When Jim Meek joined the Ankeny Izaak Walton League’s Dragoon Trail Chapter in 2014, he was simply looking for a local place to enjoy rifle and pistol shooting. He never expected that membership would set him on a lifelong path of conservation and leadership.

Growing up on a farm in Warroad, Minnesota, Jim developed an early appreciation for the outdoors through hunting and fishing around Lake of the Woods. Today, his connection to agriculture continues through his wife’s family farm in southwest Iowa, a 2,500-acre cow/calf operation raising cattle, corn, and soybeans.

At Dragoon Trail, Jim’s interests quickly expanded beyond the shooting range to include prairie restoration, beekeeping, fishing ponds, and youth education. When his grandson was born in 2015, conservation took on an even deeper meaning: leaving a healthier world for the next generation.

That commitment has led to a remarkable journey of service and leadership:

Chapter Delegate — Representing Dragoon Trail at the state convention
State Director — Serving in Iowa Division leadership
National Director — Representing Iowa on the national stage
3rd Vice President, Iowa Division — Leading youth programs
National Secretary & Executive Board Member — Serving as a national officer of the Izaak Walton League of America

Jim has also helped make conservation tangible in his community. He led a prairie restoration and outdoor classroom project that earned Dragoon Trail the 2025 Aldo Leopold Award for Conservation. He has supported 4-H shooting sports and prairie restoration, partnered with Pheasants Forever’s Women on the Wing, advanced R3 (Recruit, Retain, Reactivate), and helped host young precision-shooting competitors from all 50 states at the National Junior High Rodeo Association Finals.

After 20 years with Casey’s, Jim retired in March 2026—but retirement hasn’t slowed his commitment to conservation.

What began as a trip to the shooting range became a lifelong calling to protect Iowa’s soil, air, woods, and water—and to help ensure that the outdoors remains something future generations can experience, enjoy, and protect.
We’re proud to have Jim Meek serving on the Iowa Division Board.

This is the story of an Iowa Ike. And this is the heart of our conservation
community.