Auburn University will host a virtual talk with John Burrell, President and CEO of High Adventure Company and High Adventure Safaris, on September 23 as part of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ 75th Anniversary Celebration.

Burrell is the sixth speaker in the virtual “7 for 75 Speaker Series” as part of the school’s yearlong celebration, which began March 1.  Renown as an international outfitting expert, Burrell will discuss his diverse 25 year-career as guide, marketing pro, television host, and founder of High Adventure Company, an award-winning company which owns and operates many of the world’s finest sporting properties. An industry leader and advocate, Burrell will also talk about his critical role in assisting the School to establish Auburn’s wildlife enterprise management degree, a talent pipeline for sporting industry leaders of the future.

The talk is open to the public via Zoom from 2-3 p.m. CDT at https://auburn.zoom.us/j/87232088648, and live-streamed via the school’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ausfws/live/.

The “7 for 75 Speaker Series” is designed to feature distinguished alumni and industry leaders representing an array of forestry, wildlife and natural resource fields and enterprises. Speakers will cover a wide range of topics, from land management to current and future technology to stakeholder engagement.

The next speaker in the series will be Nick Wiley ’86, chief operating officer of Ducks Unlimited. Wiley is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 35 years of experience in fish and wildlife management. Prior to joining DU in 2017, he was executive director of  Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and former president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He is also the past chair of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. Wiley received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Georgia Southern in 1983 and a Master of Science degree in wildlife management from Auburn University in 1986. His talk is scheduled from 2 – 3 p.m. CDT October 7.

Speaker Bio:

John Burrell, President and CEO of High Adventure Company and High Adventure Safaris, has been an avid outdoorsman since his childhood in Anderson County, Tennessee. As one of the most respected professionals in the outdoor industry, John has 25 years of experience managing, developing and marketing some of the world’s top sporting destinations.

His well-storied career includes forming a successful international outfitting firm for outdoor powerhouse Mossy Oak/Haas Outdoors and being named the youngest partner in their recreational real estate firm, Mossy Oak Properties. It also includes being named the lead guide to help legendary clothing manufacturer, Eddie Bauer design and test their Sport Shop apparel. This well-conceived product line has the distinction of winning more awards than any of its kind.

John’s commitment to quality has led to other accolades as well. In addition to winning the Garden & Gun Best of the Sporting South Award, High Adventure Company is the only four-time recipient of the Sporting Classics Award of Excellence.

HAC properties have been featured in Sporting Classics and Shooting Sportsman, The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Garden & Gun, Men’s Journal and Southern Bride magazine as well as numerous outdoor industry television shows.