Ed Henry, President
Ed holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and Business Management from Kettering University, but a blossoming interest in folk music and society led him to graduate school at Michigan State University, where he earned his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Cultural Anthropology. Although he loved seeing birds like the Green Bee-eater and Indian Roller in the village where he carried out his field work, he taught Anthropology and Ethnomusicology at San Diego State University for 33 years before doing more serious bird-watching and bird-photography. Birding in San Diego County as well as other parts of the world has made Ed ever more concerned about the need for protecting wildlife habitat. Ed and his wife, Connie, have an adult son and daughter.
Lisa Chaddock, Vice President
Lisa teaches Geography and researches Earth Systems at San Diego City College and Cuyamaca College. She is a National Science Foundation researcher, and participates in their Quality Education for Minorities program, as well as in the MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) Program. Her research includes Kumeyaay ethnobotany and cultural ecology and a project for Homeland Security assessing readiness for a major earthquake on the San Andreas fault, with a special focus on mapping environmental hazards in relation to known smaller faults throughout San Diego.
Mel Hinton, Treasurer
Mel was an airline pilot with Trans World Airlines for many years, and holds a undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering fromOregonStateUniversity. Mel also served five years as a Naval Aviator. Since 1973, Mel has witnessed the amazing growth - both good and bad - that has taken place in this region over the last 40 years. As a pilot, Mel was able to routinely see the natural beauty of our country as well as the impacts of development and pollution on the landscape which influenced his views about conservation and the environment. After retiring in 2000, Mel became a member of the San Diego Audubon Society and joined the Board 2002, serving as president from 2005 - 2008. As an active San Diego Audubon volunteer Mel has been involved in a number of programs including environmental advocacy, fund development, restoration of native habitat at the Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve and the creation of a Native Plant Garden workshop for the public.
Renee McLeod, Secretary
Renee first fell in love with nature and the outdoors when, at age 5, her family moved to the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In a new area surrounded by forests, swamps and all manner of critters including deer (and in my dreams, wolves), Renee spent her childhood climbing trees and peeking into robin’s nests at the bright blue eggs, finally called home at the days end by mother ringing a large cow bell. What a wonder to a little kid. As an adult Renee learned to ski and the amazement of being on an uncrowded ski slope, especially with falling snow, was truly inspirational. After two years of college at Golden West Renee became a legal secretary to the Managing Partner at one of the largest law firms in Orange County. After 20 years in the field she returned to California State Fullerton where she received a degree in Finance in 1998 and became a financial analyst. Renee is honored to be on the Board and is committed to keeping San Diego the beautiful and diverse place it is.
Peter Thomas, Past President and Field Trips
Peter is a retired physician, who has just completed 4 years as President of San Diego Audubon Society. As Field Trip Chair, Peter is responsible for arranging over fifty field trips for the organization each year. His special interests include Policy, Governance, and Finance/Investments. “San Diego Audubon is the premier birding and conservation organization in San Diego County. Its emphasis on childhood nature education is precisely what is needed for our country at this time. What I do as Field Trip Chair is to introduce our participants to birds and the Nature that supports it. If they know it, they will like it. If they like it, they will love it. If they love it, they will vote to support it.” Peter holds a BA in Zoology from Pomona College, M.S. in Population Ecology from UC, Irvine, and a M.D. from U.C. Davis. He practiced with the Permanente Medical Group in San Diego for 30 years. His interests now include birding, bugs, and botany; travel, hiking, and photography (mostly birds, he confesses).
Rebecca Wilbanks, Anstine Committee
Rebecca is the Resident Manager at Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve. Throughout Rebecca's life, she has worked in a couple of different fields, including teaching for 14 years and is currently an IHSS Provider. Rebecca's heart truly belongs outside among the trees, the animals and the birds. She has studied and trained to receive certifications in wildlife tracking, wilderness basics, gardening and native plant restoration.
David Stump, Communications
David is a professional Graphic Designer and Illustrator at Melden & Melden Advertising. His work includes graphic design and illustration for printing and web, original art is various media, and copy editing and writing. David first became active with San Diego Audubon when he contributed artwork to the newsletter in 1980. He has since designed numerous logos, brochures and other printed materials, as well as produced original illustrations and paintings for San Diego Audubon use. David holds a BA in Visual Arts from UC San Diego and continues to lead the organization's strategic communications work.
