Introducing MONTANA SCI Board Members

Our members actually practice what we preach. We are all dedicated hunters and gun owners with a deep commitment toward protecting our hunting heritage, wildlife management, land stewardship and youth programs. Each board member brings decades of hunting and outdoor experience to our members. Look over our website and see what we have to offer you as a member. No other organization works harder to protect and preserve your hunting rights than we do.

Kent Potter
Kent Potter

Kent Potter

SCI Board Member

As a young boy, I was always an outdoor kid. I was always outdoors playing in the cattail swamp behind our house in Kalispell, Montana. My dad was in the National Guard and shot at Camp Perry and was a NRA Master pistol qualified Shooter. My mother was a ranch girl from eastern Montana so I loved to be on the ranch helping my uncle on the ranch riding horses, chasing cows, and loved seeing antelope and deer on the prairie. Dad taught me early on about gun safety, conservation, and how to appreciate the Wildlife the good Lord gave us. I was given a Savage 22/410 over and under for a birthday present at a young age honestly, I do not remember when, but I was probably less than 10 years old. Dad told me the first shot always counted the most, so not to waste ammunition, and shooting grouse in the head instead of with the 410 was desired. Shooting squirrels and gophers, was always fun as well and then I got to graduate to the larger Wildlife as I got older. My dad is long gone but he instilled a real Hunter mentality, and to be a collector of Firearms. My vocation has been a professional Pilot since I was 20 years old and I’ve flown for several airlines, several corporations in jet and piston aircraft and owned my own flying business for 25 years with airplanes and helicopters, along with my lovely wife of now 47 years in July. I’ve been blessed to hunt in Alaska and harvested a grizzly, a 70 inch Moose, several caribou, several Elk, a 350 class bull a few years ago with my bow, a caribou and a Rocky Mountain goat with my Mathews bow. and the goat is mounted in a full mount in my living room. My wife has encouraged me to build a man cave that I have many mounts in over the years and several gun safes full of collector Firearms, I am also blessed to be a new board member of SCI Montana, Billings chapter, and am going on a Safari hunt in Africa with my friend Darrell Holland this fall.

Other Board Members

Bruce Rush

President

Bruce started hunting with his Dad when he was 12 years old. Some of his favorite childhood memories come from those hunting trips, and now he enjoys sharing hunting adventures with his own son. Bruce has hunted in Africa, Alaska, and Canada; next on his list is hunting in Scotland and fishing in Mexico and Hawaii. “I became a member of SCI because of my love for hunting and my desire to meet and help others in the hunting community. Montana’s diverse terrain and wildlife make this a truly special place for hunters. I hope others will join me in SCI so we can preserve our hunting heritage for future generations.”
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Dan Smith

Vice President

Dan is a Christian, husband, and father of four, 3 sons and his youngest is his daughter. Dan has been conservation minded since graduating from Pittsburg State University with a degree in Biology in 1991. He has been blessed to have been a lifelong wing shooter and big game hunter. Dan was introduced to shot gunning by his father Charlie and Grandfather Bob at the age of 8 shooting "blue rock" behind their home every weekend. Growing up consisted of many quail, pheasant, and deer hunts with family and friends. Dan has bow-hunted since he was introduced to the sport by his Uncle Bobby at the age of 14. He is proud of the work Safari Club International does on behalf of all hunters and conservationists locally, nationally, and internationally. Dan has been honored to have served on many local boards, including local school boards, sporting organization boards, and church boards. When Dan is not helping clients with real estate matters, he can be found hunting Big Game in Montana, North America, and abroad.
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Don Grewell

Treasurer

Growing up in Billings, Montana was a gift for anyone that loves the outdoors. Many of the fond memories I have spending time with my father involved hunting and fishing and boating with my parents and friends. My father told rne that the firstthing I harvested was a porcupine at age 3, and I do think I remember this' when my education out of state took me away from most opportunities to hunt, I was lucky enough to marry a lady from Michigan that agreed to follow me back to Montana and enjoy Montana',s outdoors as a family, and altow me to pursue hunting in Montana, Africa {Zimbabwe twice), canada multiple times, Alaska, and Argentina. Enjoying the culture of these countries was just as exciting to me as the hunting and fishing- And knowing that organized fee hunting was also a wildlife conservation effort, that the monies collected from fee hunting were used to better conserye wildlife and habitat, made all these trips even more pleasurable. scl is but one of the hunting and fishing organizations that have done so much for conservation of habitat and wildlife, and I am grateful I can help give back to this organization.
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Ben Smith

