Meeting Planning Committee Team – 2025 Annual Meeting of TWS-WS

**The Annual Meeting is planned and run by an INCREDIBLE team of volunteers!**

This meeting wouldn’t be possible without our volunteer planning committee. Many of these people have been volunteering as TWS-WS leaders for decades. And this year we have many new volunteers joining us as well. We thank everyone for their amazing service to the Western Section.

Would you like to join us? See below for open positions. Help is always needed, and we think it is quite satisfying and fun to be part of the Annual Meeting planning team.

Email: projectmanager@tws-west.org for more information.

2025 Annual Meeting Planning Committee

Meeting Chair & President-Elect, TWS-WS	Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project – jeff@thewildlifeproject.com
President, TWS-WS	Brooke Langle, SWCA – president@tws-west.org
Professional Development Chair	Janine Payne – pdc@tws-west.org
Meeting Planner/Project Manager	Candace Renger, TWS-WS – projectmanager@tws-west.org
Meeting Registrar	Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology – support@tws-west.org
Team:
Awards Ceremony	Rich Burg, CDFW/Retired Brookle Langle, SWCA
Audio Visual Captains	Sam Sosa, USFWS – Chair Laura Coatney, Swaim Biological Chris Duran, Swaim Biological Debra Hawk, High Speed Rail Leslie Koenig, Swaim Biological John McNerney, City of Davis Dave Riensche, East Bay Regional Park District Celia Tarcha, Swaim Biological Don Yasuda, USFS
Birds of a Feather Networking Events / Meet-ups / Workshops	Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project Eric Stitt, ICF International Donna Noce More help is needed!
Breakfast Roundtable	Lisa Fields, CDFW – Chair Wendy Loeffler, Recon Environmental Shay Zanetti, USFS Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental
Capstone Presentation	Brooke Langle, SWCA
Children’s Activities & Family Room	Luma Fowler, Endemic Environmental
Cornhole Tournament	Rick Williams, PG&E/Retired
Diversity Committee	Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental – Chair Jennifer Lee, UCLA More help needed!
Exhibit Hall + Artist Recruitment	Emily Culhane, FWS Forestry California Jennifer Lee, UCLA
Group Games	Matthew Bettelheim, AECOM
Karaoke	Laura Coatney, Swaim Biological
Keynote Speech Coordinator	Jim Sedinger, NDOW/Retired
Field Trips + Local Arrangements	Brian Fagundes, Point Blue San Joaquin Chapter TWS Donna Noce
Logo Gear + Merch	Emily Culhane, FWS Forestry California Taryn Cornell, Dudek
Member Town Hall	Brooke Langle, SWCA
Mentoring Program	Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology Katie Rock, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project Elizabeth Meisman, Humboldt State University
Museum of Outdated Technology	Cynthia Perrine, Northern California Land Trust John Perrine, Cal Poly SLO/CDFW
Open Mic Night AND Career Advice Booth	Katie Smith, WRA, Inc
Photo Collection Submissions and Slideshow	Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager Emily Culhane, FWS Forestry California
Photographers	Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager Howard Clark, Colibri Ecological Consulting Eric Stitt, ICF International More help needed!
Plenary Session	Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Poster Session Co-Chairs	Carlos Alvarado, Ascent Environmental Allison Fuller, Ascent Environmental
Printed Program Editing	Debra Hawk, High Speed Rail Rick Williams, PG&E/Retired Chrissy Sousa, Shasta Land Trust
Raffle and Auction	Carolyn Buesch, CDFW Vanessa Lozano, Endemic Environmental Services Trinity Pineda, Endemic Environmental Services Alexandra Lyon, Endemic Environmental Services
Social Media / Canva Design / PowerPoint Announcement Slides	Carolyn Buesch, CDFW Taryn Cornell, Dudek More help needed!
Student/Early Career Professional Activities	Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology Katie Rock, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Elizabeth Meisman, Humboldt State University Jacob Smith, University of Nevada Reno Anna Foehr, Cal Poly SLO Joseph Meihak, Cal Poly Humboldt Jamie Miller, UCSB Rico Bruan, Truckee Meadows CC Eric Stitt, Save the Snakes More help needed!
Student Judging Coordinators	Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager
Survey Coordinator	Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental Lisa Fields, CDFW
Student Quiz Bowl AND Wildlife Trivia	Rhys Evans, Vandenberg Space Force/Retired
Volunteer Coordination	Kristen Burgess Anita Lahey
Yoga	Kelly Holland, GEI Consultants
Members-At-Large	Coming soon!