Jeff Gauger-President & CEO, Keystone Elk Country Alliance
Jeff as Benny the Elk
The man in the cowboy hat, Rawley Cogan, was the face of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA) for many years. When Rawley retired, the search for a new CEO and President led KECA to a person they knew very well, Jeff Gauger. We visited with Jeff at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette to learn more about him and the organization.
How did you get involved with KECA? “I was working for Clarion University and some friends that worked there loved elk. They invited me to attend a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) banquet in Erie. I had a good time and went back for several more years. During that time, I met more people involved in the world of elk conservation. RMEF was working with Pennsylvania officials on plans for a visitors center to showcase the state’s elk herd. When RMEF decided against managing a center, the desire to keep the project alive created the need for the founding of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance.”
Jeff was there from the beginning with KECA. Working as a volunteer with his wife Robin since the organization was founded working as a business consultant. He was invited to a workday on the KECA grounds at what is currently the Homestead property, and he has been involved in many capacities through the years, including serving on the board of directors from 2016-2020, KECA’s Director of Development from 2020 to 2024, and as the KECA mascot, the one and only, Benny the Elk.
What is it like being dressed as Benny the Elk? “It is a blast! I’m not Jeff, I’m not working, I’m just Benny! I get to be goofy and have fun. The kids love Benny. I enjoy when they see me and yell “There’s Benny!” and then come running.
They say you will always remember the first time you see a bull elk. Do you remember your first bull sighting? “I grew up spending time outdoors and hunting in western Elk County. In the early 1990’s, I read about Pennsylvania’s Elk Biologist Rawley Cogan and the elk herd in PA Game News. We made several trips to the area without seeing any elk. I kept dragging the family back and it finally happened. We saw a bull on Winslow Hill less than a mile from my current home.”
How many chapters are there currently for KECA? “We have sixteen chapters across Pennsylvania.”
What are some of the challenges that you face in 2025? “With an organization this size we need hundreds of volunteers. We must have volunteers help to complete our mission. We have a great group of volunteers from across the state, but that group is aging. We need to recruit more and younger volunteers. Managing or dealing with travelers’ expectations when visiting elk country and their desire to see wild elk is an ongoing challenge that we all face.”
What direction will you be taking KECA going forward? “I will stay on our mission and work on projects that will benefit and preserve Pennsylvania’s wild elk herd for future generations and bring continued economic growth to the region.”
Tell us about the buildings on the Elk Country Visitor Center grounds? “The first new building you will notice is the Butch Clemen Outdoor Classroom and Event Center. More than seventy people donated to construction of the Cogan Conservation Terrace and there is a new elevated ADA accessible elk viewing blind courtesy of Leigh Valley Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI).”
The Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA) is a Pennsylvania based 501(c) non-profit wildlife conservation organization. KECA operates and manages the Elk Country Visitor Center and the surrounding properties in Benezette, to benefit the future of Elk Country, and the enjoyment of hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Guests can enjoy conservation education programs, a 4D story theater, a new ECCO Building (Elk Country Campus Outdoors Building) which is available for programs and events, the interactive displays and diorama in the heart of the Visitor Center as well as the hundreds of wild elk that call the property surrounding the Visitor Center home. Come and experience Elk Country for yourself. KECA is membership based, but volunteer driven, with volunteers helping us complete our mission on a daily basis.
KECA’s resources have been focused on improving hundreds of acres on the property surrounding the Elk Country Visitor Center along with many projects on both public and private land. Their commitment is to Elk Country first. One way that commitment is fulfilled is through their amazing conservation education programs. Take part in these programs at the Elk Country Visitor Center, or through a web-based distance learning program. You can find more information at ExperienceElkCountry.com.