Jim Peugh, Conservation
Jim is the previous chair of the City of San Diego’s Wetlands Advisory Board and the Independent Rates Oversight Committee, which advises the Mayor and Council regarding the Water and Wastewater Departments. Jim is also the Chair of the board of Friends of Famosa Slough and a founding Board Member of the San Diego River Park Foundation. Jim previously worked as a civilian physicist and engineer for the Navy research laboratories on Point Loma in the fields of sonar systems, undersea warfare, and ocean engineering. He holds a BA with a major in Physics from Occidental College.
Sarah Zakaria, Education
Sarah has over 10 years of experience in non-profits and higher education in the East Coast and San Diego. Currently, she is the associate director of Alumni Relations at University of San Diego. Prior to joining USD, Zakaria was an assistant director of Alumni Relations at UC San Diego. At the San Diego Natural History Museum, she planned and managed nature programming for youth and families. She has also been employed at Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. Sarah is a former board member of the Southern California Museum Educators, and earned a bachelors degree in anthropology with special honors from George Washington University and a masters in museum education from University of the Arts. She is certified by the National Association of Interpretation as a Certified Interpretive Trainer and Certified Interpretive Guide. She and her husband have a young daughter. She is passionate about nature education for children and preserving nature spaces for the next generation.
Lawrance Bailey, Fund Development
Lawrance is a retired senior director of development at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and has been involved with the environment and conservation for most of his adult life. He has been a member of the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and National Audubon since the 1970s when he was a writer for an ABC-TV game show. He founded and served as executive director for a non-profit organization called the Nature Center in Los Angeles to introduce people to the natural environments of California and taught adult natural history, backpacking, and cross country skiing classes at LA Valley College. He spent more than 30 years with the University of California - first at UCLA in film, television, and theater and then in development at UC Irvine and UC San Diego. He enjoys hiking, camping, birding, snorkeling, music, traveling, and movies.
David Kimball, Membership, Bird Festival
Having resided his whole life near the Pacific Ocean, David became involved with San Diego Audubon following his retirement as San Diego site manager of Lockheed Martin. He has chaired the San Diego Bird Festival since 2007. As his favorite activity is working on native plant restoration, he can regularly be found at San Diego Audubon's habitat restoration events. He is also on the board of Friends of Famosa Slough and leads the revegetation work for the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park council.
Phil Pryde, Silverwood Committee
Phil is a Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University, where he taught courses in environmental policy for 32 years. While at SDSU, he authored six books and over a hundred published papers, has been a Fulbright Research Scholar, and received a national distinguished teaching award. Locally, he has chaired the San Diego County Planning Commission, and served on the Boards of the County Water Authority and the San Diego River Park Foundation. He has served on the Board of the San Diego Audubon Society since 1980. His conservation work has twice been written up in the national magazine of the National Audubon Society. He is the editor and primary author of San Diego: An Introduction to the Region, now in its fourth edition.
Wayne Harmon, Member-at-Large
Wayne is a retired geography professor who has been interested in birds and their habitats, fly fishing and other cultures much of his life. He taught Cultural, Economic and Physical Geography at Grossmont College and served as a Divisional Dean. Wayne has been active in San Diego Audubon since 1990. Wayne has a BA and MA in geography from San Diego State University and has done additional graduate work at the University of Iowa. He was also a Fulbright Scholar to the United Kingdom, where he studied the Industrial Revolution.
Mike Matherly, Member-at-Large
Mike is a retired professional geographer, working for over 35 years at Grossmont College, where he taught in the Earth Sciences Department specializing in urban growth and resource issues. Mike has been involved with the San Diego Audubon board for 9 years and presently heads the Speaker Bureau, presenting to groups on topics ranging from bird conservation to nature deficit disorder in children. He has also led San Diego Audubon field trips to Central and South America for 7 years. He has been a birder and bird photographer since 1996, when he discovered that the search for birds gets you to some of the wildest places on earth.
Joe Thompson, Member-at-Large
Joe became interested in ecology while working as a seasonal firefighter in Humboldt County in the 1980s and 1990s. He holds a bachelors degree in Wildlife from Humboldt State University, and has worked as an ecologist ever since. Joe's main focus is wetland ecology, where he works to minimize and mitigate project impacts and restore degraded wetlands for birds and other wildlife. He and his family enjoy traveling and have taken hiking and birding expeditions in many parts of the western United States as well as Mexico and Central America. Joe first began his involvement with the Conservation Committee in 2011 and joined the Board in 2013.
