TWS welcomes 3 new staff members

Three new TWS staff members will help bolster the organization’s communication and policy efforts.

TWS welcomes staff writer Megan Radke, digital content manager Katie Perkins and government relations contractor Christy Plumer to its team.

Megan Radke

In Radke’s new role, she will write articles for www.wildlife.org and The Wildlife Professional. She will especially focus on bringing to light the work TWS Sections, Chapters and others are doing as well as the Society’s policy work.

Radke comes to TWS with experience working and volunteering for natural resource-based agencies and institutions as a communicator, science writer and outreach professional. Her previous roles include statewide press officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division, and communications coordinator for the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and a Master of Agriculture degree with a focus in natural resources conservation from Sul Ross State University. Based in Texas, Radke is an avid runner and enjoys outdoor recreation and travel.

Katie Perkins

Perkins also joins TWS from the Lone Star State. In her new role, Perkins will curate and create visual content for The Wildlife Society and oversee its social media channels. Perkins holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative media industries with a minor in natural resource management from Texas Tech University. In her previous position, Perkins was a multimedia specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife. Born and raised in Texas, Perkins is a passionate photographer, filmmaker and outdoor enthusiast.

“I’m very excited to round out our communications team with the addition of Megan and Katie,” said TWS CEO Ed Arnett. “Both bring a wealth of skills we need to help deliver on all three of our new strategic plan priorities to build community, support our professionals, and exercise our external influence with a wide range of audiences.”  

Christy Plumer

The Wildlife Society is also growing its policy department. Christy Plumer, a longtime policy expert, Hill staffer and conservationist, joins TWS as a government affairs contractor. Plumer previously served as the Chief Conservation Officer at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership for eight years. Prior to her work with the TRCP, she spent a year working to advance solar and renewable energy policy with SolarCity as their northeast campaign director. She served as director of federal land programs at The Nature Conservancy and lobbied for improving conservation funding levels through the federal appropriations process, enhancing natural resources policy, and creating proactive solutions for fish and wildlife habitat conservation. Plumer also spent two years as director of government relations for The Conservation Fund, and seven years on Capitol Hill working for moderate Republicans, including Sen. John Chafee and Sen. Bob Smith. Plumer also served as staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water under then-chairman Sen. Lincoln Chafee. Plumer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in environmental studies from Brown University. She loves science, wildlife, too many recreational activities to list, and helping to conserve the great outdoors.

“Christy brings decades of policy experience and instant credibility to the TWS government relations team, and she’ll hit the ground running for us in Washington, D.C.,” Arnett said. Chief Program Officer Cameron Kovach and Conservation Policy Manager Kelly O’Connor will work closely with Plumer on TWS policy priorities and linking our strategy for Capitol Hill with the Conservation Affairs Network.

Radke started with The Wildlife Society in early August, and Perkins and Plumer will begin in September.