Leadership

Joan Patterson, President

• Served as Director of Grassroots Outreach at the National Wildlife Refuge Association for 6 years
• Former board member of Friends of Tualatin River NWR, Friends of the Potomac River Refuges and Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp
• Worked in IT and team-building facilitation

Cheryl Hart, Vice President

• National Wildlife Refuge Association Board member and Chair of Friends Committee
• Friends of Tualatin River NWR President for five years and Bookstore committee
• USFWS Friends Mentor Since 2014

Aimee Arent, Secretary

• Executive Director of Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
• Background in Visitor Services through USFWS Visitor Services and Ohio Division of Wildlife
• Former board member of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Association
• BS Environmental Science from Bowling Green State University and Certificate of Nonprofit Management from University of Illinois – Chicago

Jon d’Alessio, Treasurer

Jon d’Alessio has over 30 years of financial management experience with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and has a passion for protecting wildlife, inspired by his photography hobby. He spent 24 years with McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 50 company,  in various financial roles, including stints as Corporate Treasurer and Group CFO, and 6 years with Fred Finch Youth & Family Services, a nonprofit social service agency, as CFO. He has served as Treasurer and/or President on several nonprofit boards, including Slide Ranch, Angel Island Conservancy, Sunnyhill Services, and Marin Photography Club.

His education includes a BS from University of California and MBA and JD degrees from Stanford University.

Since retiring in 2008, Jon has taken up wildlife photography and traveled the world trying to get that perfect photo. During his travels, he visited Bosque del Apache and Midway Atoll and saw the important role their refuges played in protecting the wildlife that call them home.  This led to his involvement in Friends of those refuges, where he is currently Treasurer of both Friends groups.

Sue Wilder, Director at large

• Master and Doctorate degrees in Botany from Louisiana State University
• Research Ecologist for US Geological Survey and retired Regional Ecologistfor US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Board member for the Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges
• Volunteer for Mississippi Coast Audubon, Crosby Arboretum, and the Gulf Coast Phenology Trail
• Enjoys working on her golf game, sewing and enjoying time with her 5 grandsons

Ken Kupchak, Director at large

• Friends Board and 35 year Volunteer at Hakalau Forest NWR
• Over 50 year an attorney atDamon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, Fellow American College of Construction Lawyers and former Governing Committee of ABA Forum on Construction Law
• Chair or President-Hawai’i Nature Center, Mid-Pacific Institute, Hawai’i Community Service Council, Kailua Neighborhood Board, Cornell Class of ‘64
• Centennial Fellow-Penn State, Co-founder Hawai’i Lacrosse Club, Outings Chair – HI Sierra Club, Chief Minority Counsel-8th HI House Rep.

Karen Holzer, Director at large

Karen Holzer is the Executive Director of the Booth Society, inc., the non-profit friends group of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives located in Spearfish SD. She has been in her position for almost six years, since March of 2017. One of her primary responsibilities is supporting the FWS staff by assisting with the visitor services for the 190,000 people that visit the site each year. Other duties include advocacy, fundraising and special events. Karen lives in Spearfish with her husband Dave. They have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

Mark Musaus

• Serves as Regional Representative for the NWRA
• Retired CFO for the National Wildlife Refuge Association
• Retired Deputy Regional Director for the Southeast Region of USFWS
• Served as Chief of the Division of Visitor Services and Communications for the NWRS

Lisa Jansen-Rees, Director at large

• Retired social worker with 35 years’ experience in private and public non-profit organizations
• Bachelors in Social Work from Indiana University, Masters in Social Work from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and Sustaining Base Leadership and Management from Army Management Staff College
• Certified trainer for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Franklin Covey, Scream Free Institute and Imago Relationship Therapy
• Board member for Friends of the Wichitas NWR and volunteer for the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Oklahoma
• Volunteers for the American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Fit Kids of Southwest Oklahoma
• Lisa and her husband Jim, an Army veteran, have hiked, camped, geocached, and kayaked extensively in the US and Europe

Sue Hix, Newsletter Editor

• Friends of Sherburne NWR Board Member for 15 years, serving as president and vice president
• USFWS Friends Mentor
• A 30-year career in banking, managed the training function for one of Minnesota’s largest banks
• Consultant work focused on training, communications, and project coordination

Linda Kilgore, Technology Adviser

• Translates uses and best practices of technology and guides small nonprofit organizations in adopting and modernizing their digital tools.
• BS, MS in Education
• Certified Adult Training and Development Specialist
• NTEN Certified Nonprofit Technology Professional
• Google Workspace Administrator
• Retired, Senior IT Operations and Policy Analyst, State of Oregon

Jim Stone

• National Wildlife Refuge Association Board Member
• Friends of Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge Board Member for 15 years, serving as president for 10 years.

Barbara Volkle

• President of Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp
• Founding President of Friends of Assabet River NWR; served for 10 years
• USFWS Friends Mentor since 2014

Joe McCauley

• Retired USFWS served as regional chief, Division of Realty, Northeast Region
• Chesapeake Fellow for the Chesapeake Conservancy
• Director of Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends