Member Spotlight

Griffin Fosback ORTWS Student Liaison (2024 – 2025) Current Position: OSU Student Biographical Sketch: Hello! I am a non-traditional student at Oregon State University, bringing more than a decade of management and leadership experience. Much of the work I’ve done prior to starting this degree path was people-oriented, and as I have learned from several […]

Emily Weidner ORTWS Board Member (2024 – 2026) Current Position: Fish & Wildlife Biologist –U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Biographical Sketch: Hello ORTWS folks! I’m 7 years deep in my career with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the Bend Field Office. School wasn’t on my radar until my early 30s, so I started small

Shalynn Pack Oregon State University Student Chapter Faculty Advisor Board Member (2020 – present) Current Position: Internship Coordinator & Instructor, Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University  Biographical Sketch: Hi, fellow wildlifers! I am an Oregon State University graduate and Certified Wildlife Biologist who has worked primarily in wildlife field research, international community-based

Jeremy Thompson ORTWS Vice President-elect (2024 – 2025) Current Position: Energy Program Coordinator with ODFW Biographical Sketch: I have worked for ODFW for the last 25 years, starting my career working on multiple wildlife areas around the state, and then moving to the district office in The Dalles where I served as an assistant and

Alina Blankenship ORTWS Secretary (2024 – 2026) Current Position: Master Falconer at Sky Guardian Falconry Biographical Sketch: Greetings ORTWS!  I have been a falconer for 12 years and a professional abatement falconer for 7 years.  In this capacity, I am able to offer a non-lethal but effective method of redirecting flocks of nuisance avian species

Jamie Bowles ORTWS Board Member (2024 – 2026) Current Position: Regional Habitat Biologist – Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Biographical Sketch: I have had an amazing career path, spending the last 10 years with ODFW, starting as an intern in 2014. I was a non-traditional student, going back to school and starting a second

Trent Gianella ORTWS Board Member (2024 – 2026) Current Position: ODFW Assistant Wildlife Biologist Biographical Sketch: Biographical Sketch: My name is Trent Gianella and I am currently employed as a Wildlife Biologist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife located in The Dalles. I grew up in Western Oregon on a small farm located in

Betsy Glenn ORTWS President-elect (2024 – 2025) Current Position: Research Coordinator, USGS – Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) Biographical Sketch: I have a background in population ecology with an emphasis on the conservation and management of threatened and endangered species. Most of my research has addressed responses of wildlife populations in forest ecosystems

Jenniffer Bakke ORTWS Vice President (2024 – 2025) Current position: Manager of Environmental Services, Manulife Investment Management Biographical Sketch: Hi all – I’m excited to be here again! It’s been about ten years since my previous time serving on the board (board member to VP to President) and I’m looking forward to where this chapter

ORTWS Past President (2023-2024) Current position: Retired Biographical Sketch: Howdy.  I am excited to serve on the leadership team of the Oregon Chapter.  Previously, I served two terms as President of the Washington Chapter, and I am excited to learn about the challenges facing wildlife and habitat in Oregon and how the chapter can support