1995: Boat Ed® Incorporation
Kurt and Cindy Kalkomey incorporate Boat Ed® to offer boating safety education and certification tests.
Not all of our decisions are driven by data. We’re also very casual, and we know how to treat each other (and furry friends) right.
People First
We make life at Kalkomey as enjoyable for our employees as possible. Work-from-home flexibility and generous PTO days are just a couple of ways we make it easier for our employees to find that perfect work–life balance.
Awesome Activities
We love educating others about outdoor recreation activities, but we also love enjoying these activities first-hand. That is why it is not uncommon for us to get outside as a team and put our education to the test.
Furry Friends
Come by our office and you will be greeted by some friendly faces (and some slobbery ones too). We couldn’t be happier to host a pawful of our team members’ dogs on any given day.
We’re always looking for great talent. Browse our latest job postings to see what positions are available in our Dallas office.
Our Leadership Team
Meet the individuals who are responsible for leading our team and growing our courses and company initiatives.
Blake Clark
Chief Executive Officer
Gayle Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Robert Bellovin
Chief Growth Officer
Jeff Courter
EVP of Product & Technology
Mitch Hagerup
Sr. VP of Technology
Edward Cossette
VP of e-Learning
Melody Niese
VP of Customer Experience
Spencer Blanchard
VP of Marketing
Steven Bristow
VP of Government Relations
Greg Gulliver
VP of Agency Relations
Janet Petersen
VP of Financial Planning & Analysis
Andy Blanchard
Director of User Experience
Shandelle Brown
Director of Engineering
Patrick Reese
Director of Product
Brady Smith
Director of Business Intelligence
Chet Van Dellen
Director of Project Management
Tenetra Clemons
Chief of Staff
Our Departments
Account Management
The Account Management department communicates with external contacts, such as government agencies and organizations, and internal teams. Their expertise in communication is essential for delivering a flawless experience.
Quality Assurance
The Quality Assurance department works with all areas of the company. It is key to delivering products and services that both meet the needs of the customer and are at the highest quality possible, achieved by rigorous testing and end-to-end quality management.
Marketing
The Marketing department is responsible for establishing long-lasting relationships with our customers and mapping new routes to revenue. As a team full of digital natives, this department is highly data-driven and uses an agile marketing methodology to create continuous customer value.
Software Development
From innovation to maintenance, there is no department more heavily relied on than the Software Development. It is this department that maintains the successful operation of our AMS services and courses.
Media and Design
When it comes to education, user experience is of the utmost importance. Our Media and Design team is well versed in this area to produce course materials that users will enjoy learning from.
Customer Service
With more than 360 courses, there are bound to be some questions. Fortunately, our Customer Service department does an incredible job at answering phone calls and managing email inquiries so that the users can enjoy the outdoors.
Content and Editorial
Our goal is to save lives by imparting our experience and knowledge of outdoor recreational safety. The Content and Editorial department ensures that the information is easily understood, accurate, and up to date.
Product Management
Our product managers are responsible for the definition and development of products for the organization. They ensure our products and services have incredible design, the right feature set, and provide excellent value that exceeds our customers’ needs.
Our History
We’ve been around since 1995, and since then, we’ve done some pretty remarkable things.
1998: Boat-ed.com in Texas
The first boating safety video course and home-study test are launched in Texas. Georgia and South Carolina begin offering the boating safety video course. Kalkomey begins delivering online safety training with the introduction of boat-ed.com in Texas.
2000: U.S. Coast Guard and United States Power Squadrons
Boat Ed publishes a boating manual on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard and United States Power Squadrons, the first external company to do so in the history of those organizations.
2001: Southeast states Hunter Education Manual
Southeast states ask Kalkomey to develop a hunter education manual.
2002: Hunter-ed.com is Launched
Hunter-ed.com, which provides online hunter education, is launched. Kalkomey prints its first hunting manual, Today’s Hunter. A Spanish-language edition of Boat America—Navegando America—is printed.
2003: First Interactive Animations
Kalkomey becomes the first boating safety course provider to introduce interactive animations to enhance online learning.
2004: Bowhunter-ed.com is Introduced
The bowhunting education course and exams debut online at bowhunter-ed.com.
2005: Offroad-ed.com is Introduced
Offroad-ed.com, an online source for off-road vehicle safety education and certification, is introduced. A Spanish-language edition of Today’s Hunter—El Cazador de Hoy—is printed.
2006: Kalkomey Buys Outdoor Empire Publishing
Kalkomey buys Outdoor Empire Publishing’s education division—a library of print publications.
2007: Streaming Video Introduced
Boat Ed is the first boater safety course provider to stream video segments for online instruction.
2008: Event Manager
Kalkomey’s Event Manager is introduced for Missouri and soon gains wide acceptance. It’s a secure, Internet-based system for state agencies to manage any event offered to the public.
2009: Snowmobile-ed.com is Introduced
Kalkomey begins recruiting a team of highly skilled programmers and user experience professionals to meet the needs of a rapidly growing Internet-based product line. Snowmobile-ed.com, an online source for snowmobile safety education and certification, is introduced.
