Forsyth Audubon Society is governed by a board of directors composed of people with diverse interests and a shared passion for the chapter’s mission. Elections are held at the annual membership meeting in May.
Committee positions are open to anyone interested in helping with particular activities within the chapter. If you would like to help out by serving on a committee, please contact us through this email form.
Chapter Officers
President
Dave Zimmer
Dave’s 40-year environmental engineering career focused on protecting water quality and providing safe drinking water. His recent Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist training furthered his passion for nature conservation and habitat protection. He enjoys his volunteer work with several community organizations including Forsyth Audubon, YMCA of Northwest North Carolina, Reynolda Gardens, and Piedmont Land Conservancy. Dave also enjoys running and hiking, reading, music, and spending time with his family.
Vice President
Andrea Thomas
Andrea Thomas became a birder in high school by signing up for an ornithology class as an easy out of her science requirement. She quickly learned the class was not easy, and more importantly, that birds were endlessly fascinating! Andrea is lucky to have parents living in both Ecuador and Australia so in addition to her backyard birds, she loves exploring further afield when visiting family. One of her most exciting birding moments was finally getting to see the Australian pink robin in Tasmania. Andrea loves introducing children to bird watching and enjoys being involved with Forsyth Audubon’s “Young Birders” initiative. She is proud to be called a “Bird Nerd” by her own children.
Secretary
Melody McMichael
Melody moved to North Carolina from Florida in 2017 and more recently relocated to Winston-Salem. Shortly after moving to Winston she joined Forsyth Audubon on a bird walk and hasn’t looked back. She is a Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist in training and spends her free time volunteering with various environmental organizations, and is particularly passionate about moths and ferns. Melody fell in love with birding after watching the silly antics of White-breasted Nuthatches and the adorable Tufted Titmice in her backyard in Charlotte.
Treasurer
Beverly Moore
My interest in birds started as a child during Sunday afternoon walks in suburban New Jersey with Nana Campbell as we followed the sound of what we were certain was an owl. We never saw an owl. When I learned what we had actually been hearing, a mourning dove, I did not have the heart to tell Nana. My interest was renewed by bird walks with Forsyth Audubon including one in which I saw an actual owl close up. I now listen and look for birds everywhere I go. I especially enjoy birding while kayaking in the salt marsh at Oak Island.
Board & Committee Members
Education Committee Co-Chair
Rebecca Craps
Rebecca Craps is a Natural Resources and Environmental Systems Agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension in Forsyth County, dedicated to promoting sustainable environmental practices. She facilitates the Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist Program, empowering community members to become stewards of natural resources. With a strong focus on water systems protection, Rebecca educates on the importance of preserving water quality, managing watersheds, and implementing conservation strategies. Her work helps build a more informed and engaged public committed to safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Education Committee Co-Chair
Chris Marsh
Chris’ 40-year career focused on birds, habitat management, and environmental education. He grew up in Raleigh where he was active in the Raleigh Bird Club and Carolina Bird Club during high school and college. His Ph.D. research at Oregon State University focused on shorebirds that feed along the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest. After 16 years as a biology professor (2 years at Brevard College followed by 14 years at Coastal Carolina University), he served as the Executive Director of the Spring Island Trust, an environmental non-profit located in Beaufort County, South Carolina from 1998 to 2022. He and his wife retired to Winston-Salem in 2022. Soon after, he became involved with Forsyth Audubon and served as its president from June 2023 to May 2025. In addition to continuing to work with Forsyth Audubon, Chris enjoys helping co-teach the recently formed Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist Course.
Advocacy Committee Chairperson
Janice Wakefield
Janice became a birding enthusiast when she first saw a snowy egret in breeding plumage on a South Carolina beach. Decades later, she was introduced to warblers and another adventure in birding began. After retiring from a career in counseling and hospital chaplaincy, she began to participate in the NC Audubon Advocacy Days in Raleigh. She has served on the Forsyth Audubon Advocacy committee for the past several years. She is working on birding by ear and learning about native plants, urban forests and wetland conservation. She loves to hike, bike and kayak.
