Joel Vance spent 22 years as an award-winning news and magazine writer for the Missouri Department of Conservation and has been fulltime freelance for 25 years.  He has been awarded all three of the top honors given by the Outdoor Writers Association of America—Excellence in Craft; the Jade of Chiefs for conservation communication; and the J. Ham Brown Award for service to the organization, the most prestigious OWAA honor.  He is one of only four members in the history of the organization to be so honored.  He also has been honored with the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers Excellence in Craft award. 

            Vance is a past president, two time board member and board chairman of OWAA, and was the group’s official historian for six years.