About Us >

Jacqui Bonomo, Executive Director and Vice President
Jacqui directs regional activities of the National Audubon Society in Maryland and the District of Columbia, serving the Society’s 15,000 members and five chapters. Primary duties include oversight of the Patterson Park Audubon Center, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Audubon at Home Program and the Important Bird Areas Program. Jacqui comes to Audubon from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, where she served as a Vice President.  She also worked for many years in senior positions at the National Wildlife Federation, based in Washington, D.C. (Maryland was one of the states she worked with, and she lived for a time on the Eastern Shore) and in the Pacific Northwest.  She brings strong skills in management, program development and implementation, policy, and fundraising.

Mark Scallion, Center Director (Pickering Creek Audubon Center)
Mark manages all staff and day-to-day of Pickering Creek Audubon Center including education programs, land management, and farming operations. He holds a BS in Forest Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in conjunction with Syracuse University. While at SUNY-ESF he served as a Teaching Assistant for dendrology (taxonomic identification of trees and plants). Mark began his career at Pickering as an intern and has since served the Center as Summer Camp Director, Assistant Director of Education and Assistant Director. Mark is an active member of the Easton Ruritan and the Talbot Bird Club of the Maryland Ornithological Society where he serves as President. He attended the Professional Leadership Institute, co-sponsored by the Association of Nature Center Administrators and the Delaware Nature Society. He has received training in several environmental education curriculums and is on the Maryland Steering Committee for Project Learning Tree. Mark has attended the Ornithology program at the Hog Island Audubon Camp of Maine. He holds American Red Cross certifications for first aid, CPR and lifeguarding.

Dr. Dave Curson, Director of Bird Conservation.
Dave is responsible for the Maryland-DC Important Bird Areas Programs and serves as the principal science and conservation staff. He grew up in London, England where he spent much of his childhood watching birds and also chasing various other forms of wildlife, including urban foxes, badgers, amphibians, moths and butterflies. He describes himself as an ornithologist, ecologist, conservation biologist and avid birder, having birded extensively throughout Western Europe and North America. In 1985 he received his BSc in Ecology at the University of East Anglia and began a career in conservation biology, working as a Habitat Survey Ecologist for local government and NGOs in London. He relocated to the United States in 1993 to begin graduate studies and received MS and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His graduate research focused on the ecology and behavior of Brown-headed Cowbirds and their hosts in northern New Mexico. Dave moved to Baltimore in 2003 and took up his current position as Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon MD-DC in May 2004.

Susanna Scallion, Development Officer (Audubon Maryland-DC)
In addition to increasing support for Audubon’s activities, Susanna is responsible for the development and implementation of marketing strategies for Audubon in Maryland and DC. She is also responsible for database and website management. She holds a BS in Biology from University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. Before joining Audubon, Susanna served as a Development Officer for Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, a local nonprofit dedicated to taking farm scale habitat restoration projects from start to finish on private property. Prior to CWH, Mrs. Scallion was the Park Naturalist at Pemberton Historical Park in Salisbury, MD, a Camp Director for the Maryland Summer Center at Fishing Creek, and the Baltimore Programs Coordinator for Chesapeake Audubon Society. Susanna began her career as an environmental education intern with Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Pickering Creek Audubon Center. Susanna serves as President of the Environmental Fund for Maryland and is an active member of the Talbot Bird Club of the Maryland Ornithological Society where she serves as Secretary. Mrs. Scallion has attended the Grantsmanship Training Program, ArcView GIS training and the Ornithology Camp at the Hog Island Audubon Camp. She holds American Red Cross certifications for first aid, CPR and canoe instruction.

Britt Slattery, Senior Conservation Biologist.
Britt has been a biologist and educator for 21 years, and joined Audubon Maryland-DC in fall 2006. Previously she was with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 15 years, most recently at the Chesapeake Bay Field Office where she was Supervisor of the Education and Outreach Program, including the Schoolyard Habitat Program and the BayScapes Program. Also with the Service, she developed national education programs and policy, and conducted training programs for what is now the National Conservation and Training Center. Britt has also worked as a naturalist at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, an education specialist at the National Aquarium In Baltimore, and the Assistant Director of Education at Environmental Concern Inc. She has authored and illustrated instructional guides for a variety of audiences including WOW!: The Wonders Of Wetlands and Bay B C’s: a multidisciplinary approach to teaching about Chesapeake Bay, and has trained thousands of educators, citizens and professional groups each year. To promote the use of native plants for wildlife and water quality benefits, she has designed and installed numerous demonstration plantings and developed publications such as Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping. Britt is a native of Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in biology from the University of Virginia (1986). At Audubon, Britt will serve to promote the Audubon at Home Program.

