COOKIN' UP A STORY: Love and Care - Jesse Deubel & Erin Rowe

In 2008, Jesse Deubel was dealing with the fallout from the mortgage crisis. As a realtor, his income dried up, leaving him to choose between paying the water bill or the electric bill. In the evenings, he'd spend his time on a message board dedicated to bow hunting. Through this, he met a fellow who was interested in moving to New Mexico, where Deubel was born, raised, and still lives today. Jesse picked him up at the airport in his PT Cruiser to start showing him properties. The gentleman pulled the plug on his search, though, when he found out hunters in New Mexico were not sufficiently organized in their efforts to protect their rights to enjoy the sport for generations to come.This led Deubel to start helping sportsmen in the state to start organizing and in short order, he was called to take on leadership roles, though he still had to focus on his day job. Time progressed, his business grew, and in 2018, Jesse took on the executive director role with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.Today, he and the NMWF and setting an example for other states to follow when it comes to ensuring that our public lands are protected and open to people from all walks of life to use. It could have ended up differently, but when the opportunity to make a difference arose, Deubel didn't shy away and instead chose to serve his community in the way he is most passionate about.