OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Maggie Amsler // President
Maggie, a marine biologist at UAB, discovered the joy of birding during long ocean voyages. Her work frequently takes her by ship, to a research base in Antarctica where she can be up close and personal with numerous species of nesting seabirds, including penguins. Birding in Antarctica is so easy without trees and leaves to obscure views and with a regional bird list of only twenty-some species! When in Alabama, and not struggling to identify warblers and sparrows, she enjoys cycling, being in and on the water, and gardening. Maggie has also served Alabama Audubon as Vice-President of Programs and Vice-President of Science.
Lois Woodward // President-Elect
Since early childhood, Lois has delighted in the natural world. From watching bird migrations at her family’s east Texas farm (where her grandmother noted their annual arrivals in her well-worn Peterson’s guide), to discovering the wonders of distinctive seasons while living in Connecticut, and then exploring Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau during college at Sewanee, she gained a deep appreciation of all flora and fauna, as well as an understanding of the importance of protecting the habitat needed to support all life. Her interest in birding was renewed by attending the Audubon Mountain Workshops, and since retiring from the practice of law, she enjoys the opportunity to spend even more time birding.
Greg Harber // Secretary
Greg was born and raised in south Florida, where charismatic long-legged waders and spot-breasted orioles first piqued his interest in birdwatching. He is a graduate of Auburn University, with a B.S. degree in Secondary Science Education and an M.S. degree in Cell Biology. Greg joined Birmingham Audubon in 1986 and through the years has served the chapter in a variety of capacities, including as bird counts compiler, newsletter editor, director of the Birmingham Audubon Mountain Workshop, vice president for field trips, vice president for conservation, and chapter president. Greg currently serves as Board Secretary and is a field trip leader. He is employed as a laboratory manager at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.
Lori Oswald // Treasurer
Lori was first introduced to birding by attending the Audubon Mountain Workshop in the mid 1980’s. She enjoys birding every day whether in her back yard, traveling around Alabama, across the United States or internationally. A pair of binoculars is always nearby. She is a past President and current and past Treasurer of the Alabama Audubon Board. Lori is a retired CPA and worked mainly in the financial services industry, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Regions Bank (formerly AmSouth Bank) and Protective Life Corporation. She is a graduate of Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.
Barry Fleming // VP Conservation & Science
Born in Laguna Beach, California and raised in the Nashville area, Barry earned art degrees from Western Kentucky University and the University of Tennessee. He is currently professor emeritus at Auburn University after teaching painting, drawing, and ceramics for thirty-five years.Barry is life member of the Alabama Ornithological Society where he has served on the Bird Records Committee and as President. He was a founder, past president, and current board member of the Wood Duck Nature Preserve in Opelika, Alabama, a leading site on the Piedmont Birding Trail with over 200 species recorded.
Matt Hunter // VP Field Trips
Matt is a retired environmental and supply chain management professional. He has worked mainly in the mining and manufacturing industries, including Drummond Company, Inc., Citation Corporation, and Black Diamond Coal Mining Company, Inc. He holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences from Western Kentucky University, an M.S. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and an M.P.P.M. from Birmingham-Southern College. He has been an active birder for 40 years in Tennessee and Alabama and currently is chair of Alabama Audubon’s field trip committee.
Jonah Cohen // VP Education & Programs
Born in Connecticut, and an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, Jonah has worked in informal science education for 30 years. A national leader in the field of science center outreach, he came to Alabama in 2015 to join the staff of the McWane Science Center, where he remains part of their education team. Jonah and his wife became active members of Alabama Audubon in 2015. A member of the board since 2022, Jonah hopes to interest new birders by connecting a love of birds to an interest in science, to a variety of hobbies and pastimes, and to the things people encounter daily in their lives.
Heather McCalley // VP Development & Membership
After being bitten by the birding bug in 2018 during a guided walk at Birmingham’s Crestwood Park, Heather joined the Board in 2020 and founded the Fund Development Committee. She has also served as Secretary and Treasurer. Heather attended Duke University and majored in Economics. Her first career was in commercial lending, after which she and her husband raised two smart and beautiful daughters. She then built a career in cybercrime investigations based on a Master’s Degree from UAB in Computer Science. In 2023 she retired and now spends her free time catching up on books and movies, learning French, practicing yoga, and playing pickleball. She is passionate about bird conservation, spreading the word about climate change, and helping people understand the importance of protecting the natural world.
