James Cummins

James is Wildlife Mississippi’s Executive Director, a position he has held since the organization was formed in 1997. He is a certified fisheries and wildlife biologist and holds a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State, and a master’s degree from Virginia Tech. James, who previously worked for the late U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, helped develop federal legislation such as the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Healthy Forests Reserve Program, and the Endangered Species Recovery Program. James, a native of Greenville, also serves as president of the Boone and Crockett Club, North America’s oldest conservation organization; a board member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; a board member of the Black Landowner’s Agricultural and Conservation Land Trust; and board member of the Binational Softwood Lumber Council. He is a former board member of the Mississippi Forestry Commission and a former chairman of the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory. He co-edited several books: Fish and Wildlife Management, A Handbook for Mississippi Landowners; North American Wildlife Policy and Law; and The Poacher’s Nightmare, Untold Stories of an Undercover Game Warden. James owns his family’s farm, which has been in operation since 1833. He and his wife, Martha Dalrymple, live in Amory and manage her family’s timber and cattle operations. James enjoys big game and upland bird hunting, fly fishing, and photographing wildlife.