Voting for Washington Ornithological Society officers and board members concluded midnight September 26, 2024. All three officer nominees and both director nominees were unanimously reelected. No write-in votes were cast. All candidates received 107 votes, except President David Kreft received 106 votes.
Elected officers and directors begin their new terms October 1, 2024.
However, no one came forward to run for Treasurer. The Board can appoint someone who volunteers and has some experience in the area of bookkeeping/financial management. We are looking for that person! Please contact President David Kreft at presidentATwos.org if you are interested or know someone who might be interested.
The candidates who were elected for this election cycle were as follows:
Officers
These positions are elected annually. Persons may hold the position for a maximum of three consecutive terms.
President – Dave Kreft was finishing his second term in the position and ran for a third and final term.
Vice President – Rob Faucett was finishing his first term and ran for his second term.
Secretary – Sophia Krupsha was finishing her first term and ran for her second term.
Treasurer – This position is still open and the board is seeking a volunteer.
Directors
The WOS Board has five Director positions. These positions are two-year terms, and the terms are staggered to help provide continuity between elections. A person may hold a Director position for no more than three consecutive terms.
Maureen Traxler and Laurie Ness were completing their first two-year terms and ran for a second two-year term. Jon Houghton, Jody Hess, and Raphael Fennimore each have one more year on their current terms on the Board.
Please see the pictures and birding biographies of our WOS Board nominees below.
David Kreft – President, 1-year-term
Greetings from beautiful northeast Washington. My name is Dave Kreft, and I am a nominee for WOS President. I have been the WOS President for the past year and would like to finish my second term before handing the position over. My goal is to finish planning and accomplishing the 2024 WOS Annual Conference in Long Beach, WA, and begin the planning for the 2025 annual conference. WOS as an organization is strong financially and is on the road to revitalizing our outreach to the next generation of new birders. We are expanding our social media footprint to reach that generation and draw them into our shared passion for birds and birding. We still have many opportunities to bring in new volunteers to fill critical positions within WOS that help us to be effective and efficient.
I am retired from a 39-year career with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. I worked with farmers, ranchers, small forestland owners, American Indian Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and various local, state, and federal agencies to promote and implement sound conservation practices on private and tribal lands. I worked primarily in eastern Washington but spent the last seven and a half years coordinating the agency’s conservation easement programs across the entire state. Though originally an Iowa farm boy I did my growing up years in the Puget Sound area. The Edmonds marsh was my first introduction to birding when I attended high school at the then Woodway Senior High School. I went on to attend Washington State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Range Management (’80). Go Cougs!
Rob Faucett – Vice President, 1-year term
I’ve spent my entire life studying birds around the world and sharing my knowledge about them with other people. As long-term member of WOS, I believe in the mission and service that WOS provides. Best memories include birding the Darien Gap, Panama in 1983 and my first long museum expedition with the University of Kansas to Paraguay in 1995 and teaching the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Sound recording Class in the Sierra Nevadas (1989-1995).
Relevant professional experience includes Ornithology Collections Manager, Burke Museum, University of Washington (retired); former Instructor, Louisiana State University, Department of Biological Sciences; Board Member and Science Committee Chair, Seattle Audubon Society; former Treasurer, Washington Ornithological Society; member, fundraising committee, Burke Museum Association. Board Member, Seattle Audubon Society and member and fund-raising committee member, Audubon Washington. PhD. candidate, Ecology and Evolution, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; BS in Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Treasurer – 1-year term, no nominee
Sophia Krupsha – Secretary, 1-year term
Hello there! My name is Sophia Krupsha, and I am running for the position of secretary. Throughout my life I have been fascinated by birds, but that curiosity was amplified when I moved to Washington a little over 2 and a half years ago. Despite being a newer resident and member of WOS, I have taken every opportunity to expand my knowledge of our beautiful state’s biological diversity through extensive trips to all corners of Washington. Some of my favorite memories and learning experiences have been because of fellow birdwatchers I’ve met during these excursions. Because of this, I am eager to share this sense of community and environmental conservatorship with others.
As a candidate for the position of secretary, I am prepared to present a new perspective and a passion for fostering a vibrant community. My focus will be on actively building upon our current member base by promoting events and our educational initiatives. I aim to expand our club’s reach and recognition through social media outreach, volunteering, and assisting the leadership of WOS in creating a welcoming environment for old and new members alike. Let’s soar to new heights together and create a thriving community that embraces the science of conservation and the joy of birdwatching!
Maureen Traxler – Director, 2-year term
I moved from Minnesota to Washington in 1980 to attend UW and immediately felt at home. Birds, especially seabirds, caught my interest when I started sea kayaking in the 1990s. I took a detour from birding into butterflies for several years, helping the brand-new Washington Butterfly Association by serving as president, VP, newsletter editor, silent auction organizer, and field trip leader. In 2016, I retired from a long career with the city of Seattle and became a more serious birder. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Puget Sound Bird Observatory and enjoy its Secretive Wetland Bird Survey and Puget Sound Seabird projects. I look forward to continuing to work at improving WOS’s programs and expanding our member base. Thanks for considering me for a second term on the WOS Board!
Laurie Ness – Director, 2-year term
I am an eastern Washington native and an outdoor enthusiast who currently enjoys county birding, backpacking and recording bird sounds for the Macaulay Library/eBird. My deep regard for wildlife led me to a wildlife degree and many years of paid and volunteer field work focusing primarily on birds. As a field biologist, I have worked in environmental contaminants affecting wildlife and conducted surveys for threatened and endangered species. I eventually specialized in seabirds by spending two summers on the Pribilof Islands as a natural history and birding guide, then as a Seabird Biologist. This job showcased my climbing skills while I recorded chick growth rates of Red and Black-legged Kittiwakes on sea cliffs and nest monitoring of other Murre and Auk species.