AMJV Staff

TODD FEARER, AMJV COORDINATOR

Phone: 540-951-9376
Email: tfearer@abcbirds.org

Todd joined the AMJV in 2010 as the Science Coordinator and became Coordinator in 2012. Prior to working with the AMJV, he was an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas’ School of Forest Resources. He received his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science with minors in Forest Science and International Agriculture from Penn State University. He then went on to obtain both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. Todd’s office is located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.

BECKY KELLER, AMJV SCIENCE COORDINATOR

Phone: 919-606-2067
Email: bkeller@abcbirds.org

Becky joined the AMJV in 2013. She received a B.A. in Biology from Hollins College, and gained considerable avian field and research experience working for Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, and various universities. She earned a M.S. from the University of Florida under Dr. Peter Frederick looking at the health, habitat use, and movement patterns of the federally Endangered Wood Stork. She then completed her Ph.D. at North Carolina State University under Dr. Ted Simons studying the effects of atmospheric pollution on high-elevation birds and snails in the Southern Appalachians. She has been Chair of the Partners in Flight International Science Committee since 2016.

AMANDA DUREN, AMJV DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS

Phone: 610-334-6047
Email: aduren@abcbirds.org

Amanda Duren first joined the AMJV in 2015 as the Pennsylvania Cerulean Warbler Appalachian Forest Enhancement Partnership Coordinator before becoming our Habitat Delivery Coordinator in 2018 and Director of Conservation Partnerships in 2021. She graduated from the University of Delaware with an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, and earned a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University in Environmental Resource Management, with minors in Soil Science and Water Resources. Prior to joining the AMJV, Amanda worked as the Program Coordinator for the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative. Amanda works out of a home office in Pennsylvania.

JESSE WISE, AMJV COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Phone:
Email: jwise@abcbirds.org

Jesse joined the AMJV in 2018 as the Communications Specialist. She’s a native of Southwestern PA and obtained her A.A.S. in Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology from Garrett College, her B.S. in Forest Resources Management from West Virginia University, and her M. Ed. in Environmental Education and M.S. Parks and Recreation Management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in the states of PA, MD, WV, OH, and NC in multiple capacities, including Technician (Nature Tourism, Black Bear Survey, Nutrient Management/Chesapeake Bay, GIS, Forest Insect Pest, Biological Field-Windmill Site Surveys), Forester (Urban, Logging, Landscape Watershed, Utility), PA Woodmobile Coordinator, Teacher (High School Science and Substitute), and Sierra Club Western MD Conservation Coordinator.  Jesse works out of a home office in West Virginia.

ELIZABETH (LIZ) BREWER, AMJV OUTREACH SPECIALIST

Phone: 517-921-8496
Email: EBrewer@abcbirds.org

Liz Brewer started her career with ABC and the AMJV in 2019 as the West Virginia Outreach Forester, a role created by a two-year grant focused on increasing private landowner enrollment in Farm Bill programs like the Working Lands for Wildlife Golden-winged Warbler Initiative. Liz became AMJV’s Outreach Specialist in 2021. She works collaboratively with AMJV staff and partners to coordinate outreach efforts across the Joint Venture’s focal landscapes. She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. Liz works out of a home office in West Virginia.

ASHLEY PEELE, AMJV COMMUNITY SCIENCE AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Phone: 540-951-9378
Email: apeele@abcbirds.org

Ashley is an avian ecologist who has spent 18 years studying avian conservation and management in the US and Caribbean. She received a BA in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, working on a range of avian microbiology projects with her mentor, Dr. Jed Burtt. She completed a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, studying population dynamics of migratory songbirds during the nonbreeding season. Following grad school, she became a research scientist at Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute, where she coordinated the second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas’ data collection and analyses from 2015-2023. During this time, she also worked on a range of collaborative social science and migratory connectivity projects, incorporating a wide range of both traditional and community science methods. Her current work focuses on applying community science methods to a range of avian conservation questions and data gaps in the Appalachian region. In her spare time, she can typically be found hiking around southwest Virginia, gardening, or chasing her toddler around her place near Pilot (VA). Ashley’s office is in the VA Tech Corporate Research Center.