2010: Relocation and More Products
Kalkomey begins to encompass the full spectrum of print, online, and DVD courses and data management tools. Kalkomey moves its offices to a new 30,000 square foot building at 14086 Proton Road in Dallas, Texas.
2011: Responsive Versions of Online Courses
Kalkomey releases responsive versions of all of its online safety education courses, allowing course pages to adapt the layout and presentation to be appropriate for whatever electronic device and screen size the student is using—from mobile phones to desktop computer monitors.
2012: Register Ed Is Introduced
Kalkomey launches Register Ed, a secure system for students to register for safety education events offered by agencies and organizations. Kalkomey converts all of our official state boating handbooks into eBook format and launches our online bookstore. Kalkomey also releases a new Hunter Safety video series.
2013: Award Season
Kalkomey’s Hunter Safety Video Series wins the Pinnacle Award from POMA and finishes 3rd in the 34th Annual Telly Awards. Kalkomey launches its first online snowmobile course in Canada and purchases the CMSC assets in preparation to launch an online Canadian boating course. Kalkomey debuts ilostmycard.com. Certification Manager is launched for Pennsylvania and later Virginia.
2014: Kalkomey Expands Into Canada
Kalkomey proudly introduces its Transport Canada–approved online Canadian boating course. Handgunsafetycourse.com, an online source for handgun safety education, is launched, and the Handgun Safety Course video series wins POMA’s Pinnacle Award for 2014. Kalkomey undergoes an interior renovation.
2015: Inverness Graham Acquisition
Kalkomey is acquired by Inverness Graham, a private investment firm located just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of our history of innovation and growth, Kalkomey fits in perfectly with Inverness Graham’s vision.
2016: Outdoor Roadmap Acquisition
Kalkomey acquires Outdoor Roadmap, a Michigan-based online hunter safety training company and brand consultancy for the outdoor industry. At the time, Outdoor Roadmap was the only resource to offer online hunter safety instructor training.
2016: Agency Management Solutions introduced
Kalkomey launches AMS, a full-service, comprehensive solution for agencies and their outdoor recreation needs. Initial applications included Certification Manager, Event Manager, and access to our Online Courses.
2016: AMS Volunteers
Later in the year, fourth application on the AMS platform is introduced. AMS Volunteers gives agencies the ability to recruit volunteers, manage programs, and utilize a suite of tools that integrate with state’s licensing applications.
2016: AMS Subscriptions
Following the initial launch of AMS and the AMS Volunteers application, AMS Subscriptions was also introduced in 2016. The application allows agencies to subscribe and renew magazine subscriptions and memberships for both students and outdoor enthusiasts.
2017: Kalkomey Acquires Fresh Air Educators
Kalkomey merges with its competitor Fresh Air Educators. Like Kalkomey, Fresh Air Educators works with government agencies and school districts across North America to develop online courses for outdoor enthusiasts. Kalkomey now has a Canadian office located in the capital of Ottawa, Ontario.
2017: First Licensing Contract
Kalkomey wins the Nevada Licensing contract, which represents a turning point for the company. With the first full implementation of the AMS system, Kalkomey proves that we are more than an education company and can provide software solutions.
2017: AMS Licensing
Kalkomey’s goal of providing everything an agency needs to fulfil its students’ needs is further realized with the introduction of AMS Licensing. The new application allows agencies to manage recruitment, retention, and reactivation of all their outdoor enthusiasts.
2018: RAID Acquisition
Kalkomey acquires RAID, a dedicated, e-learning, recreational rebreather, and open circuit scuba diving training organization. RAID offers a complete range of online diver academic programs from beginner to instructor examiner levels in snorkeling, scuba, and freediving.
2018: iLearnToBoat
The future of boater safety education is launched in 2018 with the introduction of Kalkomey’s first interactive course, iLearntoboat. The course leverages gamification techniques, which encourage more engagement through fun, entertaining learning styles.
2019: iLearntoHunt
In 2019, Kalkomey will launch its second interactive course. This time, for the hunting industry. iLearntohunt uses the same interactive principles and game theory from iLearntoboat and applies them to realistic hunting scenarios for improved student engagement in the hunter education experience. iLearntohunt will be the hunting industry’s first interactive hunter education course.
2019: New York Licensing Contract
Kalkomey wins its second licensing contract in 2019. This time, for the great state of New York. From management, retention, and reactivation, Kalkomey will provide the state of New York with everything they need to assist their outdoor enthusiasts.
2020: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Licensing Contract
In 2020, Kalkomey won its third licensing contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide the state with everything they need to assist their outdoor enthusiasts.
2021: Sportsman Tracker Acquisition
Kalkomey acquires Sportsman Tracker, the creator of the HuntWise™ app, a hunting toolset that allows users to pinpoint the best times and locate the best places to hunt on public or private land. With the acquisition, Kalkomey can now expand to a variety of new mediums and incorporate its innovative products into a broader content platform.
Have a Question?
Are you a student with questions or an agency interested in our services? We would be happy to answer your questions. Fill out this contact form, and a representative from our organization will get back to you.
For urgent matters, please contact our Customer Service department.