Bill Kozyra

It's a story not heard often anymore: Delta Waterfowl donor Bill Kozyra came to hunting through what might be called a true apprenticeship. It left a lasting impression.

"When I was 7 or 8, my father took me bird hunting - pheasant hunting early on. I had to carry an empty Daisy BB gun the first year," said Kozyra, now 63. "The next year, I was able to carry that gun with a single BB in it. I graduated to a Topper junior model 20-gauge, which I'll never forget had a nasty kick. I had to walk with it that first year cracked open. Then, the fourth year, I was able to put a shell in it and take a real shot for the first time."

Those earliest lessons in carrying a firearm safely, and, in proving himself, have stuck with the successful automotive engineer and executive throughout his life. And he takes pride in having shared them with his now-adult children.

Kozyra's path to professional success was similar. He began sweeping floors in his father's shop at age 9 for 25 cents an hour. His father was a precision model maker for the auto industry in Detroit. By age 18, Kozyra was adept at building models himself. However, his father was adamant that he attend college, so he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Detroit. He later followed that up with an executive MBA from Michigan State University.

At age 37, Kozyra went from entry-level engineer with automotive supplier, the Budd Company, to its president. He has continued in executive level positions throughout his career, including his current role as chief executive officer and president of TI Fluid Systems.

Kozyra admits that kind of career path and raising a family make it difficult to maintain outside passions like hunting, but he has managed to stay connected to those most special to him -
waterfowl hunting and bowhunting.

"I'm the kind of individual who would find every weekend and long weekend opportunity to sneak away and do a little bit of hunting," he said. "It took me to age 50 to figure out how much I loved it, and then to age 55 to figure out how to do it, and by age 60, I was hitting on all eight cylinders, taking every opportunity to be outdoors."

His passion for waterfowl hunting has carried him and his family around the world. He's hunted in Africa, South America, New Zealand, Iceland, Canada, and more. Kozyra tries to hunt somewhere every month of the year.

He was introduced to Delta when he met Scott McGuigan, then a Canadian hunting guide. As their friendship grew and McGuigan moved on to become a Delta development director, Kozyra's understanding of Delta's missions expanded, as well. Kozyra came to see that The Duck Hunters Organization broadly reflects his own views on conservation and hunting.

Kozyra and his friend, Frank Rewold, who owns the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan, are the sparkplugs in creating and perpetuating the Greater Detroit Conservation Gala. It's an annual, upscale event attracting well-heeled conservationists from across the region. Since its inception in 2017, the gala has generated nearly half a million dollars for Delta's work.

"Bill (Kozyra) plays a huge part in making this event such a success each year. It's a gathering unlike any other, and I'm proud to call Bill a cherished friend of Delta's and my own," McGuigan said.

Kozyra and his wife, Melissa, are philanthropically supportive of many organizations, including the University of Detroit, Notre Dame Preparatory schools, Boy Scouts of America, Women of Tomorrow, and many other groups, especially supporting private education. The couple's philosophy is to select organizations they can support wholeheartedly.

While deeply impressed with Delta's Hen House and Predator Management programs, Kozyra said his support of the organization encompasses "whatever needs are greatest." - Bill Miller