2023 TWS Election Results

The results of The Wildlife Society’s 2023 Council elections are in.

Members elected Fidel Hernández as the new vice president of TWS. Angela Fuller was elected Northeast Representative. Andrea Orabona will represent the Central Mountains and Plains voting district.

Newly elected council members are scheduled to be installed during the 30th Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 5-9.

The Wildlife Society extends its thanks to all of the candidates who ran for office, including Paul R. Johansen and Valorie Titus.

Read more about our incoming Council members below.

Fidel Hernández

For many wildlife professionals, The Wildlife Society is the social fabric through which our professional life unfolds. It represents the organization where we likely delivered our first scientific presentation, attended our first national conference, or met our first colleagues beyond our local social network. It often also represents the venue where we may have obtained an internship, recruited a graduate student, or discovered a career opportunity. For many of us, therefore, The Wildlife Society is the professional home through which our careers develop, and it symbolizes that constant companion accompanying us throughout our professional trajectory. For an organization that gives so much, one cannot help but desire to contribute in our own small way toward the provisioning of similar experiences for others.

One of the most rewarding experiences that TWS has afforded me has been the opportunity to serve. I have been fortunate to have served as a committee member, committee chair and officer at the various levels of TWS (state, section, and international). These learning experiences have allowed me to meet members from all walks of life and better understand the Society’s varied and diverse membership. These experiences also have provided me with a better understanding of the administrative and financial complexities of TWS and the process through which difficult decisions often are made for an organization that spans from local to international reaches. More importantly, they also have allowed me to meet and learn from the dedicated, skilled staff who commit long hours toward the continued excellence of the Society.

These formative experiences have shaped not only my career and professional outlook, but also my vision for TWS. I envision TWS to be the premier professional organization that provides excellence in natural resource science, management, education and policy for North America and beyond, while providing a professional home for a diverse and geographically broad membership where they learn, develop, network and serve. Excelling as such an organization entails many aspects including recruitment of new members, development of existing ones, nurturing of organizational subunits, fiscal growth and responsibility, engagement with conservation affairs, and many others. The sustained success of TWS therefore hinges on 3 main pillars: 1) continued and improved effort in the provisioning of services, benefits and opportunities for all members, including those affiliated to the Society only through chapters or sections, with the goal of better serving the broader membership and unifying all members; 2) enhancing the financial security of the Society through donor relations, an engaged and functioning TWS Foundation Board, and private endowments for the purposes of promoting financial sustainability of the Society and its capacity to support existing—as well as implement new, strategic—programs, benefits and initiatives; and 3) continued improvement of the role of TWS as an effective participant in policy and international arenas with the goal of augmenting the relevance of TWS, its science, and its impact to society at large.

Read Fidel Hernández’s complete biographical sketch here.

Angela Fuller

My motivation to serve is formed by my desire to give back to TWS, which has been a significant contributor to my professional development. I have benefited from my engagement with TWS for 21 years, serving at the university, chapter, section and national levels. As a TWS Fellow, I seek to actively promote the wildlife profession and TWS through scientific research, conservation and management, and education. I am encouraged by the growing diversity in the wildlife field, and I would like to contribute to move the profession forward toward greater representation in all aspects of diversity to help meet the current and future challenges in wildlife conservation. Engaging with and supporting the development of the next generation of wildlife professionals is important to me.

It is important that TWS and the wildlife profession adapt and change along with our rapidly changing ecological, social and political environment. This complex and uncertain environment forces us as scientists and managers to make challenging decisions. Whether the decisions are related to science-based wildlife conservation and management or decisions regarding the future of TWS, my approach to thinking about problems is influenced by my research in decision science—it is important to understand and define the problem and articulate objectives. I will bring this same thinking if I am elected, seeking to understand the needs of members and that of the Society, and then working to devise creative solutions or strategies that will best meet objectives. I will be a voice to TWS leadership. 

Read Angela Fuller’s complete biographical sketch here.

Andrea C. Orabona

My involvement with The Wildlife Society began as an undergraduate at Colorado State University, thanks to several mentors who introduced me to our professional organization. That positive TWS experience at the Student Chapter level led to a decades-long and continuing involvement with the Wyoming State Chapter. From there, I learned the value of serving and remaining engaged through the Central Mountains and Plains Section and on The Wildlife Society Council as a CMP Section voting district representative. Although the first half of my term on Council was virtual, I have learned so much about how TWS operates, and I am pleased to see that science, education and members continually remain at the forefront. It has been an honor getting to know and sharing ideas with TWS staff and other Council members. Please know that I am committed to TWS and sincerely wish to use the knowledge gained from my first term to continue to be a steadfast voice for wildlife conservation by serving our CMPS members for a second term on TWS Council. Meanwhile, as I complete the current term, please remember that I am here for you, I am open to conversations, and I hope to see many of you in-person at upcoming conferences!

Read Andrea C. Orabona’s complete biographical sketch here.