Joe Watts // At-Large
Joe has been active in web development and social media management for over 20 years, and a writer for many more. As a volunteer, he has served on the Alabama Audubon board since 2015, and as President for three of those years. He also serves as a board member on the National Audubon Society, representing six southeastern states, and was a founding board member of Birdability, a nationwide organization devoted to making birding and the outdoors accessible to every body. Joe lives with his wife, Ann, and three indoor cats in the historic Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham.
Jaqueline Gray Miller // At-Large
Jaqueline’s story began at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains in Alabama’s Talladega National Forest. It was 2014, the year she became the first person of color hired in Alabama by The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest conservation organizations in the world. As the marketing manager in one of the most biodiverse states in the country, she often visited the major physiographic regions, from the Gulf Coastal Plain to the Cumberland Plateau. She also wrote conservation stories about the Talladega National Forest, primarily about conservation approaches, including prescribed burning, that support the habitat of the red-cockaded woodpecker. Yet she found so much more: “At the golden hour of a summer day, with dew on the ground and sun peeking through the longleaf pines, I saw a large bird with stylish patterns. Its red-striped head, polka-dot breast and the golden undersurface of its wings and tail were akin to couture attire. Though I’m someone who communicates for a living, I could not utter a word and could not move. Time stood still—and it was at that moment I found my spark bird, the northern flicker. That’s the day I fell into an avian obsession, which led me to Alabama Audubon.” In her spare time, Jacqueline is a creative.
Linda Neighbors // At-Large
Born and raised in Homewood, AL, Linda has always had an interest in animals getting her B.S. in zoology at Auburn. She then went on to obtain a master’s in physical therapy from UAB. She is semi-retired though continues to work some helping teach UAB P.T. students in their skills labs. Her love of birds began when volunteering at the Alabama Wildlife Center where she was able to work with raptors and songbirds. After going on several field trips with AL Audubon she joined the field trip committee, helping to co-lead trips and serving as chairperson for several years.
Rashida Farid // At-Large
Dr. Rashidah H. Farid joined the Tuskegee University faculty, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, as a Wildlife Ecologist in June 2019. She received her PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, with a concentration in quantitative analyses, from the University of Florida. Her dissertation focused on population demography and dynamics of Gunnison’s prairie dogs. She also completed her Bachelor of Science at Tuskegee University and Masters of Science at Alabama A&M University, in Animal Science and Plant and Soil Science, respectively. Rashida is also an alumnus of the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship and a 2018 Environmental Grantmakers Association / University of Michigan Environmental Fellow.
Dr. Farid's lab, Ecosystem Sustainability and Ecological Resilience (ESER) Lab, is reflective of her broad scope of interdisciplinary research and professional experience. The lab’s focus is on conservation of southeastern biodiversity that contributes to ecosystem management, community resilience (of humans and wildlife) and promotion of sustainable agriculture.
Annette Kinderman // At-Large
Annette was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She brings her longstanding love of this beautiful state and its natural diversity to her service on the Board of Alabama Audubon. Annette holds a B.A. from Amherst College and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law. She is a litigation attorney in the Birmingham office of Phelps Dunbar LLP, where she represents a wide variety of healthcare and corporate clients in complex civil litigation and personal injury cases. In her spare time, Annette enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, and watching the live version of “Bird TV” that plays in her backyard.
Cliff Martin // At-Large
Cliff has enjoyed the outdoors for as long as he can remember. An alumnus of Bell Labs, he first became involved with Audubon while in New Jersey. Since retiring, he has dabbled with bird photography while learning more about birds in general. He and his wife reside in Birmingham and have been working to create pollinator and bird-friendly habitats on their property.
Stephannie Nixon // At-Large
Stephannie serves as a professional educator providing leadership to youth in the Greensboro, AL 4-H program. She has worked in the nonprofit arena with "hard to reach" youth her entire career. Outdoor Education- Nature & Environment 4-H club activities are where her passion is. A fun fact about Stephannie is she is a regenerative homesteader.