Communications Committee Chairperson
Katherine Tombs
An educator at heart, Katherine spent her career teaching English before transitioning into the wide world of environmental ed. She has worked as a City of Austin park ranger, program coordinator for Keep Austin Beautiful, and most recently as a field instructor for Muddy Sneakers. She is a Texas and Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist. She believes in nature access for all, and particularly enjoys birding by ear with blind and low vision hikers. Her spark bird in the Resplendent Quetzal.
Website Manager
Jean Chamberlain
Jean has been a member of Forsyth Audubon for about 15 years. She is the organization’s webmaster. She coordinates the Hanging Rock Spring and Christmas bird counts, and participates in other area counts including Climate Watch nuthatch surveys. Jean manages the Hawk Watch at Pilot Mountain each September. She has organized and led several of Forsyth Audubon’s Spring and Fall trips. Jean has been a wildlife rehabilitator for over 30 years, specializing in raptors for over 20 years. Jean presents many wildlife education programs each year for Owl’s Roost in the Forsyth County area. She is an officer and on the board of her local and state organizations and chairs the committee that organizes their symposium each year. She also works on the Curriculum Development Committee for the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.
Conservation Committee Chairperson
Ryan Goodman
Born in South Florida, Ryan has been involved throughout most of his life in coastal estuary and marine conservation work, volunteering with the International Game Fish Association, Nova Southeastern University, the College of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute for Marine Science, and both Florida and Virginia State Fish and Wildlife Commissions. Birds have been a relatively new development, all thanks to a pair of House Sparrows nesting outside the window of a graduate student begrudgingly writing their doctoral dissertation. Since then, birding and ornithology have become a passion with interests in wetland/marsh conservation, migration monitoring, and public outreach. Every fall Ryan looks forward to Pilot Mountain’s Hawk Watch!
Membership Committee Chairperson
Angela Sciarappa
Angela Sciarappa moved to Winston-Salem two years ago with the intention of reconnecting with her childhood passion for nature and becoming more involved in her local community. Since then, she has been actively exploring the outdoors and deepening her appreciation for the natural world. Angela is excited to support Forsyth Audubon with membership efforts and is dedicated to helping the chapter grow. She looks forward to meeting new members and building lasting connections within the birding community.
Tabling and Outreach Chairperson
Shari Burrell
My love of the natural world was nurtured by my parents and grandparents. In turn, I worked to foster that same love of nature within my own children through our many adventures hiking, backpacking and kayaking. Lugging identification books and endlessly stopping to examine each new discovery, I learned right along with them. I hope my work with Forsyth Audubon inspires others in our community to discover and advocate for the incredible beauty all around us.
Field Trip Committee Co-Chairs
Doug DeNeve
Pam DeNeve
If you want to contact a board member and don’t know their email address, use Contact Us and we will forward your email to them.
Past Presidents of Audubon Society of Forsyth County
Audubon Society of Forsyth County was chartered in the early 1970s. It has had a long and illustrious history, led by many dedicated friends to our birds. The list is still a work in progress. With the assistance of Bill Hammond, we have all of the presidents in order back to 1990. We have also included a list of known presidents from earlier years, although we still are researching some of their dates of service. If you know of other past presidents or information on when they served, send email to Katherine Tombs.
- Chris Marsh (2024-2025)
- Jennifer Hemric (2022-2023)
- Don Lendle (2020 – 2022)
- Jesse Anderson (2019)
- Nathan Gatto (2016-2018)
- Rob Rogers (2015-2016)
- Carol Gearhart (2014-2015)
- Jeremy Reiskind (2013-2014)
- Ron Morris (2011-2012)
- Susan Jones (2009-2010)
- Phil Dickinson (2007-2008)
- Bill Gifford (2005-2006)
- Marilyn Shuping (2003-2004)
- Linda Davis (2001-2002)
- Jim Martin (1998-1999)
- Ann Newsome (1997-1998)
- Sebastian “C” Sommer (1996-1997)
- Doug DeNeve (1995-1996)
- Jay Wilhelmi (1994-1995)
- Doug DeNeve (1993-1994)
- Margaret “Peg” Cochrane (1992-1993)
- J. D. Bottoms (1991-1992)
- Tom Mowbray (1887-1988, 1990)
- Hartsell Cash (1988-1989)
- John Carter (1986)
- Bill Hammond (1985)
- David Disher (1984)
- Jackie Shelton (1983)