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
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
Scott Carleton
Division Chief, Natural Resources Program
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)
John Coluccy, (DU)
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)
Wayne Thogmartin (USGS)
Mike Ward (IL NHS)
Mohammed Al-Saffar (FWS-JV)
JV Technical Committee
Chair – Vacant (FWS-JV Science Coordinator)
John Coluccy (DU)
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)