Shane Westcott
Holdrege

President

I own and operate a diversified farming operation in Holdrege, Nebraska, and manage my family’s ranch near Valentine. My wife, Lacie, owns and manages a marketing agency, Four West Marketing. We have two children, Addison and Gavin.

I have been hunting and fishing my entire life -- everything from small game in the fields of Nebraska to North American big game to the plains of Africa. My father instilled a love of the outdoors in me at a young age which Lacie and I are passing on to our children. Marv Westcott, my father, helped found the original Nebraska Chapter of SCI, and my mother, Vicki, was the education representative for the chapter for 20 years. Our roots run deep within the SCI organization and we hope to continue this legacy for years to come.   

Nate Fox
Kearney

Vice-President

I’m a lifelong Nebraska resident, having spent most of that time living in the Republican River Valley in the south-central part of the state. I grew up with a passion for the outdoors and enjoyed chasing pheasant, quail, turkeys, deer, antelope, ducks, geese and predators all across the state.  Western big game is now my passion and Alaska has become my favorite hunting destination. 

My wife and I live in Oxford where I own and manage Fox Insurance Services. We have one son who already seems to have inherited the hunter gene. I serve as president of the Southern Valley Scholarship Foundation, Granada Theater Board, and HOPE Board and am a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and Ducks Unlimited, as well as SCI.

I feel SCI’s mission is critical to providing my son and future generations the opportunity to pursue the passion we’ve all been fortunate to enjoy.  I’m excited to be a part of the Platte River Chapter and look forward to meeting and working with SCI members across our state and country.

John Hoggatt is the Kearney Market President for Pinnacle Bank, Nebraska and has worked in the banking industry for nearly 40 years. He started his career with First National Bank of Kearney and has held various positions with banks with locations in Kearney and Grand Island.

John is a 1985 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, with a degree in business administration/finance. He also is a 1997 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking in Boulder, Colorado. He is married to Melissa Hoggatt. Their family consists of son Matthew and his wife Elizabeth and their three children; and daughter Jennifer Hoggatt-Reeves and her two children.

John is an active outdoorsman and conservationist, with hunting, fishing and AKC Retriever Trials being the primary passions he pursues. For the past five years, he has served as District 4 commissioner on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “Agricultural production and conservation go hand-in-hand with being an outdoor enthusiast,” he said.

KJ Beam

Columbus

Secretary

KJ Beam is the logistical and facility manager for Nebraska Irrigated Seeds in Fremont, Nebraska. “I truly enjoy all the different opportunities that seed provides growers to be successful.

​

“I grew up with a passion for the outdoors. I hunt deer, antelope, elk, pheasants, geese, ducks and predators. My wife and our three kids enjoy the outdoors, and they have accompanied me on many hunts. They appreciate the outdoors and what it has to offer. We spend most of our off-time enjoying our cabin on the Elkhorn River or hunting in Western Nebraska.

​

“I am a board member of our local Arlington Youth Foundation. We conduct activities including our annual banquet to support local charities, scholarships and organizations for youth.

​

“I have always appreciated what SCI stands for, and its mission to provide future generations the ability to pursue the same passions that we all hold near to our hearts. It takes all of us to ensure there are opportunities for future generations.”

Doug Zingula

Sidney

Board Member

Born and raised in east-central Iowa, I spent my youth hunting, fishing and learning to love the outdoors. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1980, I was fortunate to be hired by Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska. I began at an entry-level position in the Merchandising Department. I didn't know at the time that it was the beginning of a 23-year career that would grow into a lifetime passion. My career with Cabela's afforded me the opportunity to hunt throughout the world -- an opportunity for which I will always be grateful. I retired from Cabela's in 2013 as the vice-president of merchandising.

In 2018, I was appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts to serve as the District VII Commissioner with Nebraska Game and Parks, representing the Nebraska panhandle. I enjoy promoting our natural resources and outdoor opportunities for the people of Nebraska.

Although I have made Sidney my home since 1981, Laura and I also spend much of our time in our cabin in the Pine Ridge outside of Crawford. We are passionate about the promotion and protection of this country's hunting heritage and the conservation of wildlife that results.

Neil was born in Cape Town, South Africa, to an American mother and South African father. He relocated to the United States in 1986 and graduated from high school in Ogallala, Nebraska. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Kearney and served as both an enlisted man and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Following his service in the Marines, Neil took a position at Hornady Manufacturing Company in Grand Island in 2004 where he still works today as the marketing director.

Educating the public about wildlife conservation through hunting is of paramount importance to Neil. “Sustainable use hunting -- by harvesting the biological surplus -- helps sustain all levels of biodiversity in an ecosystem. In addition, hunting provides an important financial contribution to local communities in the United States and throughout the world. This financial contribution provides value to wildlife. Without financial worth, many game animals would be eliminated from their indigenous habitat as they compete with domestic animals for grazing and the ever-present threat of human encroachment.”

Neil is a member of numerous conservation/advocacy organizations, including SCI and the Dallas Safari Club, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, Pheasants Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the United States Practical Shooting Association, Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League Hunter Series (NRL Hunter).

Neil and his wife Jodi have three adult children. When he’s not working, Neil pursues his passion for hunting and fishing around the world and competes in local and national level shooting competitions.

Pete grew up in western Nebraska, where he developed a passion for hunting and the outdoors at a young age. After graduating from Alliance, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed multiple deployments while pursuing his college education. He later graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and has since started a family and built a career in business development with BluePrint Engines, he continues to live and work in Kearney.

Throughout his life, Pete has been fortunate to have several mentors and role models who've shared a passion for hunting, conservation and volunteerism. Those relationships have provided meaningful experiences that have shaped who he is today, both personally and professionally. They've also provided the encouragement to "apply for that tag" or "book that trip", advice he continues to carry forward.

Pete is proud to be involved with Platte River Chapter of Safari Club International. He believes strongly in giving back and "paying it forward" to ensure future generations have the same, if not greater, opportunities to enjoy everything God has provided through wildlife, hunting and the great outdoors.