Committees

Our Awesome Appointed Committee Chairs

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Newsletter Committee Chair: Jake Ewald
2022-present

Professional Development Co-Chair: Stacy Stanish
2021-present

B.S., Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University

Stacy is a Senior Environmental Scientist/Forest Practice Biologist with CAL FIRE’s Watershed Protection Program. Her more than 20-year professional career has focused on working with fish and wildlife for Pacific Lumber Company, Department of Fish and Game, and CAL FIRE in the technical and regulatory realm. Stacy’s specialty is in fish habitat and freshwater ecology, but currently works largely on terrestrial wildlife issues, specifically Northern Spotted Owl. Stacy is also a Registered Professional Forester.

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Professional Development Co-Chair: Ashley Estacio
2022-present

Scholarship Chair: Robyn Smith
2021-present

M.S. Ecology, Utah State University
B.S. Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity, UC Davis

Robyn is a Biologist with Janelle Nolan & Associates Environmental Consulting, working mainly on implementing wildlife studies for hydroelectric re-licensing projects and conducting biological analysis in support of NEPA/CEQA processes. Robyn routinely conducts protocol-level surveys for great gray owl, willow flycatcher, yellow-legged frogs, and Yosemite toad. Robyn is certified in wetland delineations and is recently investigating the intimidating but exciting world of botany. Robyn is generally interested in avian population ecology, amphibian conservation, and Sierra Nevada natural history. She also has a special fondness for the Hawaiian Islands – for her master’s degree, she studied the impacts of a non-native frog species on Hawaiian bird communities. In her spare time, Robyn enjoys birding, backpacking, kayaking, and hiking with her dog.

Robyn also previously served as the Chapter Vice President in 2018, President in 2019, and Past President in 2020.

Northern Area Representative Chair: Kori Hutchison
2017-present

M.S. Natural Resources/Wildlife, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Graduate Certificate in GIS, Portland State University
B.A. Biology/Emphasis: Ecology, Ethology & Evolution, Bemidji State University
A.A. Liberal Arts & Sciences/Wildlife Ecology Certificate, Vermilion Community College

Kori is a Wildlife Biologist/Field Coordinator for WEST, Inc. in Corvallis, Oregon. She has over a decade of experience in wildlife research and management with federal and state entities, non-profits, universities and consulting firms in California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. In her free time, Kori enjoys hiking, kayaking, cooking, eating, birding and adventuring with her canine life partner, Shasta Bojangles.

korihutchison(at)gmail(dot)com

Conservation Affairs Chair: Angela Haas
2019-present

M.S. Biological Conservation, Sacramento State University
B.S. Ecology and Evolution, UC Santa Barbara

Angela is a Biologist with ECORP Consulting, Inc. Angela has held positions in the academic, non-profit and private sectors, specializing in avian ecology. She studied bird communities in the Central Valley for her master’s thesis, and continues to work with local biologists and researchers to gauge local bird population distribution, phenology and behavior. She has experience with several special status bird species, as well as regulatory permitting and compliance. When she’s not working, Angela enjoys birding, backpacking, ultimate frisbee and reading a good book on the couch with her dog.

angelahaas88(at)gmail(dot)com

Diversity Chair: Trisha Velasquez
2021-present

B.S. Biology: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation Concentration. California State University, Sacramento
A.A. Biology/Field Ecology Certificate. Sacramento City College

Trisha (she/her) is an Environmental Scientist working on wetland habitat restoration projects. She discovered her love of the outdoors and the study of wildlife and ecology while taking a Natural History course at Sacramento City College. She has worked with ringtails, bats and birds, and is a big fan of all herps, having been lucky enough to have worked multiple seasons surveying for giant garter snakes. Over the past couple of years, she has been trying to reconnect with her cultural background of Mexican and Chumash ancestry, and is now dedicated to working with other members of The Wildlife Society to make the wildlife field a more accessible option for other people of color, who are currently remarkably underrepresented. Her dream is to open a California Natural History Museum to educate the public on all of the amazing habitats and species that occur in the state as well as teaching the real history of native communities that have and continue to live and care for this land. When not working, she enjoys searching for salamanders in the forest, drinking tea at home with her cats and husband, and playing Dungeons and Dragons (now on Zoom) with friends.

Trisha also previously served as the Chapter Vice President in 2021 and is the current Chapter President.

Technology Co-Chair: Marina Olson
2019-present

B.S. Marine Biology, U.C. Santa Cruz

Marina is a Wildlife Biologist with over twelve years of experience working as both a marine and terrestrial biologist. In the past nine years she has become a land lubber, focusing on long term habitat restoration projects. She currently works as an Ecologist at Westervelt Ecological Services (WES). The species she enjoys surveying for predominately are amphibians and reptiles (California red-legged frog, Foothill yellow-legged frog, and California Tiger Salamander). She also gets really excited about most snakes, especially the San Francisco gartersnake and most recently, the giant gartersnake. When she’s not working she likes to impress laypersons with her moderate birding skills and facts of all things wild. She has recently become obsessed with succulents and house plants (pre-pandemic), and you can often find her at Green Acres in her spare time…if she can sneak away from her toddler boss.

Contact her at MarinaLOlson(at)gmail(dot)com

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Technology Co-Chair: Sophie Spiegel
2022-present

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Student Outreach Chair: Kristen Zumdhal
2022-present


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Mailing Address: 1017 L Street PMB 245 Sacramento, CA 95814

Email: sac.shasta@gmail.com