In an election conducted largely online, WSO members have overwhelmingly elected to two-year terms the slate of officers proposed by the Board of Directors in May. On a vote of 197 to 2 (with 21-mail-in ballots), members elected these officers:
President: Sunil Gopalan
Vice President: Lynn Barber
Secretary: Rebecca Gilman
Barber and Gilman were elected to the WSO Board at its quarterly meeting in April. Gopalan, vice president since 2020, succeeds Mary Korkor as president. Gilman succeeds Jenny Wenzel, who is retiring after serving 10 years as secretary.
For many decades, WSO members elected its officers during an annual meeting at its spring convention. Beginning in 2020, officer terms were extended from one year to two, with elections to be held every two years. Due to COVID 19, that election was held online and by mail. WSO had hoped to conduct the 2022 election at its convention, but pandemic uncertainties again forced its cancellation and this May’s election was again held online and by mail. One positive note: approximately twice as many ballots were cast as during most conventions.
Election results were announced at the online Annual Meeting held May 28 in conjunction with a meeting of the Board of Directors during which 11 members were re-elected. Terms for Jeff Baughman, Tim Hahn, Dan Pickarts, Davor Grgic, Quentin Yoerger and Gopalan expire in 2024. Terms for Jack Coulter, Wendy Schultz, Greg Bisbee, Mary Korkor and Dani Baumann will expire in 2025.
Baumann also was re-appointed treasurer.
Gopalan has served on the WSO Board since 2019 and as vice president since 2020. He also has written the Spring Seasonal Report for The Passenger Pigeon since 2015 and administers WSO’s websites. For a day job, he works full time at Epic, an EHR software development company, and has spent time playing various IT roles over the years.
A widely published bird photographer, WSO’s new president has spent time birding on five continents but calls Middleton (Dane County) home with his wife Heidi and their two children.
In an email to members on July 11, Gopalan acknowledged “the unique difficulties posed by the pandemic these past couple of years, adding: “I know several of you have missed our convention, which has been postponed since 2020. We're committed to holding a convention in 2023, and I look forward to seeing all of you there. More details on the venue will be forthcoming.”
He also announced that WSO would be kicking off a strategic planning process this year to help better fulfill the organization’s potential and appeal to as diverse an audience as possible.
“We intend to do that by meeting everybody wherever they might be on the wide spectrum of how people enjoy birds. From backyard birders to dedicated listers, casual photographers to professional ornithologists, and everyone in between. We intend to be a home for everyone with an interest in birds by providing support and programming that helps shape the bridge from enjoyment to study to conservation.
“That will include the opportunity for you all to weigh in. But you certainly do not have to wait. My email inbox is always open and I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the future of WSO and the birds it protects at president@wsobirds.org
Gopalan began his email by expressing his thanks to “our members, volunteers and donors for your support of the WSO and all that it stands for,” saying: “We are all here because of our mutual love of birds and the joy they bring us. Promoting the enjoyment, conservation and study of Wisconsin's birds. It's a simple set of words, but in no way a disjointed set of priorities. Each one is integrally related to the other and cannot exist in a vacuum. We love what brings us joy. We are moved to conserve what we love. And knowledge is the key that helps us understand how to conserve what we love.
“The history of the WSO is a rich one and it has been working to protect Wisconsin's birds since 1939. The first issue of the Passenger Pigeon declared the intent to unite the state to protect bird life in Wisconsin. Our birds faced several challenges at the time and continue to face significant and evolving challenges today. These threats range from local ones like cats in our backyards to global ones like the devastating impact of climate change. As an organization, we are evolving to meet these new challenges as well.
“I'm starting my term as the WSO is undergoing some big changes - we hired staff for the first time in history with Jennifer Lazewski as our first Executive Director and Donna Miller as our Administrative Assistant. Staff is a new concept for an organization with a long history of being completely volunteer run. We didn't make the decision to bring staff on board because we intend to lean less on our volunteers. We did so to increase our capacity to do the work we are committed to do and to use the resources of our members, volunteers, and donors in a strategic manner to further our mission.”
”I have no doubt that the WSO will have a significant positive impact in the near and long term. I am excited about the future and hope you will share in my excitement!”
Lynn Barber
Rebecca Gilman
Biographical background on WSO’s new officers appeared in the May issue of The Badger Birder at https://wso.wildapricot.org/Badger-Birder
