Staff
Executive Director Donna Halleran
Office Administrator Bob Montanaro
Environmental Educator Lauren Reeves
The Board of Directors is composed of elected Officers and Directors and a number of appointed Board Members.
Officers
Board Chair Richard H. Baker, Ph.D.
Getting a Ph.D. in Zoology & Genetics from the University of Illinois working with mosquitoes led me to the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore. They sent me and my family to Lahore, Pakistan to do research on mosquito borne diseases like Malaria and viruses at their Pakistan Medical Research Center, (9 years as Director), and administrating other projects 1966-1979. Returning to Baltimore as Professor and Director of U. of Maryland’s International Health Program, the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Institute of Health sent me on numerous trips to speak to nations around the world. The world-renown Florida Medical Entomology Lab, University of Florida/IFAS lured me to Vero Beach to become Professor and Director (1966-98). Loving canoeing and getting out in nature in Florida, I’ve worked to educate and advocate for a healthy environment, joining the Indian River County Land Acquisition Committee (1990-2010, Chair 2003-05, 07-09), and still on the Indian River County Environmental Control Hearing Board (1994-2004, 2009-Present) and Pelican Island Audubon Society President (2003-present).
1st Vice Chair Bill Halliday
William Halliday is a business owner in Indian River County. A charter member of the Vero Beach Sunrise Rotary Club and past President of this club. He is still active in his business that he started in 1982. He is active on the PIAS board for many years and is married to fellow board member Darlene.
2nd Vice Chair Fred Poston, Ph.D.
After graduate school I joined the Faculty of Kansas State University as an insect ecologist and pest management specialist. I researched insect pests of field crops and taught courses in insect ecology and Economic entomology. Later I entered administration as Associate Director of the Kansas Extension Service. I moved to Washington State University as Director of the Extension Service. I then moved to Michigan State University as Vice Provost and Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We pushed two large funding packages through the Legislature for animal and plant-based agriculture research and extension. I traveled extensively reviewing international research and outreach projects. After 8 years as Dean, I was appointed Vice President of Finance and Operations. I was responsible for all of the non-academic parts of the university, which included finances, investments, human resources, the physical plant, athletics, police, food service, and housing serving 50,000 students and 10,000 employees. I returned to the College as Dean for the last three years of my career.
Recording Secretary Darlene Halliday
I developed a love of nature at a young age. I was blessed to spend many weekends and summers at my grandparent's country home, in upstate New York. Away from the cement, noise and light pollution. I realized quickly, as I hiked through the woods and stargazed, that this was a special place. I attended High School in north Jersey, where I had an amazing Environmental Science teacher. One of the things he taught me was about activism. I attended protests, to save conservation lands. I spearheaded two campaigns that the student body, faculty and staff backed. One was to request that toilet paper companies stop putting color dyes in their paper products. The other campaign was for tuna companies to enlist safe fishing practices, to protect dolphins. I pursued my BS in Environmental Science from Richard Stockton College in south Jersey. While attending college, I worked for the Center for Environmental Research. We educated the community through our monthly newsletters, programs and conferences. Shortly after graduation. I moved to beautiful Vero Beach, where I met my wonderful husband, Bill. I presently am the Office Manager for Niemi Endodontics. I have happily served on the Pelican Island Audubon Society Board since 2003.
Corresponding Secretary George Glenn, Jr.
George Glenn Jr. grew up in Vero Beach, FL, graduating from Vero Beach High School in 1997. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 where he majored in Finance and minored in Economics. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a financial analyst. George graduated from the Florida State University College of Law in 2006, where he obtained advanced certificates in Environmental Law and in Land Use Law. He spent his early career working in the Indian River County Attorney’s Office before entering private practice where he currently works with his father at the Law Offices of Glenn & Glenn. George has served as corresponding secretary for the Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS) since 2015 and is a member of the advocacy committee that assists PIAS in engaging with local and state governments on environmental and land use policy.
Treasurer Steve Goff
Elected Directors, term expires
Graham Cox, Ph.D., 2026
Graham Cox Started working life as environmental reporter for Gannett Newspapers, eight years a reporter in the UK and New York. Long time New York state employee, as DEC education director and then economic department business editor. Guided public affairs for National Audubon, then took on defining sustainable forestry for Audubon New York. For 10 years served as advisor to US Forest Service through sustainable forestry roundtable. Traveled on almost every continent (not yet to the Antarctic.) In retirement he is helping PIAS secure grant funds to support our Audubon Advocates and other youth science education projects. Undergrad degree in geography, masters in economics, doctorate in ecological economics.
Nancy Irvin, 2023
Back in the 1980s I rescued an injured pelican on the bridge, then I called the Pelican Island Audubon Society to see if I should give him freshwater or saltwater to drink. I was told that pelicans don’t drink water. I have been a member and on the board ever since and continue to learn something new about a bird every day.
Bill Loftus, Ph.D., 2024
Dr. Bill Loftus is an Aquatic Ecologist, retired from the U.S. Department of Interior after working for 32 years with the U. S. National Park Service and-U.S. Geological Survey. He served as program manager for Everglades freshwater-ecology studies, and was the south Florida Biology lead for USGS. Dr. Bill developed an abiding in nature and conservation while growing up in northern Pennsylvania. He received a Ph.D. from Florida International University for his dissertation on mercury bioaccumulation in the Everglades aquatic food web. His career focused on the ecology of freshwater communities in southern Florida and the Caribbean basin to contribute in developing Everglades restoration alternatives and monitoring for adaptive management. He has performed fish research in Mexico, Belize, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, Africa and the Galapagos. He continues to publish on the ecology of native and non-native fishes in Florida. Dr. Bill spends winters in Vero Beach and summers in the Pocono Mountains with his wife, Becky.
