The 35th annual Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet, sponsored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, will again honor those who protect the “natural” in the Natural State. Presented by Banded, the event is slated for Aug. 29 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
This year’s inductees include former Arkansas State Conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Mike Sullivan; radio host and fishing ambassador Mark Hedrick; and the late Pat Fitts, former Arkansas Game and Fish Commission director. Also to be honored is the Arkansas Waterfowl Association, recipient of the 2026 Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award.
Established in 1982, AGFF is the fundraising arm of the commission. It also supports complementary programs of its own, including Get It for Game Wardens, which purchases equipment not covered by the AGFC’s budget, and Arkansas Outdoor Society, a member-led nonprofit engaging younger working adults in outdoor activities. AGFF also supports the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program and the Arkansas Duck Stamp program, among other mission-driven initiatives.
The Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet, the group’s main fundraiser and largest annual event, is a testament to the enduring appeal of the outdoors and the passion of those who partake of it. In return, AGFF has developed a sterling reputation for stewardship of dollars donated. For every dollar spent, the foundation raises $7. The foundation has raised more than $1 million through events and generated more than $1.5 million through its impact fund.
For more information about how to support the work of the foundation, visit agff.org.
Pat Fitts
Pat Fitts (1965-2025)
John Patrick “Pat” Fitts not only discovered his abiding love for the outdoors early in life but got to spend the entirety of his career protecting and enhancing Arkansas’ wild spaces.
The Jacksonville native worked as a fisheries technician at the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery in Lonoke in summers during high school before heading to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in fisheries and wildlife management in 1989 and then made a beeline back to the AGFC, where he would serve as a fish culturalist and fisheries biologist.
He also served as an enforcement officer, for which he was awarded Wildlife Officer of the Year in 2003, received the Life Saving Award for heroic action in the face of grave danger, earned the Outstanding Officer Award from the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners, and was honored as the Waterfowl Officer of the Year several times.
In 2018, Fitts was appointed as the 18th director of the AGFC. Over the course of four years, he led the commission through major advancements in conservation and infrastructure renewal. He presided over the construction and opening of the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale and spurred establishment of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s Get It for Game Wardens program.
“His life’s goal was to work in the conservation area and work for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” said his widow, Alice Fitts. “He felt like that the good Lord had put him on this earth to fight for conservation. He always said he would never work anywhere else.”
Mark Hedrick
Mark Hedrick
Mark Hedrick’s journey from Lake Maumelle to the state’s airwaves made him a leading voice of Arkansas outdoors. A universally respected resource for everything fishing, from habitat improvement to enhancing Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation programs that reignite the love of the activity among young people, he has been integral to the fishing culture in the state.
“Mark is one of the best friends the foundation has ever had and one of the best friends Arkansas fishing ever had,” said Deke Whitbeck, foundation president. “From the time I arrived at the foundation, he has been ready and available to offer his expertise and assistance to help support the commission. Even today, if it has to do with fishing in the state, he’s my first call.”
Hedrick, the well-known co-host of “The Wild Side” radio program on Little Rock’s 103.7 The Buzz, frequently uses his media platform to drum up support for agency and foundation programs and to promote the state’s fishing culture in general.
He conceived of and tirelessly promoted the foundation’s Commissioners’ Cup Youth Bass Fishing Tournament, an event that has become the premier platform for young anglers. He has also promoted AGFF programs that equip adults with the skills to mentor children in ways that allow families to experience the joy of fishing together.
“It’s all stewardship,” he said. “It’s not only about making sure the activity is out there and accessible but that kids want to do it and know how to do it. I want more families in Arkansas to experience kids going out with their granddad, older brother, whoever is mentoring them in that boat. That’s a priceless afternoon on the water.”
Mike Sullivan
Mike Sullivan
North Little Rock native Mike Sullivan did not have to look far for a role model of his life’s work in conservation. The University of Arkansas-trained engineer and past Arkansas State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service had his father, Gene, for that.
“My father, who was also an engineer, had a career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service,” he said. “Seeing what he did, it was a pretty easy decision for me to go to work for NRCS.”
After starting in Arkansas, Sullivan served the NRCS in Arizona and Mississippi. During the latter assignment, he led the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, an $80 million per year program improving water quality, wildlife habitat and agricultural productivity in the Mississippi River Basin.
Returning home, he spent 15 years as state conservationist, a role his father had before him. Highlights included implementing and improving various federal funding programs and leading NRCS participation in Grand Prairie and Bayou Meto projects to protect groundwater. He also helped create the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement program, which provides financial incentives to rice farmers who implement wildlife-friendly practices and allow public hunting access during the winter months.
Today, Sullivan owns his own consultancy, which provides guidance on water and natural resources conservation. He called his induction into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame a capstone achievement.
“It’s a great honor,” he said. “I love the outdoors, and to receive recognition like this feels like I’ve come full circle in my career as a public servant. I’ve always considered myself a steward of the land, and I’m still working in areas I think we need to focus on to make a difference.”
2026 Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award
Arkansas Waterfowl Association
Formed by a group of dedicated duck hunters in 2002, the Arkansas Waterfowl Association has reached hundreds of young people through its youth summer camp program, where skills and ethics are introduced to ensure the next generation of Arkansans understand how to properly access outdoor activities.
Each year, the camp exposes about 70 young people to classes ranging from basic Waterfowl 101 to hunt management, science and restoration, wrapped in a fun experience that also includes fishing, hunting, shooting sports, archery, trapping, hiking, boating and more.
“At no point did any of us ever think about a Hall of Fame honor of any kind, so obviously, it’s very humbling,” said Ronnie Evans, a co-founder and current board member. “We have such an abundance of opportunities for the outdoors. We wanted to leave it better than we found it by educating the next generation on how to treat the outdoors right and with integrity.
“We are proud to tote that flag of really pushing and loving the outdoors in this state by showing and teaching young people how to take care of the resources the good Lord has given us.”
