Secretary Nominations 1. Meredith Hoggatt

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1 Secretary Nominations 1. Meredith Hoggatt Hi, my name is Meredith Hoggatt and I am a recent graduate of Ball State University. I am running for the Secretary position for The Wildlife Society Student Working Group. During my time at Ball State I was a part of Dr. Timothy Carter s Wildlife Lab where I held many responsibilities, such as leading small mammal trapping and taking care of the educational program bats. I have worked as a technician for Eastern small-footed bat research and as an intern for white-tailed Deer. My future position will be a technician for white-tailed deer research through Mississippi State University. I was very involved in the Ball State chapter of The Wildlife Society, which included deer check stations, bird banding, and wildlife rehabilitation center cleanup. I also attended previous The Wildlife Society conferences. Throughout these positions that I ve held I have demonstrated leadership, adaptability, and enthusiasm. This position will allow me to show my attention to detail and help students become more involved in the wildlife profession. This position will help me stay connected to other students and be influential to The Wildlife Society.

2 2. Rob Lewis My name is Rob Lewis. I m a second year Master s student in Wildlife Biology at Utah State University where I m studying common raven predation of greater sage-grouse. I received a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Murray State University in southwest KY in At Murray, I researched lead toxicology in eastern gray squirrels as well as wildlife damage management at general aviation airports. While at Murray I served as the secretary and two-term president of our student chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS) and was named the 2015 Wildlife Student of the Year. I also presented research at several TWS affiliated conferences. I have worked for the Department of the Navy as a contracted natural resources technician doing avian surveys as well as a Wildlife Specialist with USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. My experiences at the university and the professional levels have served to highlight how important student involvement in TWS is. The Wildlife Society has unique opportunities for students to mature professionally and engage with other professionals. These include student travel grants, the student research in progress poster sessions at the annual conference, state and section conferences, and most importantly the Student Development Working Group (SDWG). I had the privilege of serving as the secretary of the SDWG for 2015/2016. In the past year the SDWG has switched to include all students as members of the working group, reviewed hundreds of abstracts for the Student Research In-Progress poster session, planned the student leaders lunch, added a section to the ewildlifer, and will be reviewing applications for the SDWG travel grants. I have greatly enjoyed serving the students in TWS this past year, and look forward to seeing everyone at the 23rd Annual Conference in October. I hope that you will give me the privilege of continuing to serve you.

3 3. Summer Higdon Biography: I am running for the position of Secretary of the Student Development Working Group. I am an M.S. student at the University of Missouri Columbia studying the ecology of eastern spotted skunks in the Arkansas Ozarks. In 2014, I earned my B.S. in Wildlife Biology from North Carolina State University. I became a member of TWS upon graduation and the 2014 Annual Conference was my first professional conference. I also presented research at the North Carolina and Virginia chapter meetings and the Annual Conference in Currently, I am a member of the Wildlife Publications Awards Committee at the national level and the North Carolina chapter s TWS Marketing Subcommittee, which brings attention to the 2016 Annual Conference in Raleigh. I have several years of experience that lends itself to the Secretary position. While at NC State, I served as the Vice President of Administration for alarge student organization where I was tasked with taking detailed minutes for weekly meetings. After graduation, I spent two years as a research technician on various projects, all of which required taking detailed notes and managing data. I look forward to bringing the same attention to detail to the Secretary position. Finally, I have a strong interest in seeing the implementation of a Society-- wide mentorship program, which would be highly beneficial to student members. As a Member of the elected board, I would work to bring this topic to the forefront.

4 Chair-Elect Nomination 1. Phillip Stephenson My name is Phillip Stephenson and I am a master s student at the University of Arkansas studying species diversity of bees in emergent wetlands throughout the Eastern portion of Arkansas. I would be honored to be the voice of the students as your Chair. I have always had a passion for advancing the organizations I have been a part of, but I started with The Wildlife Society (TWS) in an unusual way. My undergraduate advisor would not advise me until I became a member of the student chapter of The Wildlife Society at the University of Tennessee. I know this might sound harsh to some, but this was one of the most influential events in developing the young wildlife professional I am today. One of my first responsibilities with the chapter was to coordinate volunteers to work the deer check stations we assisted with yearly. This position quickly led me to get even more involved with our chapter. I started working with our fundraising chair and this is where I found my niche. I helped fundraise $18,000 for the 2012 Southeastern wildlife conclave through partnerships with non-profit organizations, state agencies, and private individuals. Senior year at Tennessee, I moved into the roll of president of our chapter. That year we incorporated additional community service projects and sent more members to the TWS national conference than previous years. Once I came to Arkansas, I became president of the student chapter and I hit the ground running. We have since generated $3,400 in new revenue, increased membership by 140%, acquired contracts with the state wildlife agency to run deer check stations, sent members to state and regional meetings, increased guest speakers, and increased our presence at the southeastern wildlife conclaves. As the Chair of the Student Development Working Group (SDWG), I would like to increase TWS student membership by 10%, increase communication between the student chapters and the Student Development Working Group, provide fundraising ideas for small and large student chapters, and promote student/young professional development through the mentoring program and TWS certification program. My experience, dedication, and passion make me an ideal candidate for Chair of the Student Development Working Group.

