Board of Directors

Delta Wind Birds is run by an all-volunteer board of directors with diverse expertise. Get to know them below.

Jason Hoeksema, President

Jason is a Professor of Biology at the University of Mississippi, where he conducts research on the ecology and evolution of trees and symbiotic fungi, and teaches courses in Ornithology, Mycology, Statistics, and Microbiology. Hoeksema’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Hoeksema has significant expertise in bird identification, contributing to shorebird censuses and serving as a key leader of Delta Wind Birds workshops and field trips for the public.

J.R. Rigby, Secretary

J.R. is a research hydrologist by profession, and brings significant expertise on water issues in the Mississippi Delta region. J.R.’s educational background includes a M.Sc. in hydrology from Imperial College London, UK, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on hydrology and fluid mechanics from Duke University. J.R. serves as president of the Mississippi Ornithological Society, and brings significant expertise in bird identification, contributing to shorebird censuses and serving as a key leader of Delta Wind Birds workshops and field trips for the public.

Amy Pietras, Treasurer and CFO

Amy holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Accounting) and a Master’s Degree in Taxation from Grand Valley State University, as well as a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University. She has extensive experience with cost accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, tax consulting, and audit compliance for non-profits and other organizations. Amy is passionate about working to help birds and other animals.

Philip Barbour

Philip is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, recently retired from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, with whom he acquired many years of experience implementing conservation projects on a wide range of animal species including Golden-winged Warblers, Gopher Tortoises, and Monarch Butterflies. Barbour’s educational background includes a B.S. in Botany, an M.Sc. from Louisiana State University in Plant Pathology/Crop Physiology/Weed Science, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from Mississippi State University. Barbour has been birding in the Mississippi Delta region and around the world for 40+ years.

Robbie Fisher

Robbie grew up in the Mississippi Delta and brings significant experience in conservation, law, and film-making. She holds a B.A. in French and Political Science from The University of the South and a J.D. from Suffolk Law School. In 1998, Fisher joined The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi as Director of Conservation and then served as the State Director from 1999 until 2008. Fisher owns the independent film production company, Fisher Productions LLC, specializing in telling Mississippi stories. For example, she was executive producer, writer and co-editor of the 2009 documentary, The Gulf Islands: Mississippi’s Wilderness Shore, an account of Mississippi’s barrier islands (watch the trailer here). Photo: Lindsay Pace Photography

Nick Lund

Nick currently serves as Outreach and Network Manager for Maine Audubon. He previously held the position of Senior Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association’s Landscape Conservation Program, and served as the Ocean and Coastal Law Fellow at the University of Mississippi’s National Sea Grant Law Center. Lund’s educational background includes a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law, and he has a diverse background in conservation law and policy. Lund is also an avid birder with experience in the Mississippi Delta region.

Hal Mitchell

Hal is a wildlife biologist in the private sector, primarily working on renewable energy. Since 2006, Hal has participated in avian research and conservation projects throughout Mississippi, while also leading workshops and field trips for Delta Wind Birds, the Mississippi Ornithological Society, and Mississippi Audubon. A native to the Mississippi Delta, Hal has intimate knowledge of the effects of current and historic land use and wildlife management. His current research includes monitoring migratory birds using night flight call stations and documenting subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks who winter in the Mississippi Delta. Hal holds a B.Sc. in Wildlife, Fisheries, & Aquaculture from Mississippi State University.

Kristina Mitchell

Kristina brings years of avian monitoring experience working as a biologist on public and private lands for numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations. Her current research interests involve reporting on sensitive avian species and their populations in Mississippi. She has taught bird identification, monitoring, and banding skills to students, wildlife professionals, and the public. Kristina’s educational background includes a B.Sc. in Wildlife Ecology & Management from Arkansas State University and a M.Sc. in Wildlife, Fisheries, & Aquaculture from Mississippi State University. She has been birding the Mississippi Delta region and beyond since 2002.

Ann Simmons Tanner

Ann is a pharmacist by training, a graduate of the University of Mississippi Pharmacy School, and recently retired as Senior Director at Celgene Pharmaceutical Company, specializing in oncology drug development. Ann grew up in the Sky Lake Bend area of Humphreys County, Mississippi and her father, Mark Simmons, once owned the land where the “Big Tree” and now the Sky Lake Boardwalk are located. As a naturalist, Ann’s passions are conservation and birding, and she enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with the community.  Ann is active in the Belzoni community, for example having served on the Belzoni Heart of the Delta Sign Project Team that brought the much-loved historic sign back to Belzoni.