Chapter Leaders

Tiffany is a native Southern Marylander. She graduated from La Plata High School and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (B.A.) and later earned her master’s degree from the University of Virginia. After living “across the pond” and across the Potomac, she migrated homeward in 2007. Tiffany became interested in birds when an adventure in Namibia brought her face-to-face with a Lilac-breasted Roller. A magical encounter with a Scarlet Tanager in the spring woodland sealed a new-found delight in birding. Tiffany has worked for the Smithsonian Institution since 1999.

Julie grew up in Michigan and attended the University of Illinois Chicago and Georgetown University Law Center.  She enjoys native plant gardening at her home in Marbury and at projects sponsored by the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, of which she is a board member. She also enjoys exploring Charles County’s parks and public natural areas and taking pictures of interesting plants and animals. She is a retired federal attorney who served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Julie grew up in Anne Arundel County and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. She worked at the National Weather Service for about 10 years before deciding to become a stay-at-home to mom.  Julie’s interest in bird watching was piqued by her former boss at the weather service. She has enjoyed adding birds to her life list while traveling and instilling a love of nature in her children.  Julie lives in Bryantown with her husband Will and her three children.

A Missouri native, Margarita moved to Baltimore to study International Relations at Johns Hopkins. In Southern Maryland since 1987, she now shares the natural world with students at the Elms Environmental Education Center, part of the St. Mary’s County Public School system. She loves to travel, observing animals in the air, under the water, and on land.

Lynne was born and raised in Indian Head, Charles County, and is a graduate of University of Maryland, B.S. Medical Technology. Her career entailed working as a Technical Supervisor in hospital clinical laboratories in La Plata, MD and Boca Raton, FL, a Territory Manager for Fisher Scientific, and final years with Grainger Industrial Supply. Lynne’s hobbies are gardening with perennials and native plants, birding, reading, dogs, nature, and good wine. She resides in Chicamuxen with her husband, John Wheeler, an Indian Head business owner.

Tom has been a resident of southern Maryland since 1992 and an avid birder since he was sixteen.  He lives in Waldorf with his wife and two children.  After a stint in the Navy JAG Corps, he joined EPA in 1988, where he currently works as an attorney in EPA’s criminal enforcement program, and previously worked in the Agency’s Office of Water.  For the past few years he has been assisting Maryland-DC Audubon and the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership sponsored  breeding bird surveys at Parkers Creek and Mattawoman Natural Environment Area.  Besides birding, he enjoys playing classical guitar, cooking, and family life. He has a degree in history from the University of Connecticut, and a law degree from Pepperdine University.

Elena Gilroy is a Park Ranger for the Maryland Park Service. She lives with her husband and 2 year old twins on a farm in Ironsides, MD where she raises sheep, rabbits, cattle, produce, and field crops.  Her favorite activities include nature photography, kayaking, and spending time with her family.  Her current favorite birding opportunity is monitoring the Osprey nests at Smallwood State Park.

Tracey is a small animal veterinarian and professor of Biology at the College of Southern Maryland. She has a background in wildlife rehabilitation and has been our Education Chairman for the last year. She is excited to learn from our members, and to be involved with the society achieving its important missions and work.

Greg is a retired Navy helicopter pilot and works as a contractor performing operations research and program analysis at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Since his first love is biology and he enjoys connecting with nature, his wife, Georgiana, suggested they participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Indian Head Rail Trail. That’s where he first met Lynne and was introduced to the Southern Maryland Audubon Society. Greg currently serves on our Conservation Committee as a representative for St. Mary’s County and also volunteers as the Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring database manager for Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership.

Tim is a resident of La Plata, MD, graduated from La Plata High School and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Clemson University. He has been employed as a Conservation Engineer with the Charles Soil Conservation District since 2013. His knowledge regarding the importance of employing conservation best management practices, and how it benefits avian habitat, will benefit the mission and goals of our society greatly. In addition to birding, Tim is a member of the Oyster Management Reserve with the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, volunteers at the American Chestnut Land Trust in Prince Frederick as a Master Naturalist and enjoys hiking, barbecuing, and tennis. Anything to be outside!