2025 Board Members
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.