MEET THE BOARD

GARY IVEY, Chair For more than 20 years Gary worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the National Wildlife Refuge System. He worked primarily on wetland, waterfowl and water bird management and planning in Eastern Oregon and in California's Central Valley. Gary served as a wildlife biologist at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for 15 years and is currently working on a variety of bird conservation issues in the West and attending graduate school at Oregon State University.
ALICE ELSHOFF, Vice Chair Alice has been visiting Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since the 1960s, first birding and then volunteering. She is a retired teacher who enjoys sharing her love of wildlife with visitors of all ages. She believes deeply in the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which sets wildlife conservation as its primary purpose and preservation and restoration of biological diversity and environmental health as its main goal.
JAN CUPERNALL, Treasurer Jan and her husband, Steve, moved back to Harney County in 2001. She is an active volunteer for the Harney County Chamber of Commerce, The Harney County Historical Society, Sunrise Garden Club, the Burns Cemetery Committee, and now with the MWA.
JACQUELINE FERN, Secretary "Jackie" is from Eugene, Oregon and works for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. As a Natural Resource Specialist, she focuses on the protection of watersheds and aquifers that supply drinking water. Jackie is an avid birder and regular visitor to Malheur. She is interested in helping Malheur National Wildlife Refuge develop educational opportunities that engage residents and visitors, and increase awareness of area wildlife and ecosystem values.
ALAN CONTRERAS, Board Member Alan Contreras was born in Tillamook County, Oregon and grew up mainly around Eugene. He is a retired college evaluator and a graduate of the University of Oregon and its law school. He served as co-editor of Birds of Oregon (Oregon State University Press, 2003). OSU Press also published Afield (2009), his memoir about the experience of watching birds for 40 years. OSU also issued his Handbook of Oregon Birds (2009) (with Hendrik Herlyn) and Northwest Birds in Winter (1996). He has published poetry and reviews in several venues.

BILL RENWICK, Board Member Bill Renwick's forebearers were among the first settlers in what are now Harney and Malheur counties, in Southeast Oregon. Bill has been involved with Refuge function and planning on and off, since the mid-1970's. Bill's first career was in resource management, economics, and planning, followed by a career in Mechanical Engineering. Now retired, and living back in Burns, Bill spends most of his time involved with several different groups advocating for ecosystem understanding. Although having traveled having lived in vastly different areas and cultures, Bill considers THIS to be among the most beautiful, complex, and interesting places in the World. Malheur and Steens are the jewels in the crown of this special region.
ERICA MALTZ, Board Member Erica Maltz grew up in Maine and Maryland where she learned to love all those creatures that lived in the water, from invertebrates to whales. She graduated from college in Maine with a degree in Human Ecology. After working for the National Marine Fisheries Service, watching over endangered Atlantic Salmon, worked with the lobster industry, wrangled lake sturgeon, worked with the commercial fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico and with the Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory, she moved to Oregon to work for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. She now works for the Burns Paiute Tribe. Since the Refuge is the ancestral home of the Tribe, she sees many opportunities for the Tribe and the Refuge to work together.
KATHY DAY, Board Member A birding enthusiast for nearly 30 years, Kathy lives in Bend with her husband Steve; they have been frequent visitors to Malheur for the past 12 years, including two Springs spent volunteering at the Visitor Center and helping on several projects. Kathy has volunteered with Audubon groups in other states, and most recently she and her husband volunteered for several months at St. Marks NWR on the Florida Gulf Coast. As a new MWA Board member, Kathy will be the liaison with the website manager, and is looking forward to helping MWA with projects that will increase public awareness and appreciation of the Refuge and its mission.
CAREY GOSS, Refuge Liaison Carey graduated from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife and a Minor in fisheries. Carey began her career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995 working at four different refuges before finding herself at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 1999. Carey’s background includes an array of experiences with biological surveys, fish and wildlife management and conservation. Her primary objectives at the Refuge and with MWA are to provide visitors a welcoming and comfortable experience and enhancing opportunities in wildlife observation, wildlife/nature photography, interpretation, education, fishing and hunting with the help of volunteers and partnerships.