About Us >

Craig Benkman received his B.A. at UC Berkeley, M.S. at Northern Arizona University, and Ph.D. at SUNY at Albany. He received National Science Foundation (NSF) and NSERC (Canadian) post-doctoral fellowships to conduct research at Princeton University and the University of British Columbia, and began as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at New Mexico State University in 1993. In 2004, Craig moved to the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming to be Professor and Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology. He is currently an Associate Editor for the journal Evolution. Craig has been a member of Audubon since 1972, although with various moves his membership has been interrupted occasionally. He is also a Fellow of the American Ornithologists¹ Union and was president of the New Mexico Ornithological Society for four years prior to moving to Wyoming. At NMSU, Craig regularly taught introductory biology, ecology, herpetology, avian ecology and evolutionary ecology. Here he will be teaching herpetology and evolutionary ecology. Most of his research concerns the ecology and evolution of crossbills and he currently has three major grants from NSF to fund this research. Craig has published about 45 peer-reviewed papers.

Andrea Cerovski lives in Lander and is President of the Red Desert Audubon Society. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Wyoming, both in Wildlife Biology. She has worked for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department since 1989 and has been the state’s Non-game Bird Biologist since 1992. Andrea enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, bird and wildlife watching, skiing, fishing and hunting, as well as music, travel and reading.

Eva Crane grew up in Northern Germany and moved to the U.S. in 1970. She has a Masters of Science degree in genetics from the University of Washington. She moved to Lander in 1979 and has been involved with the Red Desert Audubon Chapter since then. She works part-time for Central Wyoming College and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. She enjoys being outdoors hiking and skiing, always looking for birds and plants. She lives in Germany for 2 months each year.

George Jones currently resides in Laramie. His interest in Audubon started at the age of twelve when his family doctor, Oliver Scott, invited him on an early-morning birdwatching trip. His interest in birds led to an equally strong interest in plants and the outdoors in general, and he’s been fortunate to make a career as a vegetation ecologist. He and his wife, Connie Wilbert, have two children who find every bit as much magic in the out-of-doors as their parents.

Bart Rea has served on the Audubon Wyoming Board since its inception, as President for two years and as a board member. He was also President of the Murie Audubon Society and Vice Chairman of the National Audubon Society Board of Directors. Bart is a Wyoming licensed Geologist. He and his wife Liz reside in Casper and are enthusiastic birders.

Charles “Chuck” Seniawski, Colonel, USAF (Retired) joined the Board in 2004. He came to live in Wyoming as a result of an assignment to F.E. Warren Air Force Base. His 24-year military career, most of which was spent managing ICBM maintenance, included three assignments as unit commander in Montana, California and Wyoming. Born and raised in upstate New York, he has had a lifelong interest in the outdoors. It was encouraged greatly by his father who was a farmer, fisherman, hunter, trapper, raw fur dealer and licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Chuck has birded from coast to coast in all his states of military assignment, as well as in the central Pacific Ocean. Current interests outside of birding include hiking, nature and landscape photography and gardening. He is a member of and Webmaster for, the Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society. He has previously served on several boards of directors including: the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Kiwanis Club of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Kiwanis Club Foundation and his church. Chuck and his wife Sue have resided in Cheyenne since 1986. They have two grown children – a daughter in New York City and a son in Fremont, California.

Michael Shickich was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Before becoming a lawyer, he studied art connoisseurship at Sotheby's in London and then worked at an art auction house in Washington. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado in Denver. He practiced with a large Denver law firm for four years and practiced law for nine years in Santa Fe, New Mexico before returning to Wyoming. He has been married for nine years and has two children with his wife Clairyce. Michael currently has his own practice in Casper and is President of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers. He has served on the Audubon Wyoming Board of Directors since 1999.

Bob Yonts was raised on a farm in the Big Horn Basin and has always had a keen interest in the outdoors. Following graduation from the University of Wyoming with an engineering degree, he sought employment in the oil industry. Bob retired from Conoco in 1993 after a 37-year career with assignments in Wyoming, Montana, Louisiana, and Texas. Bob joined the Murie Audubon Society in 1990 and presently serves as an at-large board member. He has served on the Audubon Wyoming Board of Directors since its inception. Bob currently resides in Casper with his wife Barbara.

Wes Martel