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 / Fax: 612-713-5393
E-mail: anna_sidie-slettedahl@fws.gov

Jayme Strange
Northern Forests Conservation Delivery Network Coordinator
Phone: 763-486-9090
E-mail: JStrange@abcbirds.org

Science Coordinator – Vacant

“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

Don Kahl
Field Operations Section Head
Wildlife Resources Division
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Sam Whiteleather
Assistant Division Director, Private Lands
Division of Fish & Wildlife
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
Assistant Chief, Wildlife Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Ricky Lien
Wetland Habitat Team Supervisor
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Joel Porath
Wildlife Section Chief
Missouri Department of Conservation

Vacant
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

Andrew Forbes
Deputy Chief, Midwest Migratory Bird Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tracy Grazia
Eastern Region Wildlife Program Manager
U.S. Forest Service

Mark Gaikowski
Director, 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 an 9–person 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.

Waterfowl

John Simpson, Co-Chair (WPMC)
Mike Eichholz, Co-Chair (SIU)
Auriel Fournier (IL NHS)
Robert Gates (OSU)
Heath Hagy (FWS-MB)
Adam Janke (ISU)
Randy Knapik (MI DNR)
Jake Straub (SUNY)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)

Waterbird

Mike Monfils, Co-Chair (MI NFI)
Rachael Pierce, Co-Chair (FWS-MB)
Auriel Fournier (IL NHS)
Brian Loges (FWS-NWR)
Sumner Matteson (WDNR)
Frank Nelson (MO DOC)
Sarah Saunders (Audubon)
Brendan Shirkey (WPMC)
Anna Sidie-Slettedahl (FWS-JV)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)

Shorebird

Vacant, Co-Chair
Vacant, Co-Chair
Robert Gates (OSU)
Shawn Graff (ABC)
Sumner Matteson (WDNR)
Ben O’Neal (Franklin College)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)

Landbird

Chris Tonra, Co-Chair (OSU)
Kelly VanBeek, Co-Chair (FWS-MB)
David Ewert (ABC)
Allisyn-Marie Gillet (IN DNR)
Shawn Graff (ABC)
Jim Herkert (IL Audubon – retired)
Sarah Kendrick (FWS-MB)
Mark Nelson (USFS)
Jayme Strange (ABC / UMGL JV)
Wayne Thogmartin (USGS)
Mike Ward (IL NHS)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)

JV Technical Committee

Chair – Vacant (FWS-JV Science Coordinator)
Mike Eichholz (SIU)
Robert Gates (OSU)
Auriel Fournier (IL NHS)
Frank Nelson (MO DOC)
Kiandra Rajala (FWS-SA)
Wayne Thogmartin (USGS)
Kelly VanBeek (FWS-MB)