CNCC Chapter Leadership
Please see the bottom of this page for vacant positions and information on our upcoming elections at our Winter Mixer on Dec. 3rd, 2022.
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President: Frank Fogarty
Assistant Professor Humboldt State University Frank Fogarty is an avian ecologist and Assistant Professor in the Wildlife Department at Humboldt State University. His is interested in songbird communities and their responses to potential disturbances including fire, climate change, cattle grazing, and habitat loss. He has primarily worked with bird communities in the mountains of the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada. He received his B.S. from University of Florida, and his M.S. and M.P.P. from University of Maryland, College Park. His doctoral thesis at University of California, Davis focused on the use of point count data to understand bird communities in the Great Basin, including their relation with fragmentation and loss of riparian habitat. Frank is committed to fostering an inclusive community for local wildlife professionals. He looks forward to using his position to help grow this community by providing opportunities for recent graduates and BIPOC biologists. |
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Past President: Kent Barnes
Wildlife Biologist Yurok Tribe Kent Barnes is a Wildlife Biologist with the Yurok Tribe. Kent graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology/Vertebrate Ecology from Humboldt State University. His work primarily focuses on environmental compliance related to Threatened and Endangered Species including northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and Humboldt marten. Kent also works on the Yurok Tribe's ongoing efforts to reintroduce the California Condor to Yurok ancestral land. Kent's dedication for wildlife conservation comes from a passion for hunting. |
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President-elect: Jen Olson
Senior Environmental Scientist CDFW Jen Olson is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She has worked for the Department since 2012 in a variety of roles, primarily focused on environmental review and permitting. She currently serves as the statewide restoration permitting coordinator for CDFW's new Cutting the Green Tape initiative to expedite and streamline restoration permitting in California. Prior to working for the Department, she worked as a Research Associate for the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit where she supervised field crews and data management for projects focused on life history variation in songbirds. Jen is originally from Minnesota and has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. In her free time she enjoys birding, running, finding new places to go hiking and backpacking with her standard poodle, Dipper, and expanding her natural history knowledge about her Northern California home. She has previously served as CNCC Secretary and also helps organize and publicize local professional development events for the Chapter. |
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Secretary: Katie Siedel
Fish and Wildlife Biologist USFWS Katie Siedel is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Arcata). Her work primarily focuses on federal Endangered Species Act consultations. She graduated from Humboldt State University in 2013 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Katie also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia from 2014-2016. She previously worked as a seasonal employee with the U.S. Forest Service conducting rare plant surveys and timber sale preparation. Katie is happy to help out with questions about federal government employment and the Peace Corps program. |
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Treasurer: Janelle Chojnacki
Graduate Student HSU Janelle is a wildlife graduate student at HSU (Clucas lab), researching raven movement around snowy plover breeding areas. Janelle has also worked on CA State Parks’ wildlife team, and has 8+ years experience in field work in Costa Rica, Saipan, Mexico, Alabama, the Channel Islands, and Point Reyes, banding, tracking, and observing songbirds, with some small mammal and environmental work as well (reach out for advice on getting these jobs!) Janelle has a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies (Environmental Justice) from UC Berkeley. In her spare time, she loves birding, hiking, whitewater kayaking, am getting into wildlife tracking, and playing soccer. |
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Section Representative: Elizabeth Meisman
Wildlife Biologist GHD, Inc. Lizzi is a Wildlife Biologist working for GHD Inc. on a wide variety of environmental consulting projects. Areas of focus include birds, amphibians, and terrestrial mammals. Lizzi's wildlife biology experience draws on her time working with wildlife species at research institutions, bird observatories, and on private timberlands. She completed a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation Biology, with a minor in German Studies, from Humboldt State University in 2016. She has done research on habitat use of mesocarnivores, impacts of anthropogenic landscape change on osprey nesting success and nest site selection, and blood parasites in osprey nestlings. She is extremely active in her local community, and contributes to long-term monitoring in the area through volunteering at the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory. In what little free time she has, she can be found in the woods hunting for birds with her partner and two dogs. Being a big sister is deeply ingrained in her and she strives to help students and early-career professionals whenever possible. She serves on the Western Section Professional Development, Student Affairs (as Co-Chair), Diversity, Conservation Affairs, and the Annual Meeting Planning Committees, as well as the Quiz Bowl at the intergalactic TWS level. She is also in the current TWS Leadership Institute. She is always eager to share resources and information, so feel free to reach out at any point if you would like to learn more about these committees or other opportunities within the Chapter and Western Section! |
