Steve Chase

A native of Connecticut, Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with an Earth Science Minor from the University of Hartford, and a Master of Public Administration from the Barney School of Business and Public Administration. He presently serves as the Chief, Division of Education Outreach at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV.

Steve joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1990, working on National Wildlife Refuge System, Migratory Bird, and Law Enforcement issues. In 1993, he joined the staff of the NCTC where he worked on the design and development of the NCTC campus and its operations and later becoming Chief of Facility and Administrative operations.  Steve was instrumental in the establishment of the Fish and Wildlife Service's national history/heritage programs, including the development of the NCTC museum, exhibits, and archives. He has also served as the Chief Financial Officer and Special Assistant to the Director at the NCTC. He now leads efforts to engage, educate, and employ the next generation of conservation professionals.

In the past, Steve has worked as a river guide in northwest Maine, as a backcountry caretaker for the Randolph Mountain Club in northern New Hampshire; a backcountry ski guide; a buyer in the ski and climbing industry; and a municipal public works administrator. He also worked as a media specialist at the Talcott Mountain Science Center in Connecticut.

Steve is the former Board Chair of The Murie Center in Moose, WY; is the founding President of the American Conservation Film Festival in Shepherdstown, and is the President of the Unison Preservation Society. He writes a music column, In Unison, for The Middleburg Eccentric. Non-work activities include river running, fishing, live music, and spending time with his family. Steve resides in Middleburg, Virginia.