2025 Board Members
Officers
President - Kay Lovelace
Kay retired from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2004 and was recruited by Lu Skillern to join the Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR) in January 2005 serving on the Nature Store Committee. In a couple of years, she became the Committee Chair and volunteer manager of the Visitor Station Nature Store after Lu moved to Oklahoma. After the second Nature Store was opened in the Visitor Center, she became an independent contractor for FOAR to manage the two Nature Stores. She has been involved with the FOAR Board since 2005 serving as a Director at Large, Outreach Committee Chair, Secretary, and President. Kay's interests are about all things nature and enjoys sharing information about the value of wetlands and a healthy environment.
David retired after 35 years from the University of Houston in 2016. He was one of the founders of the Friends of Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge in 1995 and has served on the board continuously since that time. He has served as a director at large, secretary, vice-president, and president 5 terms. Birds and birding are his main interests. Outside of the Friends he served as the president of the Texas Ornithological Society and on board for 16 years. In 2025 he authored a new field guide for Texas birds with Timber Press.
Vice President - David Sarkozi
Treasurer - Carolyn Miles
Carolyn grew up camping and has always appreciated nature. Her love of birding began in 2004 when she joined the Texas Master Naturalist and began radio tracking endangered Attwater’s prairie chickens at Texas City Prairie Preserve. Carolyn and her husband Jason have a goal to record a bird in all 50 states. She has a deep appreciation for the natural world and enjoys introducing children to it. Carolyn recently retired as an accounting professor at University of Houston and currently serves as Treasurer on the Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR) board of directors.
Secretary - Norman Welsh
Norman grew up in southeast Texas and spent much of his free time searching for snakes. He also enjoyed nature photography and always looked for anything he could photograph. Norman and his wife, Nina, spend many of their vacations at National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges and enjoy taking photos and looking for wildlife. After nearly 30 years in law enforcement, he retired in 2009. With the extra free time, he started spending time at Anahuac NWR and found it a great place to photograph wildlife, especially birds. That is how he became hooked on birding and bird photography. He started volunteering in the Nature Store(s) in 2014 where he enjoys talking with visitors about the refuge, photography and what wildlife they might find and where to look. In 2017 he was asked to join the Friends of Anahuac Refuge Board of Directors where he has managed the photo contests. He is currently serving as the board secretary.
At-Large Members
Gene Campbell
Early Years and Education
Gene was born in 1947, during an era when urban development in Baytown and the Houston area was just commencing. At that time, the region was characterized by expansive, unspoiled landscapes that afforded ample opportunities for exploration and connection with nature. From an early age, Gene cultivated a profound appreciation for the outdoors, engaging enthusiastically in hunting, fishing, and trapping throughout his formative years.
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He was educated at San Marcos Academy before matriculating at Texas A&M University, where the rigors of a military-style curriculum instilled the discipline necessary for subsequent service in the United States Army. Upon fulfilling his military obligations, Gene returned to his community and continued to pursue his enduring passion for outdoor activities.
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Professional Career as Guide and Conservationist
In 1975, Gene commenced his professional career as a hunting and fishing guide. He directed duck hunts on Barrow Ranch, now recognized as the East unit of the Joycelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, and subsequently assumed ownership of the Oyster Bayou Hunting Club. Over the years, Gene established strong working relationships with all Refuge managers, contributing to numerous collaborative projects that have benefited both the Refuge and the hunting club.
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Leadership and Community Involvement
In 2016, Gene was appointed to the board of directors for the Friends of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. He presently serves as a board member at large and chairs the Projects Committee. Gene remains resolutely dedicated to the enhancement of habitats and is particularly committed to elevating birding opportunities for all visitors.
Linda Ann Jackson retired, joined FOAR in 2013. She was born in Anahuac and continues living here. When asked to be on the board, she was hesitant as she only knows that birds fly and that she doesn’t like to get dirty. As we know, being on the board is more than that. As being on the Outreach committee, supports the FWS with festivals and health fairs passing out literature about FWS and FOAR.
Linda Ann Jackson
David graduated from Stephen F Austin University in 1974 with a degree in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Forestry. He has been in the outdoors his whole life including being a waterfowl hunting guide for 15 years but started birding seriously only about 15 years ago. He was the birding program leader for Galveston FeatherFest for three years and has also led the bird counts at the Baytown Nature Center for ten years. He is co-compiler for the Old River Christmas Bird Count and participates in several other Christmas Bird Counts each year. He currently serves on the Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR) board of directors.
David Hanson
Chuck was born in Texas (a 6th-generation Texan) but spent his formative years growing up in Louisiana. He developed an appreciation of nature and the outdoors while hunting and fishing with his Dad and his grandfather. He's interested in everything outdoors-related, but his primary interests are birds, mammals, plants, and their habitats. He enjoys sharing his interests with others and particularly helping children learn to appreciate the value of conserving our wildlife heritage. Chuck has served on the Friends of Anahuac Refuge board of directors since 2016.
Chuck Davis
John Berner
John attended college in upstate NY, moved to DC where he met his wife Cathy on Capitol Hill and moved to Houston in 2002. He began actively birding in 2005 including his first visit to amazing Anahuac NWR and now is retired after 24 years at BP, He travels the state including all 254 counties seeking birds along with fellow board member David Sarkozi and others. He is former treasurer of FOJN and former treasurer of Texas Ornithological Society. John is the Ebird editor for Harris County and Ebird hotspot editor for Texas. John also volunteers giving field trips for Coastal Prairie Conservancy, Attwater Prairie-Chicken NWR, ONC Ornithology Group and TOS. Lastly he co-administers 8 rare birds WhatsApp groups for Houston area counties.Hope to see you at our wonderful refuge
Jason Miles
Jason is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has lived in the Houston area since 1975. Jason began his enjoyment of birding in 2016 but became serious about it when he discovered eBird. He is a Texas Master Naturalist and one of his hobbies is building screech owl nesting boxes. Jason's latest passion is photographing dragonflies. He is a year-round swim coach who enjoys working with children and has been a part of various nature summer camps for many years. Jason retired from a long career in IT and has served on the Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR) board of directors since 2023.