ExComm Candidate Statements
Below are the statements from the candidates for the 2010 Executive Committee Elections. Please email your selections for Secretary, Vice President and Student Representative to geraldine.vanderhaegen [at] nmt.us by 10 pm, Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
SECRETARY
Lisa Harlan, Biologist, Smith Root Inc.
I have been serving as assistant to the Secretary/Treasurer for the last year and a half, essentially taking over the Secretary duties. Serving as the honorary secretary has been a great experience and I hope to continue in this position in an official capacity. The Chapter continues to organize and expand the membership’s involvement and I thoroughly enjoy being part of such a dynamic group. I have been a member of the American Fisheries Society for four years and a member of the Washington-British Columbia Chapter for about two years. My career has been spent mainly working with salmon management on the lower Columbia River basin. I now work as the biologist for Smith-Root, Inc., teaching the electrofishing courses and assisting on projects.
VICE PRESIDENT
Jessica Hayden-Spear, B. S., M.S., Biologist, Landau Associates
Thank you for considering me for Vice President of the WA-BC Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. I’ve been employed at Landau Associates as a Fisheries Biologist for almost 3 years. Before that, I received my B.S. in Aquatic Ecology from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and my M.S. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science at the University of Washington, Seattle. I’ve been a member of AFS since 2007 and have more recently become involved in the WA-BC chapter. I’ve joined the Chapter of the Year committee, volunteered as a Contributed Sessions Chair for the 2010 Annual General Meeting, and participated in several Executive Committee teleconferences in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the Chapter. I’ve greatly enjoyed my involvement thus far, and have been impressed with the dedication of the Chapter members.
I’m very interested in the position of Vice President because I think it’s an excellent way to get more involved in the Fisheries community and because it’s a great chance to give back to an organization that has helped me greatly throughout my career. I believe that my energy and organizational skills will help the Chapter continue to develop and expand. I view the Vice President position as an opportunity to meet and learn more about other fisheries biologists in the area, to gain leadership experience, and to contribute to a respected organization. Thanks again for considering me.
VICE PRESIDENT
Yvonne Muirhead, B.Sc, Biologist, Kintama Research
I am applying for this position as I wish to continue my involvement within the American Fisheries Society. In the position of VP, I will draw both on my strengths and knowledge of my AFS colleagues to ensure this Chapter continues to grow and be a valued resource for fisheries professionals in the Pacific Northwest. I am currently the Local Arrangements Chair for the 2010 WA/BC Chapter meeting.
I obtained a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Royal Roads University in 2000. Professional fisheries tasks include: project management, administration, management of databases, mapping, report preparation, and data analyses. I have also co-authored 13 fisheries science publications and technical reports.
Currently, I am the Office Administrator for Kintama in Nanaimo, B.C. Previously, I was the Data Coordinator for Kintama and the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) Data Manager for the Vancouver Aquarium.
Prior to positions with Kintama and POST, I was a Research Assistant at MacDonald Environmental Sciences Limited (MESL) and the Program Coordinator for the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation (SFF). During that time I assisted and coordinated a number of WDAFS activities including:
- Creation and dissemination of materials for the 2002 WDAFS conference. Duties included: coordination of the Programming Committee, registration, volunteers, and accounting;
- Assisted the WDAFS President and served as de facto President while he was on short-term leave. Duties included: coordination of committees; various projects and administrative tasks related to WDAFS;
- Assisted the organization of the book, “Sustainable Management of North American Fisheries”.
Recognition for my involvement with WDAFS has included the following:
- Certificate of Achievement from AFS;
- Award of Special Recognition from WDAFS;
- Distinguished Service Award from SFF.
I look forward to serving as the WA-BC VP and advancing the Chapter’s vision, the scientific conservation and enhancement of fish populations and their environment.
STUDENT SUBUNIT REPRESENTATIVE
Nicole Casper, B.A., Graduate Student, Western Washington University
I have just begun working towards my masters in biology at Western Washington University in the Marine and Estuarine Science Program. My focus will be on the feeding ecology and nutritional requirements of larval crabs. As an undergraduate at Oberlin College in Ohio, I received a B.A. in Environmental Science. I am returning to academia after several years of practical experience in the field, first working as an aquatic scientist for Taylor Associates consulting firm in Seattle, and most recently as a naturalist in Antarctica for an educational cruise company.
I welcome the opportunity, both as a new member of the American Fisheries Society and as a new student, to get involved in the academic and professional scientific communities and most importantly to cultivate a strong link between the two. The Student Subunit Representative position would be an ideal way to forge strong relationships between those of us beginning our academic research and the members of the AFS community who have taken their passion for aquatic science in many and diverse professional directions. In the interest of fostering sound scientific management approaches for fisheries, strengthening this connection will serve to mentor and inspire those of us beginning our scientific careers, and will ensure strong leadership into the future.
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