Board Members
FRIENDS OF CONWR BOARD MEMBERS
Through the efforts of many volunteers, the Friends support a large variety of projects and programs on the Refuge. Thank you all! Today, I’d like to recognize a few individuals who have also chosen to donate the many hours required to plan and manage these programs: our Board members. They come to us with many different talents and interests but share one goal: to support the Refuge.
Board meetings are usually held on the 1st Thursday of each month at 6 PM, and all Friends members are welcome to attend. Our next meeting will be July 11th at the Blue Heron Marina Lodge (rescheduled from the holiday on the 4th). Friends members currently serving on the board are:
Old Friends logo
Judy Groskind
Judy Groskind,
President- Judy is a retired Registered Nurse whose primary interests are birds, pollinators, and native plants. She serves as a volunteer in the pollinator habitat project, waterfowl counts, butterfly monitoring and community outreach; and manages our grant program.
Rick Whitecotton,
1st Vice President, and Chair of the Finance and Planning Committee- Rick is a retired Union official. He volunteers in the gift shop, the pollinator habitat project, and several interpretive programs. He is also active in many other native plant and stewardship projects in the larger Southern Illinois Community.
Rick Whitecotton
Mary Jo Osborn
Ruie Whitecotton,
Secretary- Ruie retired from office work in the medical field and as a music teacher. She is a member of several committees and volunteers in the gift shop, the pollinator habitat project, and several other Southern Illinois community programs.
Lorie Allen,
Lorie is a retired academic advisor and instructor from SIU’s off campus degree program. As a nationally certified Interpretive guide, Lorie assists with many interpretive and educational programs at the Refuge, Giant City State Park, and the Shawnee Forest. Her primary interests include native plants, promoting wildlife habitat, and outdoor education for youth.
Ruie Whitecotton
Lorie Allen
Colleen Bogard
Coleen Bogard-
Colleen has been a Friends member since the group was formed. Past generations of her family once owned and farmed land that is now part of the Refuge. She has volunteered in the gift shop and many other programs, especially those with a focus on youth outdoor education. Her interests also include recreational boating.
Wesley Calvert
Wesley Calvert,
Chair of the Education Committee- Wesley Calvert many of whose ancestors are buried in the Refuge, has provided professional development in science and mathematics for K-12 teachers in Illinois, Kentucky, and overseas. He is an associate professor and program director in mathematics at SIU. Calvert is also a volunteer leader for Scout groups, and has particular interest in outdoor programs for youth. He lives in Carterville.
Rosemary Howerton
Rosemarie Howerton-
Rose retired from the US Department of Justice where she served as an auditor and trainer. She is a long-time volunteer and Board member, who served as our Treasurer from 2007 through 2018. She has volunteered in many Refuge programs. Rose Howerton, recently retired as Friends Treasurer, a position she had served in for 14 years-
David Estep
Dave Estep,
Chair of the Marketing and Media Committee- Rev Dr. David Estep is a semi-retired United Methodist Church pastor who manages the Friends website, produces the newsletter, and works with our Facebook page.
Jill Adams
Kathleen Gaare-Wise
Aimee Hemphill
Aimee Hemphill,
Chair of the Pollinator Habitat Committee- Aimee is a retired veterinarian. Her volunteer work in the pollinator habitat project included design of our gardens and selection of the native species chosen for prairie seeding and wildflower plantings (which required a lot of research!) Aimee also leads the Refuge bluebird box project.
Vicki Lang
Vicki Lang-
Vicki has served in Therapeutic Recreation in Southern Illinois for over 35 years. She works at Touch of Nature in residential and respite camps and programs. Vicki serves on several Friends Boards and has been serving the Friends of Crab Orchard since 2001. She is an avid birder contributing to local forest avian surveys and state and national bird counts. Besides birding, she enjoys hiking, camping, traveling and farm life in Union County with her husband.
Don Mullison
Don Mullison,
Chair of the Photography and Wetland Committees- Don is a retired psychologist who supervised clinical services and graduate students at SIU. His primary interests on the Refuge are birding and photography. Don volunteers in Refuge waterfowl and seasonal bird counts, and has led interpretive birding programs. He and his wife, Miriam, organize and promote the Friends yearly photography contest, and monitor a route on Crab Orchard for the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network.
Jim Osborn
Jim Osborn,
Chairman of the Merchandising Committee and Manager of the Woodland Gift Shop at the Visitor Center, is the retired Executive Director for Rehabilitation Services at Southern Illinois Healthcare. With a passion for photography, Jim also leads the Crab Orchard Photography Group, gives public programs on photography, has served as a judge for the annual Friends' Photo Contest, and contributes images for the Refuge's social media posts.
Joann Swafford
Jo Anne Swafford,
Chair of the Membership Committee- Jo Anne is one of our newest board members, but a longtime Refuge volunteer. She assists with many Refuge interpretive programs (and has painted beautiful displays for them). She and her husband, Ron, staff a weekly volunteer Refuge patrol. JoAnne also monitors a route for the Illinois Butterfly monitoring Network.
Gene Honn
Patrick Malone