St. Paul, Minn. – August 8, 2025 - Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are thrilled to announce the promotion of Brian Essling to vice president of membership and annual giving.

With over a decade of experience, Essling is a seasoned nonprofit leader and an expert in driving membership growth and philanthropic engagement. He will oversee the organization's national membership programs, annual giving initiatives, and stewardship and engagement strategies to expand the upland conservation community.

“Brian's leadership has been instrumental in transforming our membership and annual giving programs over the past several years, ” said David Bue, chief development officer at PF & QF. “His vision, passion for conservation, and proven ability to deliver record-setting results make him the ideal leader to advance our mission and build a culture of philanthropy.”

Essling has spent the last fifteen years with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in various roles, most recently serving as director of membership and annual giving. Under his leadership, the organization has seen a 50% growth in both membership and revenue over the last five years, while also implementing innovative stewardship and recurring giving strategies.

“I'm honored to step into this role and continue building on the incredible work of our team,” Essling said. “Our members, supporters, and partners are the lifeblood of our mission to conserve upland habitat and wildlife. I look forward to expanding our reach, engaging the next generation of conservationists, and fostering deeper connections across our upland community.”

A Duluth, Minnesota native, Essling holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from St. John's University and has been recognized with multiple national awards for leadership, marketing, and membership growth within the organization.

For questions about membership and annual giving programs, contact bessling@pheasantsforever.org.

About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 540,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 585,000 habitat projects benefiting 31 million acres.

Media Contact
Mikayla Peper
715-294-0688
mpeper@pheasantsforever.org