Chapter Leadership
President – PJ Carleton
President Emeritus – Andrew Kovalcin
VP of Fundraising – Phil Hoon
Secretary – Dennis Kirk
Treasurer – Samuel “Dutch” Hillenburg
At-Large Board Member – Graham Hill
At Large Board Member – Chris Timmerman
PJ Carleton joined the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in 2008 and now serves as the Senior Director of Events and Donor Relations. In this role, PJ works with CSF donors on their annual contributions and benefits throughout the year. She also works closely with the rest of the Development and Event team at CSF, bringing in more than 20 years experience in event planning.
Prior to joining CSF, PJ was the Director of Political and Special Events at Epiphany Productions, Inc. During her five-year tenure, she planned and executed large- and small-scale meetings and events for a diverse clientele throughout the United State and Europe.
Before working for Epiphany, PJ spent two years in the office of U.S. Congressman Billy Tauzin. Growing up in “Sportsmen’s Paradise,” PJ has been around hunting and fishing her entire life. PJ holds a degree from Louisiana State University and enjoys LSU sports, hunting, fishing, cooking, and baking. PJ also serves as a Board Member on the Washington Metro Chapter of Safari Club International. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Pete.
President Emeritus – Andrew Kovalcin
Andrew Kovalcin is a seasoned public affairs professional with over two decades of experience managing political, regulatory, and legislative issues for his clients, which include Fortune 500 companies. His diverse set of skills and experience come from his blend of work in Congress, agencies, and trade associations and with state legislatures. Kovalcin has managed global coalitions, built national & international strategic alliance networks, acted as a national spokesperson, and designed and implemented multifaceted issue advocacy campaigns. He has extensive experience engaging, organizing, and activating advocacy organizations, think tanks, academics, policy experts, and grassroots leaders. As a passionate hunter, Andrew appreciates diverse hunting experiences while remaining dedicated to protecting the right to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. Kovalcin’s motto is – whether you grow, hunt, or gather when you source it yourself, it’s the ultimate organic.
Vice President of Fundraising – Phil Hoon
Phil serves as the Vice-President of Capitol 6 Advisors. He advises a diverse group of clients, ranging from leading outdoor brands to renewable energy startups. Phil began his D.C. career in the political campaign office of then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Following the campaign, he served as the Senior Director of Corporate Relations at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. For nearly a decade he managed the Foundation’s sponsorships, which included corporate, foundation and individual contributors both in and out of the outdoor space.
SHOOTING SPORTS/HUNTING/CONSERVATION/ related: NRA (Endowment), SCI (Life and three regional chapters), Rowland Ward Guild of Field Sportsmen (Life), Hunters for the Hungry, Conservation and Waterway, Ducks Unlimited, etc.
Frequent Volunteer at Fairfax Rod & Gun Club (Past General Counsel attorney for Club and Foundation): Boy Scouts events and training, Cleanup Days, prior club Security Committee service, Doe culling efforts, Sighting in Days, and introduction of many hundreds of first-time shooters brought into shorts shooting using club facilities with my own equipment and supplies of firearms and ammo, sponsored many new members over the years. Member since the 1990s.
DENNIS DEAN KIRK, Attorney at Law, Litigation in Administrative Agencies, State and Federal Courts in law firm with presence in Virginia and DC that provides corporate and individual; and, private sector Inspector General and regulatory compliance service, with legal and management/leadership support for operational programs, as well as personnel and systems safety, hotline, and compliance and ethics programs, so that they are effectively monitored and overseen. Develop and execute solutions for employment, labor relations, policies, practices, business process reengineering, Lean Six Sigma special operations, efficient cost-saving reorganizations, and enterprises supporting entrepreneurial capitalism, physical and institutional infrastructure, and national security interests of the US and its allies. (Lead Counsel in US DC Circuit on Iran-Contra and filed client statement in Office of Independent Counsel Report; US Air Force; Wed Tech; and Pentagon Ill Wind government investigations, among others).
MEMBER (2021), Department of Justice Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR (2020), EMPLOYEE SERVICES DIVISION, OPM, (Washington, DC). Supervised Seven Senior Executive Service Centers and 160+ federal employees on all US Government policy on federal employment matters. Worked directly with the key OPM Leadership, SES, and staff elements in OPM, Employee Services, Accountability and Workforce Programs areas, including critical Inter-agencies task forces like the Labor Relations Group, providing substantial contributions to executing workplace environment concepts, conferences, evaluations, analysis of papers and continuously striving to make major shifts in approaches and possibilities in employee-management relations to improve the federal employee workforce experiences and performance, deploying creative ideas and suggesting key targets for innovations on how to excel in difficult labor circumstances, meeting OPM objectives and program goals, prioritizing for better delivery of employee services, and achieving resulting paradigms exceeding the President’s Management Agenda goals, rendering outstanding performance. Demonstrated commitment to improve collaboration, transparency, and communication among OPM leadership to make better, more efficient decisions; actively engaged in Agency activities and efforts that go beyond the executive’s normal program responsibilities; contributed to corporate initiatives that help further important mission priorities and strategic goals.
ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL, USARMY. Advised Senior Army and DoD Leaders in all Commands; OGC Senior Ethics and Senior Environmental Counsel.
Treasurer – Samuel “Dutch” Hillenburg
Samuel “Dutch” Hillenburg is a retired Federal employee and Disabled Veteran of the US Army. He worked abroad extensively and has consulted on several firearms-related books and television programs. Since retirement, he has been active in Republican politics and has hunted Africa, Eastern Europe, and Russia extensively.
At-Large Board Member – Graham Hill
Graham Hill is a founding member and past president of the Washington Metro Chapter of SCI. A native Texan, Graham began hunting and shooting as a child – a passion he currently is sharing with his three sons as they learn to shoot and hunt. During his 25 years in Washington, Graham has served Members of the House and Senate, and as senior Congressional staff for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. Graham was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate to the National Council for Disability (NCD). At the NCD, Graham advocated for mobility impaired hunting and shooting, an effort he continues today on a national level with the NRA, FCSA and other organizations. He is a 3-Gun and Shotgun competitor, a life member of NRA, SCI, FCSA, TSRA and NYSRPA. He serves as President of the Fifty Caliber Institute (FCI), and on the Board of FCI, NRA and the GUDC.
At-Large Board Member – Chris Timmerman
Christopher Timmerman is a Manager of Government Affairs at Boston Scientific. In his role, Chris advocates on behalf of the company on Capitol Hill, oversees the company PAC program (BSC PAC), and manages BSC’s grassroots efforts. Prior to joining BSC, he worked in campaign finance, raising funds for Senators, Representatives, Governors, and a candidate for President. He got his start in D.C. during the 2008 election cycle at the NRSC after graduating from Emory University. A lifelong sportsman, Chris grew up in South Dakota hunting pheasants, waterfowl, and deer.