Bonnie Swanson, 2024
I am a graduate of Western Illinois University with a BS,MS and an EdS in Education and Administration. About 40 years I relocated to Vero Beach with my family and began work in the Indian River County Schools. I have served as Principal in four of the schools here, but one of those Principalships offered me the opportunity to work with Pelican Island Audubon Society. With their support, the students of Pelican Island Elementary School carried out a project to save pristine scrub habit, the home of their beloved scrub jays and gopher tortoises. I am so glad to be part of this action oriented organization as coordinator of the Audubon Advocate Program serving 5th grade under-resourced students!!
Appointed Board Members
Albert Alley, M.D.
Dr. Albert Alley is a board-certified ophthalmic surgeon who retired from active practice several years ago. He is the founder of the organization, World Blindness Outreach (WBO), that is dedicated to alleviating preventable and treatable blindness at home and around the world. WBO has done programs in 26 countries around the world and has performed over 10,000 eye operations on indigent patients. Dr. Alley continues to serve as president of this organization. Since taking Juanita Baker’s basic birding class several years ago, he has become an avid birding enthusiast and is always ready to become involved in a birding mission or program.
Dr. Nathan Burkett-Cadena
Dr. Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena is Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, FL. After receiving his PhD in Entomology from Auburn University, Dr. Burkett-Cadena was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of South Florida Department of Global Health from 2011-2013. His research interests focus on the ecology of vector-borne diseases including eastern equine encephalitis virus, Everglades virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Chagas disease, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and river blindness. Dr. Burkett-Cadena has co-authored over 120 scientific articles related to medically important arthropods and the pathogens that they transmit. He is also author of the book Mosquitoes of the Southeastern United States (2013, University of Alabama Press). He lives with his wife, Marleny, and son, Daniel, in Vero Beach, Florida.
Susan Lovelace
Susan Lovelace started teaching at Sebastian River High School in 1997, and she began coordinating the SRHS International Baccalaureate Program in 2010. After earning a Master’s Degree in English at the University of Central Florida, she served as an adjunct English professor at Indian River State College and online at the Florida Institute of Technology. For several summers, Susan was a tutor for the Florida Consortium of Universities, traveling with students to England for summer school studies at Cambridge University. A National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescent and Young Adult Language Arts and passionate about anything outdoors, Susan created a nature journaling curriculum for students that she presented at the National Council of Teachers of English Conventions in Austin, TX, and Baltimore, MD, as well as several teacher in-services throughout Maryland and Florida. Some of her favorite nature journaling experiences have been supervising Holy Trinity High School students journaling in the Galapagos and Costa Rica as well as our local Pelican Island Audubon Advocates program for fifth grade students.
J. Steve Palmquist
My mother, father and I moved to Florida in 1948 when I was nine months old, so I’m almost a native Floridian. After graduating from Florida State University in 1970, I pursued a career as an actuary that lasted for 42 years. I’ve lived in Vero Beach since 1995. It has been an honor for me to serve as a volunteer and Board member of PIAS. Our Chapter has many programs that greatly benefit Indian River County, and we hope to continue this success.
Ricky Ray
In 1970, when I was in 10th grade I started with Tropical Audubon society. I always liked birds, as far back as fifth grade. I was in the electrical business as a lineman for 44 years. I like working at Pelican Island Audubon society leading hikes and volunteering. I like taking pictures of birds and nature and traveling out of the country on bird watching/sight-seeing trips. I enjoy entertaining while playing my guitar and singing.
Morgan Rockwell
I earned my bachelor’s degree at Millikin University in Biology specializing in Veterinary Medicine. As an undergraduate, I was involved in researching hawk flies (Hippoboscidae) in correlation with the transmission of Francisella tularensis in Illinois birds. My research had led me to volunteer at the Illinois Raptor Center, where I had assisted with wildlife rehabilitation, bird banding, and Audobon outreach events. Currently, I am a master’s student in Nathan Burkett-Cadena’s lab seeking to gain a certificate in Medical Entomology. My thesis is incriminating the vectors of Plasmodium odocoilei (deer malaria) in Florida deer farms. In my spare time, I like to volunteer at the Pelican Island Audubon Society to give tours discussing the native flora and fauna of Florida.
Hadi Shalhoub, D.O.
PAST PRESIDENTS (1964 – present)
March 20, 1964 – Merritt C. Farrar, Temporary Chairman
April 14, 1964 – Merritt C. Farrar elected President
March 16, 1965 – Maggy Bowman elected President
March 2, 1966 – Mrs. Mabel Michael elected President
March 11, 1971 – Dr. Herbert W Kale, II, elected President
March 13, 1975 – Mike Ziegler elected President
May 6, 1976 – Maggy Bowman elected
Sept. 20, 1976 – Herb Kale elected President.
Oct. 8, 1976 – Barbara Burr elected President
March, 1977 – Maggy Bowman elected President
March 2, 1981 – Ray Fernald, elected President
March 18, 1985 – Stuart Miner elected President
October 6, 1986 – Judy Orcutt elected President
August 31, 1987 – Maggy Bowman elected President
March 19, 1991 – Donna Anderson elected President
March 15, 1993 – Jens Tripson elected President
March 17, 2003 – Richard H Baker elected President