Move over Hollywood, Johnny Morris is throwing his own version of an A-List party in the middle of the heartland.
See also: Bass Pro Announces Wonders Of Wildlife Museum Opening Date
Topping out the star-studded guest list for a gala celebrating the new Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium will be former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
The big party is Wednesday night, September 20 and comes ahead of a Thursday preview of the 10 year project to local officials and donors on Thursday. The public gets their first chance to explore the museum and aquarium on that Friday.
They will enjoy performances from country music superstars like Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield, Missouri. Other musical guests on the list include John Anderson, Chris Janson, Tracy Byrd, Easton Corbin and Craig Morgan.
Kid Rock is also reported to deliver a performance via live video feed to the gala crowd.
The televised concert will also feature Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner in attendance.
The cast of attendees spans across the celebrity spectrum with state and national politicians like Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, Senator Roy Blunt and Missouri Congressman Billy Long as well as NASCAR all-stars such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Stewart making the list.
The invitation-only party will result in Bass Pro Shops in Springfield being closed all day Wednesday, September 20. The store will re-open on Thursday, September 21.
Stay tuned to KTTS and KTTS.com for the latest details on this developing story.
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Bass Pro Shops also released the following list of conservation leaders from across the country that will be on the guest list.
U.S. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR:
· Ryan Zinke
U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE:
· Greg Sheehan, Acting Director
· John Turner, Former Director US Fish and Wildlife Service and previous Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
HONORED CONSERVATION LEADERS:
· Joe Margraf, President, American Fisheries Society
· Derrick Crandall, President and CEO, American Recreation Coalition
· Mike Nussman, President & CEO, American Sportfishing Association
· Ron Regan, Executive Director, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
· Dan Ashe, President & CEO, Association of Zoos & Aquariums
· Bruce Akin, CEO, Bass Angler Sportsman Society
· Donald Howell, President, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
· Melissa Reynolds, Executive Director, Bear Trust International
· Ellen Peel, President, Billfish Foundation
· Tony Schoonen, Chief of Staff, Boone & Crockett Club
· Preston Bruenn, Legacy Member, Conservation Committee Chairman, Camp Fire Club of America
· Terry Smith, President, Canadian Wild Turkey Federation
· Marty Brunson, CEO, Catch a Dream Foundation
· Jeff Angers, President, Center for Sportfishing Policy
· Patrick Murray, President, Coastal Conservation Association
· Jeff Crane, President, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
· Brandon Butler, Executive Director, Conservation Federation of Missouri
· John Jackson, III, President, Conservation Force
· Lawrence Selzer, President & CEO, Conservation Fund
· Shane Mahoney, President & CEO, Conservation Visions
· Ivan Carter, Conservationist
· John Frampton, President & CEO, Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
· Karl Evans, Executive Director, Dallas Safari Club
· Scott Petrie, CEO, Delta Waterfowl Foundation
· Dale Hall, CEO, Ducks Unlimited
· Karla Guyn, CEO, Ducks Unlimited - Canada
· Philippe Morel, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management-Canada
· Eric Eikenberg, CEO, The Everglades Foundation
· Andy Walker, CEO, The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida
· Scott Ellis, Executive Director, Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia
· Joe Betar, Executive Director, Houston Safari Club
· Nehl Horton, President, International Game Fish Association
· Brad Heidel, Executive Director, International Hunter Education Assc. USA
· Scott Kovarovics, Executive Director, Izaak Walton League of America
· Tiffany Frey, Executive Director, James River Basin Partnership
· Ricky Gease, Executive Director, Kenai River Sportfishing Association
· Miles Moretti, President, Mule Deer Foundation
· David Yarnold, President, National Audubon Society
· Jay Slack, Director, National Conservation Training Center
· Nick Pinizzotto, President & CEO, National Deer Alliance
· Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director & CEO, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
· Claudia Malley, Chief Marketing & Brand Officer, National Geographic
· Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President & CEO, National Rifle Association
· Steve Sanetti, President, National Shooting Sports Foundation
· Chris McAllister, President, National Trappers Association
· Becky Humphries, CEO, National Wild Turkey Federation
· Collin O’Mara, President & CEO, National Wildlife Federation
· David Houghton, President, National Wildlife Refuge Association
· Fred Matt, Executive Director, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society
· Mark Tercek, President & CEO, The Nature Conservancy
· Adam McLane, State Director, The Nature Conservancy of Missouri
· Richard Jeo, State Director, The Nature Conservancy of Montana
· Eddie Bridges, Executive Director, North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation
· Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard
· Pat Hudak, President, Orion - The Hunter’s Institute
· David Casaletto, President & Executive Director, Ozarks Water Watch
· Howard Vincent, President & CEO, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever
· Jim Willems, President, Pope & Young Club
· Jesse Juen, President, Public Lands Foundation
· Craig Alderman, Executive Director, Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation
