2026 WOS Election

The election of WOS officers and Board members will take place the week of September 20, 2026. Below are: 1) the candidate slate; 2) three proposed Bylaws amendments; 3) candidate pictures and statements. Begin scrolling down!

Candidate Slate

Candidate for President:

Dennis Paulson (replacing Thomas Bancroft)

Candidate for Vice President:

Jon Isacoff (incumbent)

Candidate for Secretary:

Jon Houghton (incumbent)

Candidate for Treasurer:

Dick Holcomb (incumbent)

Candidates for Board Positions:

Jim Jordan (full two-year term, replacing Maureen Traxler)

De’Quan Flight (full two-year term, replacing Laurie Ness)

Joe Cooney (partial term, replacing Kim Thorburn, whose term has not yet expired.)

Additionally, a vote will be put forward to WOS members in September concerning two proposed amendments to the existing bylaws.

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Proposed Bylaws amendments

In July 2026, the board approved amendments to Articles VII, VIII, and IX of the WOS bylaws to be presented to the WOS membership for a vote. Two amendments strengthen organization governance and one is housekeeping. The bylaws will be amended by a majority of those voting in favor.

The following document shows the three proposed amendments to the WOS Bylaws. Old language that will be deleted is shown crossed out; new language to be added is in italic. There are three pages to this document. Scroll down to see the second and third pages.

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Candidate Pictures and Statements

Candidate for President

Dennis Paulson

Dennis’s experiences with birds go back to 1949, when he started his life list in Miami with a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Since then, he rarely has a day when he hasn’t been looking at birds, of course mostly in the yards of various homes. But he’s also traveled all over Washington, North America, and the World looking for and at birds. He’s especially interested in the latter, as putting a bird on a list is only a small step on the way to learning everything about it.

Dennis’s background includes having written all or parts of eight books about birds, as well as two more general books that included birds. Among them were two about shorebirds, still Dennis’s favorite group, and two guides to Washington birds. And he has written 35 papers on birds, varying from digging deeply into avian phenomena such a polymorphism, mimicry, and migration to documenting local faunas and new records.

Dennis taught 13 Master Birders classes from 1988 to 2019 for Seattle Audubon (SAS), after teaching bird classes for the Burke Museum and other groups for almost two decades. He was also involved in the generation of BirdWeb for SAS, as well as BirdNote. And he was the Director of the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History for 15 years, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier collections of birds.

Candidate for Vice President

Jon Isacoff

Jon Isacoff is a Spokane birder and current Vice President of WOS. He has been birding since the age of 11, when an old yard feeder and a Peterson Guide started a lifelong love of bird, birding, and birding communities. Jon previously served on the WOS Board from 2012-2014 and has led field trips for WOS on and off for over a decade. Jon also served previously as Field Trips Chair for Spokane Audubon and has been on the boards of several local environmental organizations including the Dishman Hills Conservancy and the Lands Council. Jon is interested increasing the frequency of WOS field trips and expanding outreach to younger birders. He also wants to maintain the already high level of excellence of the highly popular WOS conferences and explore the possibility of new WOS events. Jon’s professional background is as Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Gonzaga University, where he teaches Field Ornithology as well as classes in environmental politics and policy.

Candidate for Secretary

Jon Houghton

I retired after over 45 years as a consulting marine ecologist in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. During this time, I had the great privilege of studying aquatic and marine life (including birds) in some of the most gorgeous places on the planet. I began birding at the age of about 3 when my mother took me on Audubon bird trips in Vermont and began my introduction to amazing naturalists and birds. (I still have my 1956 checklist of 97 birds in the state of Vermont.) Since the kids went off on their own, my wife and I have spent a lot of our leisure time birding in the US and around the world. I was fortunate to be accepted to and complete the Master Birder program with the 2013 class and transitioned from being a bird watcher, to becoming a birder. Over the last 12 years I’ve enjoyed leading field trips for WOS and Seattle Audubon and serving as the WOS Secretary for the entire COVID era. I look forward to continuing to serve this great organization in this role for one more year!

Candidate for Treasurer

Dick Holcomb

Dick has been a member of WOS for at least 10 years and has served in the role of WOS Treasurer for the last year and a half. He is a retired Washington Professional Engineer (Naval Architecture) and has been involved in ship design and construction for 40 years. He has been an active birder for about 30 years and was fortunate to participate in the Birds Connect Seattle (then Seattle Audubon Society) Master Birder program, finishing in 2019. He is currently a volunteer for Birds Connect Seattle as a trip leader, bird counter, and on their Classes Committee.and the Puget Sound Bird Observatory Puget Sound Seabird Survey.

Candidate for Board position (full two-year term)

Jim Jordan

Jim Jordan is a Seattle birder and WOS member who, after attending a number of WOS conferences and field trips, has become inspired by how birding can bring people across the state together and foster a love of nature and its inhabitants. His passion for sharing the natural world with others started while working as a nature instructor at a summer camp, where he led nature walks and taught children how to use field guides to identify birds and insects. Jim is interested in assessing areas of opportunity in WOS’ field trip program as well as local volunteer opportunities for WOS members across the state.

Another area of particular interest for Jim is increasing membership of younger birders, while maintaining the aspects of the organization that are appealing to longstanding members. Jim has previously worked with a nonprofit in social media management and grant research.

Jim’s professional background is in eCommerce and marketing, and he’s excited about the possibility of using these skills to expand the reach of WOS and assist in the continuation of the organization’s success.

Candidate for Board position (full two-year term)

De’Quan Flight

Birding has become one of the most meaningful parts of De’Quan Flight’s life since he was introduced to it in 2021 under the guidance of Penny Rose. What began as curiosity quickly grew into a passion for birds, conservation, and the incredible community that surrounds birding in Washington. Since then, De’Quan has continued to learn from experienced birders while also enjoying the opportunity to share that enthusiasm with others.

Professionally, De’Quan works for Seattle Parks and Recreation as a Recreation Leader, where he develops programs, builds community partnerships, and creates welcoming spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds. Those experiences have taught him the value of connecting people with nature and making outdoor recreation accessible to everyone.

If elected to the WOS board, De’Quan hopes to bring the perspective of a newer birder who understands how important mentorship, encouragement, and inclusive opportunities are in helping people become lifelong members of the birding community. He is committed to supporting WOS’s mission, strengthening community engagement, and helping inspire the next generation of birders through education, outreach, and conservation.

Candidate for Board position (partial term)

Joe Cooney

Joe Cooney retired from the United States Air Force in 2008, and a few years later was drawn to birding while walking his dog one morning listening to a Western Meadowlark and wondering what kind of bird it was. While living in Virginia, he joined the Northern Neck Audubon Society and served on its board for several years before returning to the Spokane area. Joe currently serves on the board of the Spokane Audubon Society (SAS) and leads field trips to Turnbull NWR. He led three field trips for the Washington Ornithological Society during the 2026 “Hell’s Gate” Conference in Lewiston. He volunteers for the Eastern Cascade Bird Alliance’s winter raptor survey and the kestrel nest box program with SAS.