Linda Powell Embraces Hunting, Climbs the Ladder at Remington
John E. Phillips 05.29.13
Author’s Note: Linda Powell is Director of Media Relations for Mossberg (www.mossberg.com) and handles the company’s advertising for print, TV and online.
After Linda Powell learned how to shoot at a rifle range and went to a course on becoming an outdoor woman, her mentors at Remington asked one simple question, “Are you ready to take the next step and try hunting?”
Since she never had hunted before, Powell admits, “I didn’t have any preconceived notion about what hunting was. All I knew was my granddad had been a hunter, and I enjoyed eating the wild meat he brought home. So, my response was, ‘Absolutely.’ I studied biology to learn about how and why game should be managed. I also read a lot before the hunt to get a better understanding of wildlife management, what hunting was all about, and the role hunters played in wildlife management. I also learned about conservation, and as much as I could about hunting, so I’d have some knowledge.”
Powell’s first hunt was a bear hunt in Maine with a muzzleloader. According to Powell, “Later I came to understand that most hunters don’t start out on a big game hunt with a muzzleloader. They begin hunting by hunting birds and small game before moving into deer and turkey hunting.” But from that hunting experience, Powell developed a lifelong love of the outdoors and the people who hunted, fished, and shot guns. After two years at Remington, when her supervisors realized how enthusiastic Powell was about her job and that she was willing to learn all she could about the hunting and shooting sports, she was promoted to Assistant Public Relations Manager for Remington.
In four years, Powell was promoted to Manager, and finally to Senior Manager of Public Relations. “As Senior Manager for Public Relations at Remington, I was responsible for promoting the brand and working with outdoor media, including print, TV, and radio. I assisted the media in getting story material, photos, and products and helping them have opportunities to promote our products.”
Powell stared working for Remington in 1996. By 2000, she was designing a media plan and a schedule of hunts and events for Remington. “In the early years, I was doing about six to 12 hunts a year. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I was the only female in the hunting camps. At first I was very intimidated, not because I was the only lady in camp, but because I was taking the who’s-who of the outdoor industry on hunts. I was with the writers and TV hosts everyone in the industry read about and respected. These guys knew everything abut hunting and shooting, and I knew next to nothing. I learned from that experience that the outdoor industry embraces newcomers. When a person comes into the outdoor industry, if he or she is willing to learn, many wonderful mentors and teachers will help them learn how to be a professional in the outdoor industry.”
When we asked Powell about the number of hunts over the course of her career, she explains, “I’m not exactly sure, but I know it is more than 300. At the highest point in my career, I was going on about 35 hunts per year. Right now, I am only doing about 20 hunts per year. This seems to be a nice balance for me to have a professional life and a personal life.”
In our next article, we will detail when Powell first learned the language of hunting and shooting.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
