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BONITA JENNÉ is our Development Associate. In addition to her administrative and development responsibilities, Bonita produces the Audubon Minnesota newsletter. She has a B.A. in English from California State University and has worked in fund-raising for various non-profit organizations for over ten years. Bonita grew up in Minnesota and enjoys organic gardening and maintaining a wildlife-friendly backyard.

DANIEL MCGUINESS is our Director of the Upper Mississippi River Campaign and directs a multi-faceted effort to build a national constituency for and restoration of the ecological health of the Mississippi River. Prior to joining Audubon in 1998, Dan served for nine years as the Director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, a bi-state agency appointed by the governors of the two states to support and advise them on management of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. From 1983 to 1987, he worked as an educator and program coordinator for two Minnesota nonprofit organizations, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and the Science Museum of Minnesota. From 1975 to 1982, he operated the environmental consulting firm of Dan McGuiness and Associates. He grew up on his family’s farm in southern Minnesota and received a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Winona State University in 1970. He has worked on or near the Mississippi River for his entire career. He and his wife, Nan, live near the Mississippi River in St. Paul. They both enjoy international travel, reading and daily walks through the neighborhood. They have three adult children, Severin, Molly and Patrick.

MARK MARTELL is our Director of Bird Conservation. He has been involved in bird conservation and raptor studies for more than 25 years; serving as co-coordinator of the Midwest Peregrine Falcon Restoration Program and the Minnesota Osprey Reintroduction, and as a member of the National Bald Eagle Recovery Team. He formerly was Coordinator of Conservation/Research Fellow at The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. He has a M.S. in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Minnesota and has published more than 40 articles in scientific journals. Mark has served as an advisor to reintroduction programs in Germany and England, and has studied a number of birds including Burrowing Owls, Bald Eagles, Goshawks and Ospreys. For the past ten years, he has focused on national and international migration research with Ospreys, Swainson’s Hawks, and Broad-winged Hawks across the U.S. and in Costa Rica and Cuba.

MARK PETERSON was appointed Executive Director of Minnesota Audubon in April 2005. His career in conservation spans more than 25 years. Mark holds degrees in environmental education (B.S.) and environmental journalism (M.S.) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a Ph.D. at Colorado State University in wildland management, studying land stewardship and the human dimensions of natural resource management. Mark’s dissertation focused on protecting habitat for whooping cranes and other migratory species along the Platte River. Mark combines this academic foundation with extensive experience in the non-profit sector, most recently as a Director with the National Parks Conservation Association. Before that, Mark served as Executive Director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College working to advance the legacy of Minnesota’s foremost conservationist. There he led advocacy efforts in the Lake Superior bioregion and founded the Apostle Island School, Minnesota LoonWatch and the Timber Wolf Alliance, programs that continue today. Mark lives with his family near White Bear Lake enjoying sailing, kayaking, skiing and camping.

SUSAN SOLTERMAN is our Policy Director. Susan has spent the last 17 years working in state politics. She has lobbied for Audubon at the Minnesota State Legislature, and occasionally in Washington D.C. for four years. In addition to her work in the State Capitol, Susan writes Audubon’s e-mail policy newsletter and organizes volunteers for Audubon’s citizen lobbying work. Prior to moving to Minnesota, Susan worked in the Wisconsin and Texas state legislatures. She worked in the Wisconsin State Capitol for two northern legislators, focusing her energy on economic development, natural resources, and treaty rights issues. After moving to Austin, Texas, she served as Legislative Director for the leading minority member of the Environmental Regulations Committee and the Chair of the Public Health Committee in the Texas State Capitol. After her legislator retired, Susan worked at the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, a legislative-member oversight group, as a Policy Analyst focusing on state agency program reviews. She managed a review of the Soil and Water Resources Board and was a team member in the review of the Railroad Commission, which regulates the Texas oil industry. Susan grew up one mile from John Muir’s childhood home in Wisconsin, got her B. S. from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and enjoys swimming, hiking and gardening. She has done volunteer human rights work in El Salvador and on treaty rights in northern Wisconsin and was appointed to serve on the Library Commission in Austin, Texas. She lives in St. Paul with her husband and two stepsons.

JENNY VITALE is our Office/Finance Manager. In addition to her office and finance responsibilities, Jenny coordinates our annual birdseed sale, the Audubon booth at the State Fair, and other events, working with chapters and volunteers. She has a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Minnesota - Duluth. Prior to working for Audubon, she worked in the natural foods co-op community in the Twin Cities and ran her own accounting business. She maintains her connection to the co-op community as a member and supports organic farmers in Minnesota as a member of Community Supported Agriculture. Jenny grew up in Stillwater enjoying the beauty of the St. Croix River. She lives in Woodbury with her husband and two daughters. As a family, they enjoy exploring the outdoors, traveling, and cooking.

RON WINDINGSTAD is the Partnership Coordinator for Bird Conservation Minnesota (BCM), a collaborative effort of groups and individuals committed to conserving bird populations in the state. In this position, Ron’s primary task is to work with colleagues in government agencies, academia, and nongovernmental organizations to build a strong, statewide network of members and partners for BCM. Ron brings with him experience as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working on diseases of migratory birds. Following retirement from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI he has worked in public relations with a private optics retail company, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative, Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail, and most recently as the director of development with Madison (WI) Audubon Society. He grew up on his family’s country store in the prairies of western Minnesota and received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Augsburg College in 1966. After serving as an Air Force pilot Ron received his Master’s degree in wildlife management at UW-Steven’s Point. He is married with three grown children and a six-year-old son, who shares his dad’s passion for bird watching. In February, Ron saw his 600th North American bird species after birding for more than 30 years. He is eager to work with Audubon and Bird Conservation Minnesota in helping to ensure his children can be as fortunate.