POWA Hires New Executive Director

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association’s Board of Directors announces the appointment of Paula Piatt as the organization’s new executive director.

Piatt succeeds Dennis Scharadin, who retired from the position on Aug. 31 after five years of leadership.

“We are thrilled to have Paula and the experience she brings to the organization thanks to her long and distinguished career as an outdoor communicator,” said Brad Isles, POWA president. “On behalf of the board, we wish Dennis nothing but the best as he transitions into retirement. We appreciate the countless hours and knowledge he provided POWA during his tenure.”

An avid outdoorswoman, Paula currently serves as an associate editor for Outdoor News Publications, where she also regularly contributes as a feature writer. She first joined POWA in the mid-1980s before relocating to the Adirondacks of New York. Now, back home in Pennsylvania, she has been a member since 2010 and most recently served on the Board of Directors.

“I’m excited to continue the good work of POWA in this new role. Now, more than ever, the work of outdoor communications is vital to not only preserving our outdoor heritage, but growing it for the future. I’m looking forward to helping both our individual and supporting members do their best work,” said Piatt.

During May’s POWA spring conference in Franklin she won an Excellence in Craft Award in the Best Magazine or Regional Newspaper Feature category for “On duty,” which was published in the September/October 2017 Just Labs magazine.

“Paula is more than a talented writer and editor. Her work with and knowledge of other member-led organizations, particularly those in based the outdoors and conservation, will be a great benefit to us as we look for new avenues of growth,” Isles said. “The future of POWA is bright.”

Paula graduated from Lock Haven University with a degree in Journalism/Media Studies and has worked in various media for the past 35 years. She serves as a member of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conversation and holds memberships in the New York State Outdoor Writers Association; the National Wild Turkey Federation; Backcountry Hunters and Anglers; and the Sayre Sportsmen’s Club, where she serves on the Board of Directors as secretary and delegate to the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.

Paula and her husband, Steve, who is also a POWA member, live in Sayre, Pa., with their two Labrador retrievers. They co-hosted the POWA Spring Conference in Sayre in 2016.