Secretary

Originally from South-Central Missouri, I was taught to hunt by my father at an early age, sparking a lifelong passion for the outdoors. Growing up in Missouri, I developed a deep connection to nature that has taken me on adventures across Missouri, Kansas, Montana, Alaska, and Africa. Whether I’m tracking game, hiking trails, or camping, I feel most at home when immersed in the outdoors. Hunting, for me, is not just a sport but a tradition and a way to honor the land and wildlife. I value ethical hunting practices, conservation, and the camaraderie it creates among fellow outdoorsmen and women. As a proud member of Safari Club International, I’m committed to supporting the mission of preserving wildlife and promoting responsible hunting for generations to come. In addition to my outdoor pursuits, I’m a dedicated real estate agent, helping people find their dream properties.
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C.T. Ripley

SCI Board Member

I was born and raised on a small cattle ranch in western North Dakota where I started hunting rabbits with an old single shot .22 (circa early 1900’s) of my dad’s. My dad stressed early on the importance of not wasting ammo and 1 shot kills were expected even when .22 shells were less than 50 cents a box. To this day it is still hard for me to just go plink or even practice more than a few rounds. Then as I grew up and worked on ranches in Montana I hunted mainly for meat – deer, elk and antelope. I don’t think my kids even tasted beef until they were 13-14 years old. I started hunting internationally when I retired from Exxon refinery in Billings, Montana in 1999. I celebrated with a moose hunt in Alaska. Then people I met through Safari Club recommended hunts in Russia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Australia where I have hunted several times. I hunted for brown bear on Kamchatka and ibex in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. One of my luckiest moments was when I won the Arizona Desert Big Horn Sheep Society’s 2010 national raffle. I got my choice of 3 sheep hunts and chose a Fannin hunt in the Yukon as I already had a Dall & Rocky Mountain Bighorn. While in the Yukon I filled a Yukon slam with the sheep, a great Mountain Caribou, a 60” moose and a 6 ½’ grizzly bear – in 13 days! I have enjoyed several of these hunts with my son and daughter. My son and I really enjoy hunting together and both of us got good black bears in northwestern Alberta in May 2012. I encourage people to join SCI as I did. You too can go to these places and hunt if you save your dollars and shop for your hunts. The contacts I have made through Safari Club have helped make it possible for me.
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Darrell Holland

SCI Board Member

Darrell is a custom riflesmith and International Shooting Coach. He has done consulting work for several manufacturers in the firearms industry. Darrell is a frequent seminar speaker at SCI conventions sharing his knowledge on Hunter Survival as well as Long Range Shooting. Darrell holds several patents in the firearms industry and was an early pioneer in reticle technology in rifle scopes. His company Holland’s Shooters Supply manufactures a broad selection of hunting and shooting gear. When he is not working in the shop, Darrell can be found hunting big game animals in the US and abroad.
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Jerry Theis

SCI Board Member

Jerry grew up in Minnesota where began hunting with his dad at 11 years old. His dad taught him how to shoot, track deer, and navigate through the thick Minnesota woods using a compass. Jerry's interest in hunting grew and he also has hunted other big game. He hunted bear for the first time in Canada in 2019. He also likes bird hunting including ducks, geese, pheasants and ruffed grouse. Jerry graduated from Marion University with a bachelors degree in management and minors in information systems management and marketing. He also completed the Purdue University Professional Management Institute and Institute for Insurance Management. Jerry resides in Laurel Montana where he is close to many outdoor activities year around.
Click to Read Bio
Kent Potter

SCI Board Member

As a young boy, I was always an outdoor kid. I was always outdoors playing in the cattail swamp behind our house in Kalispell, Montana. My dad was in the National Guard and shot at Camp Perry and was a NRA Master pistol qualified Shooter. My mother was a ranch girl from eastern Montana so I loved to be on the ranch helping my uncle on the ranch riding horses, chasing cows, and loved seeing antelope and deer on the prairie. Dad taught me early on about gun safety, conservation, and how to appreciate the Wildlife the good Lord gave us. I was given a Savage 22/410 over and under for a birthday present at a young age honestly, I do not remember when, but I was probably less than 10 years old. Dad told me the first shot always counted the most, so not to waste ammunition, and shooting grouse in the head instead of with the 410 was desired. Shooting squirrels and gophers, was always fun as well and then I got to graduate to the larger Wildlife as I got older. My dad is long gone but he instilled a real Hunter mentality, and to be a collector of Firearms. My vocation has been a professional Pilot since I was 20 years old and I’ve flown for several airlines, several corporations in jet and piston aircraft and owned my own flying business for 25 years with airplanes and helicopters, along with my lovely wife of now 47 years in July. I’ve been blessed to hunt in Alaska and harvested a grizzly, a 70 inch Moose, several caribou, several Elk, a 350 class bull a few years ago with my bow, a caribou and a Rocky Mountain goat with my Mathews bow. and the goat is mounted in a full mount in my living room. My wife has encouraged me to build a man cave that I have many mounts in over the years and several gun safes full of collector Firearms, I am also blessed to be a new board member of SCI Montana, Billings chapter, and am going on a Safari hunt in Africa with my friend Darrell Holland this fall.
Click to Read Bio