5 2. Briana All My name is Briana All, I am a 4th year undergraduate student at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cobleskill, and I would like to nominate myself for the Chair-elect position with the Student Development Working Group through The Wildlife Society. Ever since I started working on my Associates degree in natural resources at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU), I understood the importance of joining The Wildlife Society. I found myself wishing that ENMU had their own chapter and then worked with my Professor to form their very own chapter. In 2012 the ENMU Chapter of The Wildlife Society was officially chartered and I served as President during its inaugural year. In 2014, I transferred to SUNY Cobleskill and quickly became active in their chapter. In 2015 I was elected to serve as President and worked to provide new opportunities for students to gain valuable hands-on experiences and networking with wildlife professionals. I have extensive leadership experience within TWS which would help me effectively uphold the goals of the SDWG. I strongly believe if I was elected as chair-elect for the SDWG, I would continue to uphold these goals of the group by representing students on the national level in a professional, organized manner. I fully understand the importance of being an active member of TWS as a student, and I want nothing more than to help provide guidance and opportunities for students to grow and learn in our field.

6 3. Keifer Titus My name is Keifer Titus and I am eager to nominate myself as the Chair-Elect of The Wildlife Society Student Development Working Group. I am currently a graduate student working towards an M.S. in Biology at Ball State University where I am acoustically studying the effects of various timber harvesting techniques on the bat community in south-central Indiana. Since the beginning of my involvement with TWS I have admired the mission and values demonstrated by the organization; these attributes have compelled me to further contribute to an institution working to manage, conserve, and study wildlife and habitats worldwide. My experience with TWS began during my undergraduate degree at Radford University where I served as the president of my student chapter as well as the student representative for the Virginia state chapter. During my time in office I gained valuable leadership and management skills that have become essential to success in my academic and professional endeavors. It was during this time that I realized how beneficial TWS has been to myself and many others in the wildlife field. The passion for wildlife that radiates from the organization itself and its members makes involvement fun, exciting, and easy to understand. Being involved in TWS has provided me with the opportunity to personally facilitate extracurricular and academic progress in other students lives, my hope is to only continue on this path of encouragement. If I am elected into this position will allow me to directly advocate for student members and see to it that their voices do not go unheard. My experience as a wildlife researcher has provided me with sufficient knowledge and a first-hand understanding of the environmental issues that we face today. I have worked closely with the public and government natural resource officials in order to better understand how we as a community might combat habitat loss and degradation with a proactive regulatory regime. The leadership experiences that I have gained during my involvement in TWS, as well as professionally, have prepared me to be successful as the chair-elect of the Student Development Working Group for The Wildlife Society.

7 4. Jason Matthews My name is Jason Matthews. I am a senior wildlife biology student at Murray State University (MSU), where I serve as the second-term president of the MSU student chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS). Currently, I am evaluating the usefulness of techniques to determine molecular and morphological differences between wild and domestic hogs for law enforcement officials. I have presented this research at several conferences, including the 2014 TWS Annual Conference and other TWS-affiliated conferences. When not in school, I work as a Pathways Intern at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge in Benton, Kentucky. In my spare time, I enjoy hunting and trapping all species of game, as well as fly fishing. After graduation, I hope to pursue a master s degree in wildlife biology. My experiences leading our student chapter have given me the leadership skills necessary to plan activities and promote professional development among students. While serving as president, I saw the benefit of student involvement in TWS, and I hope to continue serving students as chair-elect of the Student Development Working Group this coming year.

8 Treasurer Nominations 1. Ashley Wurth I am starting my 4th year as a Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University studying urban wildlife, with a focus on coyotes. My involvement with TWS started around 8 years ago during my freshmen year of college and I would love to continue my involvement as the SDWG Treasurer. During my undergrad at Colorado State University, I held various leadership positions in our TWS student chapter as Coffee Table Manager (daily fundraiser), Banquet Chair (annual fundraiser), and as President for two years. I have served terms as secretary and as treasurer for GRADROOTS, which is my program s graduate government committee. I am a member of The Urban Wildlife Working Group and hold the Student Representative officer position of the Molecular Ecology Working Group for TWS. In addition, I have attended, presented, and/or volunteered at a majority of the national, sectional, and state meetings. I also gave a speech at a Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Committee public meeting in Ohio as the TWS representative. As TWS has had a large role in the positive development of my own wildlife career, I would like to be a more active member in SDWG to give back and help shape how TWS can positively affect its student members. I believe that my experience with TWS at both the student and national levels will allow me to accurately represent students and help form connections between students and wildlife professionals. My previous experiences as treasurer and at organizing various fundraising events has prepared me to effectively perform the duties of SDWG Treasurer. Thank you for your consideration.

9 2. Kelsey Pangman I, Kelsey Pangman, am nominating myself for Treasure of the Student Development Working Group (SDWG). In December of 2014 I graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with a Bachelors in Wildlife Management. Prior to and after graduation my work has focused on songbird habitat usage and population studies. With six fields seasons of songbirds research under my belt I am determined to pursue a Master s in the field of Ornithology. The Wildlife Society (TWS) has always been there to help me in my journey of fulfilling a career in wildlife. During my freshmen year as an undergraduate, I became an active member of TWS and continued to contribute to my college chapter for my remaining years of college. For my college chapter I was the treasurer for two years and a board member the following year. As a TWS member, I attended and represented our chapter at public meetings and events such as fishing derbies, the local fair and various festivals. Duties as treasurer required me to help organize fundraiser s, keep precise record s and attend weekly meetings. Being treasure gave me confidence in being apart of a group and seeing a larger picture to completing goals. I have been fortunate enough to attend two previous conferences and really enjoyed the amount of networking between students and wildlife professionals. As a member of SDWG the outreach between students and professionals is key to those in the beginning of their career. I have a unique position as having recently graduated and moving between field jobs, at one point I felt very lost and TWS helped me reshape my thoughts. By being treasure I could enlighten other students/undergraduates on the benefits of being a TWS member. If elected I would be sure to make the most of my time in office and can be depended on to represent SDWG in a positive light.