Callie Schwartz, Education Coordinator (Patterson Park Audubon Center)
Callie spent her first year in Baltimore working for the Friends of Patterson Park, where she was introduced to the Park, its surrounding community members and the local Audubon Center. Volunteering with Audubon whenever she could, introduced her to the programs they offered and gave her the opportunity to get back into teaching. Graduating from Ohio University with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Callie has loved helping others get outside and enjoy what their surroundings have to offer. Callie has been teaching Environmental and Experiential Education for the past 8 years, holding great positions in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Michigan. As the Education Coordinator, Callie helps to develop and facilitate programs for nearby school field trips into the Park, as well as programs for the community. She can be found exploring the Park with a group or checking out the growth in her community garden plot on her walk to and from work.

Mandy Smith, Education Coordinator
Mandy is responsible for coordinating school and public programs, managing seasonal education staff and ensuring the quality of each education program held at Pickering Creek. She joined Audubon in January of 2008 after being with Latta Plantation Nature Center in Huntersville, NC for three and a half years, first as an environmental educator, then as nature center manager. Mandy grew up exploring the streams, woods and meadows of Western Pennsylvania and taste testing edible plants. Her connection with nature led her to obtain a B.S. in Horticulture from Penn State University. She then discovered a love of teaching about the environment while completing a year of service for AmeriCorps on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore. After receiving an M.S. in Natural Resources Management/Environmental Education from Slippery Rock University, Mandy spent several months amongst the Douglas Firs on Vashon Island on Washington's Puget Sound. She then worked for Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh before heading south to North Carolina. Mandy is excited about being back on the Shore and brings a passion for all things green, brown, feathery, furry, scaly, etc. to her job at Pickering Creek.

Melissa Dietz, After-school Coordinator and Educator
Melissa is responsible for coordinating the After-school programs at Patterson Park Audubon Center and teaching school programs in the park. She joined Audubon in August 2007. Before then, Ms. Dietz was a naturalist intern at Irvine Nature Center in Baltimore County, where she lead a variety of programs including field trips, outreach programs, summer camp, birthday parties, and public programs. While at Irvine, she also spent time caring for the animals, including a barred owl, diamondback terrapin, boa constrictor, American kestrel, and others. Melissa graduated from Villa Julie College in 2005 with a BS in Family Studies and Community Services, and a minor in psychology. Since then, she has continued taking courses at Johns Hopkins University to earn a Certificate in Environmental Studies. Melissa has worked and volunteered at the National Aquarium in Baltimore since 2005, and is currently a volunteer diver, feeding and caring for the animals in two exhibits. Melissa is looking forward to putting her past experiences together to teach students of all ages about the wildlife that surrounds their community and how to embrace nature.

Kelsey Frey, Teacher/Naturalist and Summer Camp Director, Pickering Creek Audubon Center
Kelsey is responsible for teaching middle and high school programs and field trips and directing Pickering’s summer camp EcoCamp. Kelsey previously worked as an Environmental Educator at Shavers Creek Environmental Center in Petersburg, PA where she received summer camp, team building, natural history, environmental interpretation, and birds of prey training. Kelsey has a BS in Biology, and minors in Recreation and Park Management, and Environmental Studies from Pennsylvania State University. She has her SOLO Wilderness First Responder and Red Cross first aid and CPR certifications. Her wildlife studies have taken her to South Africa and Belize. Kelsey loves natural history and finding new ways to share nature with children and adults. She also enjoys nature photography, bird watching, romantic comedies, and crafts.

Dave Elburn, Farm Manager (Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary)
Dave is in charge of all land and facility management at the Sanctuary. He manages a staff of eight. Dave has been employed on the property for over twenty-five years. He has extensive experience in stable management for horses and mules, carriage driving, farming, nutrient management, wildlife habitat creation and farm maintenance. He has received special training in the creation of warm season grass meadows and their management through controlled burning. Dave is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Tuckahoe Equestrian Center.