· Brian Murphy, CEO, Quality Deer Management Association
· Frank Peterson, Jr., President & CEO, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
· David Allen, President & CEO, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
· John Eichinger, President & CEO, Ruffed Grouse Society
· Paul Babaz, President, Safari Club International
· Warren Sackman, III, President, Safari Club International Foundation
· Donald Berg, President, Shikar Safari Club
· Stuart Leon, Executive Director, Southwest Tribal Fisheries Commission
· Troy Justensen, President, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
· Evan Heusinkveld, President & CEO, Sportsmen’s Alliance
· David Yeates, CEO, Texas Wildlife Association
· Whit Fosburgh, President & CEO, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
· Chris Wood, President & CEO, Trout Unlimited
· Mary Coulombe, Chief of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
· Dr. Mark Madison, Historian, US Fish & Wildlife Service
· Mike Kromrey, Executive Director, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
· Peter Gerl, Executive Director, Whitetails Unlimited
· Gray Thornton, President & CEO, Wild Sheep Foundation
· Doug Grann, President & CEO, Wildlife Forever
· Steve Williams, President, Wildlife Management Institute
· James Cummins, Executive Director, Wildlife Mississippi
· Ed Thompson, Executive Director & CEO, The Wildlife Society
· Ted Hilmer, Superintendent, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
· Steve Bresnahan, President, American Outfitters & Guides Association
· Jay McAninch, President & CEO, Archery Trade Association
STATE DIRECTORS OF CONSERVATION:
· Charles Sykes, Director, Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries
· Sam Cotten, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
· Ty Gray, Director, Arizona Game and Fish Department
· Jeffrey Crow, Director, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
· Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
· Bob Broscheid, Director, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife
· Bill Hyatt, Chief, Bureau of Natural Resources, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
· Bryan King, Associate Director, Fisheries and Wildlife Division DC Department of the Environment
· David Saveikis, Director Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
· Nick Wiley, Executive Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
· Rusty Garrison, Director, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division
· Suzanne Case, Chairperson, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
· David G. Smith, Administrator, Division of Forestry & Wildlife, Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
· Virgil Moore, Director, Idaho Fish and Game Department
· Wayne Rosenthal, Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
· Mark Reiter, Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife Indiana Department of Natural Resources
· Dale Garner, Administrator, Conservation & Recreation Division, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
· Keith Sexson, Asst. Secretary For Wildlife, Fisheries and Boating, Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
· Gregory Johnson, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
· Jack Montoucet, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
· Chandler Woodcock, Commissioner, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
· Paul Peditto, Director, Wildlife & Heritage Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
· Jack Buckley, Director, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
· Dr. William Moritz, Natural Resources Deputy, Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment
· Jim Leach, Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
· Sam Polles, Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks
· Sara Parker Pauley, Director, Missouri Department of Conservation
· Martha Williams, Director Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks
· Jim Douglas, Director, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
· Tony Wasley, Director, Nevada Department of Wildlife
· Glenn Normandeau, Director, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
· Larry Herrighty, Acting Director, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
· Alexandra Sandoval, Director, New Mexico Game and Fish Department
· Tony Wilkinson, Director, New York Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
· Gordon Myers, Executive Director, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
· Terry Steinwand, Director, North Dakota Game and Fish Department
· Mike Miller, Chief, Ohio Division of Wildlife
· J.D. Strong, Director, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
· Curtis Melcher, Director, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
· John Arway, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
· Bryan Burhans, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Game Commission
· Catherine Sparks, Assistant Director for Natural Resources, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
· Alvin Taylor, Director, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
· Kelly Hepler, Secretary, South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department
· Ed Carter, Executive Director, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
· Carter Smith, Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
· Mike Fowlks, Director, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
· Louis Porter, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife
· Bob Duncan, Director, Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
· Dr. Jim Unsworth, Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
· Paul Johansen, Chief, Wildlife Resources Section, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
· Kurt Thiede, Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
· Scott Talbott, Director, Wyoming Game and Fish Department