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Student Representative: Sara Moriarty-Graves
Graduate Student Cal Poly Humboldt Email: smm3339@humboldt.edu Sara is a wildlife graduate student in the Gunther Lab at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her thesis research is on how burned areas influence a mammalian community (mountain lion, black bear, elk, and deer) in the Klamath Mountain bioregion of northern California. She also works for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on the Elk Project. Her B.S. is from Cal Poly Humboldt in Wildlife Management and Conservation. She has spent time on various projects- from collecting Louisiana black bear hair, weighing bat guano, processing barn owl photos, collecting elk scat, and conducting research on the temporal co-occurrence of fishers and foxes. In her spare time, she enjoys ax throwing, gardening, and backpacking with her favorite canid. Reach out to her if you’re a student wanting to get involved with CNCC or have any questions! |
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Social Media Chair: Toni Maggi-Brown
Wildlife Technician Yurok Tribe Toni is a recent graduate from Humboldt State (Cal Poly Humboldt) and is a wildlife technician for the Yurok Tribe. His honors thesis was on black bear foraging damage to trees in redwood stands. He now does surveys for Humboldt martens, barred owls and northern spotted owls. He hopes to invoke the voices of animals in his work both professionally and personally. His creativity is invigorated by the redwood and mixed-coniferous forests he visited in his time as a Redwoods Rising 2020 wildlife apprentice and now with the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department. During his time in school he was the Education and Media Coordinator for Conservation Unlimited, a student chapter of the wildlife society. Through this similar role for CNCC he hopes to connect people to wildlife and create networking opportunities. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing at moonstone beach, running, mountain biking, and making art. |
Membership Chair: Vacant
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Professional Development Chair: Erin Phillips
Green Diamond Resource Company Erin is currently working for Green Diamond Resource Company as an Aquatic Biologist, specializing in fisheries. She is dedicated to monitoring, restoring and enhancing anadromous watersheds and has a passion for studying freshwater ecosystems. In the past, she has worked with state agencies, federal agencies, private companies and consulting firms as a Biologist supporting research studies on birds, fish, ungulates, mammals, plants and hydrology. She also has years of experience in the Veterinary field. She is passionate about wildlife tracking, bird banding, spending time in the rivers and on the sea, gardening and running. Erin has a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation from Humboldt State University, and is a past treasurer for Conservation Unlimited, a student chapter of The Wildlife Society. Through her position as Professional Development Chair, she strives to promote the collaboration of fellow scientists to support a diverse approach to conservation. One of her life long goals is to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public through citizen science and land stewardship. |
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Women of Wildlife & Diversity Chair / Conservation Unlimited Student Representative: Jessica Hernandez (She/Her)
Undergraduate Student HSU Jessica is currently a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt and serves as the chair for Women of Wildlife & Diversity with CNCC and the Student chapter Representative for Conservation Unlimited. She is particularly interested in urban ecology, urban wildlife, human-wildlife conflict, and threatened and endangered species. Over the years, she has gained valuable experience through various internship opportunities such as Wildlife Conservation & Education, Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release, and Marine mammal rehabilitation. She has worked with the LA Zoo, animal rescues, city animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and animal rehabilitation centers. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, bird watching, painting, murder mysteries, and creating mini gnome gardens. Jessica is overjoyed to have the opportunity to be a part of The Wildlife Society. In a field that has long been dominated by men, she plans to create a safe, diverse, and inclusive space for other women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and any other marginalized groups of people to come together and listen to, learn from, and grow with one another whether it be personally, or professionally. |
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Conservation Committee Chair: Matt Delgado
Matt Delgado is a Senior Utility Forester for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company as well as an independent contracting Wildlife Biologist. Matt's interests revolved around raptor ecology and human-wildlife conflict. He has primarily worked with threatened and critically endangered species of raptors from Central America to the Pacific Northwest. Matt received his B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Applied Vertebrate Ecology from Humboldt State University in 2014 and his M.S. in Natural Resources (Wildlife) from HSU in 2019. His thesis focused on sexual selection in Aleutian cackling geese. In Matt's free time he enjoys training his pointing dogs and hunting the Western United States. |
Vacant board member positions:
· President-Elect (3 year term)
The President Elect leads Board Meetings in the absence of the President. The President Elect helps out where needed throughout the year and learns the ropes to assume the duties of the President the following year. This elected position oversees the appointed Professional Development Committee Chair position. The President Elect serves in this position for one year, as President for one year, and then as Past President for one year.
