LDWF ALAS Coordinator Chad Moore accepts the IHEA Hunter Education Coordinator of the Year award from LDWF Assistant Secretary for Wildlife Randy Myers.

Chad Moore, who coordinates the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) Archery in Louisiana Schools (ALAS) program, has been named the International Hunter Education Association of the United States Hunter Education Coordinator of the Year for 2021.

Moore, LDWF Northern Regional Manager for the Hunter Education Program, as well as the ALAS coordinator, was recognized during the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting Thursday (July 7) in Baton Rouge.

The award recognizes outstanding service to the recipient’s agency over the course of the last year as well as supporting the IHEA-USA mission while doing so. Moore began his career at LDWF in Hunter Education 15 years ago and has been the ALAS Coordinator for the last 4.5 years.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic where Moore kept the ALAS program operating in spite of many challenges posed due to restrictions. Under his leadership and with creative planning, long hours and hard work, LDWF was able to hold 48 ALAS tournaments within three months rather than the normal four in the timeframe.

“Chad is an exemplary employee and ALAS has succeeded and continued to grow under his leadership,’’ said LDWF Assistant Secretary for Wildlife Randy Myers. “He is deserving of recognition for these accomplishments alone, however, he is being given this award for his efforts to ensure ALAS was successful in 2021. When Covid-19 restrictions threatened to cause the cancellation of our regional and state ALAS tournaments last year, rather than taking the easy route, Chad rose to the challenge.’’

These smaller local tournaments complied with pandemic restrictions while still allowing 1,124 archers to compete regionally and 1,540 at the state level from 48 different schools. Moore, himself, was diagnosed with the COVID virus in November of 2020 yet was still able to administer the ALAS program from home during mandatory quarantine and on LDWF leave.

ALAS is a part of the National Archery in the Schools Program, which introduces students in grades 4 through 12 to international target-style archery. The program is designed to be taught as part of the school’s curriculum, such as in the school’s physical education program. Many schools involved in ALAS also develop after school programs and archery clubs.

For more information on ALAS, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/alas.