aidan Flores

Region 3 Director A - Russel Thomas

My name is Russel Thomas and it is an honor to serve on the THEIA board. I am Paramedic with 26 years of experience in the field and a Stop the Bleed instructor for 8 years. Being a Paramedic has prompted me to provide the community with injury prevention and safety courses, after personally seeing many hunting accidents in the field. I am passionate for hunter’s safety, which also led me to be a volunteer on-site medic for many years at the North Texas Buckskin Brigade. As part of my community outreach, I have hosted an annual Hunter’s Education course for the past 12 years until 2 years ago I was privileged to be able to take an instructor course and take on the new to the role as a Hunter’s Education Instructor myself.

Region 3 Director B - Louis Upton