Michael Mathwig

Mathwig grew up in Shakopee, Minnesota, where he developed a passion for the outdoors and duck hunting. That interest carried into college, where he intentionally chose Mankato State University near Swan Lake in southern Minnesota so he could hunt regularly. While a college student, he helped rehabilitate an old hunter’s cabin at Compart’s Landing. These experiences helped shape his appreciation for habitat stewardship and the cultural importance of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Today, Mathwig is a private landowner and conservation steward in the prairie pothole region, where he regularly practices conservation on his farm and works to balance agricultural use with meaningful habitat restoration. He has a practical, landowner-informed perspective and believes durable conservation on private land depends on trust, respect, and biology. 

As trustee of the Mathwig Family Charitable Trust, he evaluates conservation investments with a long-term stewardship mindset, emphasizing scientific rigor, habitat effectiveness, accountability, and alignment with mission. The Trust has supported Delta Waterfowl because of its strong focus on duck production, applied science, and its commitment to working constructively with private landowners.

Mathwig was a partner/shareholder of Metro Sales in the Twin Cities area for 26 years. Prior to that, he was a successful Xerox sales representative covering western Wisconsin. He also manages a successful, active real commercial and farm/ranchland estate portfolio.