· Student Representative (1 year term)
The Student Representative shall represent the students of colleges and universities within the Chapter’s organizational boundaries. This person shall serve as a liaison to the Chapter for the students, inform the students of the goals and objectives of The Society, encourage student involvement in The Society, and keep the students informed of Chapter and Society activities. The Student Representative will ideally be involved with CU or WiGSS.
In addition, we are looking for individuals to chair the following positions (non-elected member positions):
· Conservation Committee Chair
· Women in Wildlife (WOW) Chair
· Professional Development Chair
Requirements for the vacant positions are memberships of the following:
· California North Coast Chapter - https://www.cncctws.org/membership.html
· The Wildlife Society (National) - https://wildlife.org/join/
· Western Section - https://tws-west.org/membership/
· President-Elect (3 year term)
The President Elect leads Board Meetings in the absence of the President. The President Elect helps out where needed throughout the year and learns the ropes to assume the duties of the President the following year. This elected position oversees the appointed Professional Development Committee Chair position. The President Elect serves in this position for one year, as President for one year, and then as Past President for one year.
· Student Representative (1 year term)
The Student Representative shall represent the students of colleges and universities within the Chapter’s organizational boundaries. This person shall serve as a liaison to the Chapter for the students, inform the students of the goals and objectives of The Society, encourage student involvement in The Society, and keep the students informed of Chapter and Society activities. The Student Representative will ideally be involved with CU or WiGSS.
In addition, we are looking for individuals to chair the following positions (non-elected member positions):
· Conservation Committee Chair
· Women in Wildlife (WOW) Chair
· Professional Development Chair
Requirements for the vacant positions are memberships of the following:
· California North Coast Chapter - https://www.cncctws.org/membership.html
· The Wildlife Society (National) - https://wildlife.org/join/
· Western Section - https://tws-west.org/membership/
Recent Board Members and Chairs
Genevieve Rozhon - President
Sandra Hunt von Arb - President
Dan Barton - President
Ken Mierzwa - President
Chris Collier - Student Representative
Greta Wengert - Treasurer
Rose Haidar - Membership Chair
Scott Frazer - Conservation Affairs Committee Chair
Marlen Richmond - Social Media Chair
Kathleen Fountain - Student Representative
Whitney Vickers - Historian Assistant
Clint Pogue - Secretary
Marcie Mathieu - Social Media Chair
Abigail Thiemkey - Public Outreach Chair
Lindsey Gordon - WiGSS Rep
Genevieve Rozhon - President
Sandra Hunt von Arb - President
Dan Barton - President
Ken Mierzwa - President
Chris Collier - Student Representative
Greta Wengert - Treasurer
Rose Haidar - Membership Chair
Scott Frazer - Conservation Affairs Committee Chair
Marlen Richmond - Social Media Chair
Kathleen Fountain - Student Representative
Whitney Vickers - Historian Assistant
Clint Pogue - Secretary
Marcie Mathieu - Social Media Chair
Abigail Thiemkey - Public Outreach Chair
Lindsey Gordon - WiGSS Rep