Meeting Planning Committee Team

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.

2026 Annual Meeting 

Meeting Chair & President-Elect, TWS-WS Brock Ortega, Dudek 
President, TWS-WS Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Professional Development Chair Janine Payne
Meeting Planner/Project Manager Candace Renger, TWS-WS
Associate Meeting Planner & SECP C0-Chair Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology

Planning committee Team:
Awards Ceremony
  • Hans Sin, CDFW
  • Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Audio Visual Captains
  • Sam Sosa, USFWS – Chair
  • Laura Coatney, Swaim Biological
  • Chris Duran, Swaim Biological
  • Debra Hawk, California High Speed Rail Authority
  • Leslie Koenig, Swaim Biological
  • John McNerney, City of Davis
  • Dave Riensche, East Bay Regional Park District
  • Celia Tarcha, Swaim Biological
  • Don Yasuda, USFS
  • Open – Join Us!
Breakfast Roundtable
  • Lisa Fields, CDFW – Chair
  • Wendy Loeffler, Recon Environmental
  • Shay Zanetti, USFS
  • Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental
Capstone Presentation
  •  Brock Ortega, Dudek 
Career Advice Booth
  • Katie Smith, WRA, Inc
Children’s Activities & Family Room
  • Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental
Diversity Committee
  • Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental – Chair
Exhibit Hall + Artist Recruitment
  •  Emily Culhane, FWS Forestry California
Field Trips + Local Arrangements
  • Cynthia Martinson, Chair
  • CA Central Coast Chapter
  • Rebecca Bradley
  • Andrea Dransfield
  • William Fox
  • Jackie Hancock
  • David Kisner
  • Rachel Perpignani
  • Angel Ramirez
  • Michaela Robbins
  • Crecencia Sanchez
  • Adelina Standish-Whitney
  • Shawn Wagoner
Gear Swap Coordinator
  • Lisa Achter, Rincon Consultants
Karaoke
  • Laura Coatney, Swaim Biological
  • Angel Ramirez
  • Katie Smith
Keynote Speech Coordinator
  • Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Local High School & College Engagement
  • Lisa Achter, Rincon Consultants
  • Tiffany May, SF Zoo
Logo Gear / Zazzle Store
  • Lisa Achter, Rincon Consultants
Meet-Ups Coordinator
  •  Erin Bell, Purdue University
Member Town Hall
  • Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Mentoring Program
  • Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology
  • Katie Rock, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
  • Tiffany May, San Francisco Zoo
Oral Presentation AND Lightning Round Session Chairs
  • Let us know if you are interested in being added to list of potential session chairs
Photo Booth, Exhibit Hall Fun & Friendship Bracelets
  • Tiffany May, San Francisco Zoo
Photo Collection Submissions and Slideshow
  • Emily Culhane, FWS Forestry California
  • Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager
Photographers
  • Lori Bono, CDFW
  • Howard Clark, Colibri Ecological Consulting
  • David Garza, FWS Forestry
  • Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager
  • John McNerney, City of Davis
  • Open – Join us!
Poster Session Co-Chairs
  • Carlos Alvarado, Ascent Environmental
  • Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project
Printed Program Editing
  • Debra Hawk, High Speed Rail
  • Rick Williams, PG&E/Retired
  • Chrissy Sousa, Shasta Land Trust
  • Rhys Evans, Vandenberg Space Force/Retired
Raffle and Auction
  • Carolyn Buesch, CDFW
  • Vanessa Lozano, Endemic Environmental Services
  • Trinity Pineda, Endemic Environmental Services
  • Alexandra Lyon, Endemic Environmental Services
  • Chrissy Sousa, Shasta Land Trust
  • Jessica Copeland, UCSB
  • Amelia Tauber, CDFW
  • Julie Vance, CDFW
  • Open – Join us!
Social Media / Canva Design / PowerPoint Announcement Slides
  • Carolyn Buesch, CDFW
  • Leslie Koenig, Swaim Biological, Inc.
Speed Networking Mixer
  • Axel Hunnicutt, CDFW
  • Wendy Loeffler, Recon
  • Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental Services
Student/Early Career Professional Activities
  • Shannon Lemieux, UC Davis Road Ecology
  • Katie Rock, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
  • Elizabeth Meisman, Cal Poly Humboldt/Dudek
  • Tiffany May, San Francisco Zoo
Student Judging Coordinator
  • Eveline Larrucea, Biologist/Ranch Manager
Student Team Trivia AND Wildlife Trivia 
  • Rhys Evans, Vandenberg Space Force/Retired
Survey Coordinators
  • Thea Wang, Endemic Environmental
  • Lisa Fields, CDFW
Volunteer Coordinator
  • Anna Foehr, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
  • Open – join us!
Workshops, Trainings & Symposia
  • Ungulate Symposium – Kelley Stewart, UNR; Nathan Jackson, UNR; Janine Payne, TWS-WS
  • WildCAT – Natalie Greer
  • High Speed Rail Traiing – Debra Hawk, California High Speed Rail Authority
  • Cybertracker Certification – Casey McFarland, CyberTracker Conservation
  • GAMs Statistical Workshop- Kevin Shoemaker, UNR
  • MOTUS Training – Pat Lorch, Southern Sierra Research Station
  • TWS Certification Application – Kelly Holland, GEI Consultants
  • Publishing and Peer-Reviewing Scholarly Papers – R. J. Gutiérrez, Univ of Minnesota, Retired
  • Yoga – Kelly Holland