Our Staff
Doug Gorby
Coordinator
Phone: 517-351-8286 / Mobile: 517-388-5258 / Fax: 517-351-1443
E-mail: douglas_gorby@fws.gov
Mohammed Al-Saffar
Bird Conservation Modeler
Phone: 517-351-8334 / Fax: 517-351-1443
Email: mohammed_al-saffar@fws.gov
Anna Sidie-Slettedahl
Assistant Coordinator
Phone: 612-713-5129
E-mail: anna_sidie-slettedahl@fws.gov
Jayme Strange
Northern Forests Conservation Delivery Network Coordinator
Phone: 763-486-9090
E-mail: JStrange@abcbirds.org
Nathan Michael
Marsh Bird Conservation Manager
Phone: 330-348-6095
E-mail: nathan.michael@audubon.org
Melissa Gabrielson
Science Implementation Coordinator
Phone: 517-246-8130
E-mail: mgabrielson@ducks.org
“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
– Aldo Leopold
Management Board
Shawn Graff, Chair
Vice President, Great Lake Region
American Bird Conservancy
Nathaniel Miller
Director of Conservation, Upper Mississippi Flyway,
National Audubon Society
Audubon Great Lakes
Jason Hill
Director of Conservation Programs
Ducks Unlimited
Mitch Oswald
Field Operations Section Head
Wildlife Division
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Trevor Laureys
Assistant Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Office of Private Lands
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Todd Bishop
Chief, Wildlife Bureau
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Brad Rueschhoff
Region 2 Wildlife Supervisor
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Steve Chadwick
Senior Great Lakes Wetland Advisor
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Ricky Lien
Wetland Habitat Team Supervisor
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Dawn Henderson
Terrestrial, Technology, and Social
Sciences Section Chief
Missouri Department of Conservation
Patrick Lydon
Landscape Architect
National Park Service
Sam Adams
Assistant State (IA) Conservationist for Programs
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Ted LaGrange
Wetland Program Manager
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Jack Scott
VP Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing
Nestle Purina PetCare
Dave Sherman
Wetland Habitat Coordinator
Ohio Division of Wildlife
Brent Rudolph
Director of Sustainability Partnerships
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Jon Steigerwaldt
Forest Conservation Director:
Great Lakes/Upper Midwest
Ruffed Grouse Society/American Woodcock Society
Michele Kille, Vice Chair
Strategic Partnerships Manager
The Nature Conservancy
Brian W. Smith
Assistant Regional Director, Migratory Birds
Midwest Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Tracy Grazia
Eastern Region Wildlife Program Manager
U.S. Forest Service
Christopher Churchill
Chief – Ecological Sciences Branch
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Tim Lizotte
Land & Habitat Conservation Supervisor
Bureau of Wildlife Management
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Science Team
The JV Science Team is comprised of four bird group committees (Waterfowl, Landbirds, Waterbirds, and Shorebirds) plus a JV Technical Committee. The bird-group committees are ad-hoc, providing expertise for planning and evaluation as needed, whereas the Technical Committee is a standing committee in the JV by-laws. In addition to the duties related to the bird-group committees, JV Technical Committee members are responsible for reviewing, ranking, and providing funding recommendations for research and monitoring projects to fill formation gaps in our science program and to test planning assumptions via the annual Joint Venture Flex Fund Grant Program.
Science Team Chair – Melissa Gabrielson, JV Science Implementation Coordinator
Waterfowl
John Simpson, Co-Chair (WPMC)
Mike Eichholz, Co-Chair (SIU)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)
Auriel Fournier (IL NHS)
Robert Gates (OSU)
Adam Janke (ISU)
Randy Knapik (MI DNR)
Kiandra Rajala (FWS-SA)
Amy Shipley (WDNR)
Randy Smith (TNC)
Waterbird
Mike Monfils, Co-Chair (MI NFI)
Rachael Pierce, Co-Chair (FWS-MB)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)
Auriel Fournier (IL NHS)
Brian Loges (FWS-NWR)
Sumner Matteson (WDNR)
Sarah Saunders (Audubon)
Brendan Shirkey (WPMC)
Anna Sidie-Slettedahl (FWS-JV)
Shorebird
Vacant, Co-Chair
Vacant, Co-Chair
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)
Robert Gates (OSU)
Shawn Graff (ABC)
Sumner Matteson (WDNR)
Ben O’Neal (Franklin College)
Mike Wells (FWS-MB)
Landbird
Chris Tonra, Co-Chair (OSU)
Andy Forbes, Co-Chair (FWS-MB)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)
Kelly VanBeek (FWS-MB)
David Ewert (ABC)
Shawn Graff (ABC)
Jim Herkert (IL Audubon – retired)
Sarah Kendrick (FWS-MB)
Deahn Donner (USFS)
Mike Ward (IL NHS)
JV Technical Committee
Andy Forbes, Co-Chair (FWS-MB)
Auriel Fournier, Co-Chair (INHS)
Mike Eichholz (SIU)
Robert Gates (OSU)
Kiandra Rajala (FWS-SA)
Kelly VanBeek (FWS-MB)
Melissa Gabrielson (DU-JV)