A diverse range of members appointed to the National Park System Advisory Board will gather for their first meeting on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to receive overviews of the National Park Service's natural and historic landmarks programs and receive background on the National Park Foundation, history in the parks, fish and wildlife programs, and elect a chairman and vice chair.

The meeting of the 11-member board is the first since nine members of the board appointed by President Obama resigned in protest last January over Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's decision not to engage with them. Secretary Zinke's spokeswoman "welcomed" the resignations of nine members and chided them for doing nothing while women were being harassed in the National Park System.

The reference to sexual harassment stems largely from a long-running incident at Grand Canyon National Park that started long before the Obama board was appointed. Additionally, the advisory board has nothing to do with the day-to-day field operations of the National Park Service. It "advises the Director of the National Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior on matters relating to the National Park Service, the National Park System, and programs administered by the National Park Service, including the administration of the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act; the designation of national historic landmarks and national natural landmarks; and the national historic significance of proposed national historic trails."

Secretary Zinke earlier this year moved the mission of the advisory board away from its traditional role focused largely on providing input on issues such as designation of national historic landmarks to one also involved with hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and wildlife conservation issues.

Specifically, the changes call for the board to, along with providing input on national historic landmarks and natural landmarks, provide advice and recommendations on secretarial orders regarding "Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation; Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting and Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with State, Tribes, and Territories, and; Increasing Recreational Opportunities on Lands and Waters Managed by the U.S. Department of Interior."

The board's advice also will be sought on how to reduce regulations and controlling regulatory costs, as well as on "innovative solutions to aggressively address wildlife fires on public lands..."

The biographies of the new members, though, outwardly don't all seem to match up closely with the board's new mission. The 11 appointed by Zinke include two women, a winemaker, the president of one of Utah's largest homebuilders, the head of the nation's largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship, a psychologist, and a doctor who practices acupuncture and naturopathy.

Andrew "Tuck" Beckstoffer runs the Tuck Beckstoffer Wines in California's Napa Valley. He was appointed to the board for his business management skills and work in the private sector.

John C. Cushman III is chairman of Global Transactions for Cushman & Wakefield, is a leader in the commercial real estate industry. He was appointed to the board for his experience in the financial management sector.

Joseh S. Emert is retired from the medical device industry. He is a seventh generation East Tennessean who grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He serves on the East Tennessee Historical Society Board of Directors as Past President and on the Board of Directors for the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. He was appointed for his expertise in historic preservation.

William Gardner "Billy" Hewes III is in his second term as governor of Gulfport, Mississippi, near Gulf Islands National Seashore. "His focus on city livability includes incorporating bicycle paths and/or sidewalks in all new road projects, sportplex expansions, citywide festivals, conversion of abandoned floodplains into parks, trails, and the rebirth of blighted properties into urban renewal destinations--including birding trails, an award-winning alley reclamation, and a $90 million Mississippi Aquarium project in downtown (set to open in late 2019)," states his biography. He was appointed to the board for his role in managing state parks and protected areas and for being a locally elected official from an area adjacent to a unit of the National Park System.

Mary Pope Hutson was "formerly the executive vice president of the Lands Trust Alliance in Washington, D.C., where she managed the national public policy program for all conservation groups in America and led major fundraising efforts. With in-depth knowledge of public policy, land conservation and historic preservation issues, she was appointed as a member of the North American Wetlands Council by three Secretaries of the Interior." She was appointed for her experience in natural and culture resources management.

Ellis Ivory is the founder of Utah's leading homebuilder. In the 1970s, he was elected Utah's Republican National Committeeman. Currently, he is chair of Hope Clinic and executive director of This Is The Place Heritage Park. He was appointed for his experience in business development.

Zelma Landsford, Ed.D, "is experienced in understanding the National Park Service, how the agency functions, the needs of its employees, and its critical role in preserving our nation's treasures and telling our nation's stories," according to her biography. "She has served the parks professionally, fostering leadership, teamwork, learning, and executive development in the NPS from Yosemite to the Statue of Liberty, in the Division of Fire and Aviation Management in Boise, and in the Washington office." Her experience as a psychologist landed her on the board.

Dr. Les Moore practices naturopathic medicine and acupuncture in Pittsford, New York. He was appointed for his medical experience and for being a veteran.

John L. Nau III, a member of the National Park Foundation's board, runs the country's largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products. He also serves on the American Battlefield Trust Board of Directors, the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas State Historical Association Board of Directors, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Board of Directors, and numerous other boards. He was appointed for his background in history.

Philip G. Pearce has been a paraplegic wheelchair user for almost 45 years. "He has held several management and executive level positions during his career, and he is the owner of an enterprise in which he is currently engaged," reads his biography. He was appointed for his entrepreneurship and physical impairment.

Boyd C. Smith is co-founder and partner of WSJ Properties LLC, a real estate development firm in Mountain View, California. "In 2002, Smith was the recipient of the Ed HIll Conservation Award presented by the Teton Regional Land Trust to individuals who demonstate extraordinary interest in conservation of the Upper Snake River Valley, Idaho," reads his biography. "In cooperation with the Teton Land Trust, Smith has contractually established hundreds of acres in Teton Valley, Idaho, for permanent open space to protect vital habitat for fish, wildlife, and wildfowl. In 2003, he purchased Teton Ranch (founded in 1891) and over the past 15 years, has restored Teton Ranch by undertaking a variety of water, soil, and habitat conservation methods, the installation of modern irrigation techniques, the planting of thousands of trees and shrubs, and the restoration of a mile of South Leigh Creek to prevent erosion and to establish habitat for the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout." He wa appointed for his business development experience.