{"id":26230,"date":"2022-03-20T15:19:09","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T19:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pibo.ca\/en\/?page_id=26230"},"modified":"2026-09-24T19:28:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T23:28:57","slug":"pibo-people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pibo.ca\/en\/about-pibo\/pibo-people\/","title":{"rendered":"PIBO People"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The PIBO Board<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Margaret Atwood, Founding Honorary Chair<\/strong>, is one of Canada\u2019s best-known and most respected authors, winner of numerous awards, including the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize, and the Mann-Booker Prize. She and her long-time partner, the late Graeme Gibson, co-founded PIBO in 2003, and Margaret has been closely associated with the observatory ever since. She and Graeme were honorary co-chairs of Birdlife International\u2019s Rare Bird Club, and Margaret is a staunch advocate for bird habitat and bird protection.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Deborah Egan, Chair<\/strong>\u00a0is an experienced executive in the health-system and not-for-profit sectors, known for her innovative approach to improving systems to better serve the community. In a recent Ministry of Health engagement, she joined a team that played a pivotal role in developing recommendations for transforming home and community care delivery in Ontario. Deb is a strategic thinker with an ability to succeed in challenging situations, fuelled by her perseverance and ability to garner broad stakeholder support. Outside of her professional endeavours, Deb has dedicated her time as a volunteer, serving in various board and committee positions, including Chair of the Toronto Waldorf School, Chair of the Quality Committee for a mental health supportive housing provider, and Board Chair in a condominium townhouse development. Additionally, she has actively contributed to United Way as a member of its Campaign Cabinet, and spearheaded successful fundraising efforts for service projects in Nepal. She says that joining the PIBO Board provides her with an exciting opportunity to amplify her deep connection to nature and commitment to conservation, and to demonstrate the transformative power of not-for-profit community action.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Patricia Leblanc-Jaeger, Treasurer<\/strong>, currently holds the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary positions for the Windsor Port Authority. Previously, she worked for nearly two decades in the education sector in various business and IT management positions, where she played a leading role in many strategic initiatives (Accessibility, Job Evaluation, Labour Negotiations, Learning Services, Policy Development, Technology Modernization). She now volunteers her time, leadership and wealth of experience to the Windsor Essex Region Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member and Advocacy Committee member. Previously Patricia\u2019s sense of social responsibility was fulfilled as President of the Board for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Chatham Kent Foundation, and as a board member of its operating Agency (2003 to 2023). Leadership and strategic skills were also developed and honed as Chair of the Provincial Payroll Committee for the Ontario Association of School Business Officials, and as Chair of the Certified General Accounts Windsor Chapter. Patricia holds a CPA, CGA accounting designation and is a Certified Port Executive. And as a life-long resident of the Pelee Island area, she is excited to support PIBO\u2019s mission and vision and reignite the passion she and her father shared for birds years ago.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ann Marie Corker, Secretary<\/strong>,\u00a0is an enthusiastic IT professional with a deep passion for learning and building connections within her community. She embraces a life of curiosity and adventure, always seeking new experiences that enrich her understanding of the world. A newcomer to the world of birding, she finds joy in spotting feathered wonders and nurturing her appreciation for nature\u2019s delicate ecosystems. Whether hiking through forests or exploring urban trails, Ann Marie remains eager to discover and engage with her surroundings. Guided by a strong belief in collective effort, she joined PIBO to contribute to the study and conservation of migratory birds, further strengthening her bond with nature and supporting meaningful environmental stewardship.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Matthew Gibson<\/strong> is an advisor and board member with a number of tech firms in Toronto, and is also president, CEO and co-founder of Syngrafii Inc., a firm specializing in e-signatures and remote signing. He has worked in corporate development for over 35 years, and as an inventor has 45 granted and 8 pending patents to his name. Matthew brings to PIBO his extensive negotiation experience and lateral thought processes, and excels in the identification, contact, and management of strategic partnerships.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ian Davidson<\/strong>\u2019s professional journey as an ecologist started when he was researching migratory shorebirds in subarctic James Bay, and he gradually moved southward, tracking mammal populations in the boreal forest. In Nicaragua, he worked with the Sandinista government to protect the remaining vestiges of Caribbean rainforests, and helped establish the Rio Indio Ma\u00edz Biological Reserve. With a degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Guelph, he has held leadership positions in wildlife, nature, and bird conservation organizations throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. For over a decade, he led BirdLife International projects in Ecuador, Patagonia, the Galapagos, and the Amazon basin. In 2007, he joined Graeme Gibson and Margaret Atwood on an Adventure Canada expedition and fell in love with the High Arctic. In 2021, he became BirdLife International\u2019s Regional Director of the Americas. Ian is crazy about birds (but is not a twitcher), loves to travel, and embraces the many cultures that make up the Americas.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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David Young<\/strong> is a Toronto playwright best known for Glenn<\/em> and Inexpressible Island<\/em>. He is an ardent naturalist and lover of the wilds \u2013 particularly big weather in remote places. He learned his birding skills from Graeme Gibson. David has been active in the literary arts for fifty years \u2013 serving on the editorial board of the Coach House Press for several decades and as a founding trustee of both The Writers\u2019 Trust and The Griffin Poetry Prize.\u00a0 Outside his life in the theatre, he has written extensively for film and television \u2013 most notably, as a staff writer with Fraggle Rock<\/em>, where he wrote many award-winning shows on themes of environmental interdependence for young audiences around the world. In recent years, David has spent many seasons in Africa as a board member and volunteer for Dignitas International, a Canadian medical\/humanitarian NGO, founded by Dr. James Orbinski, that pioneered a new model of care for HIV\/AIDS in Malawi, the poorest country in the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bill Ross<\/strong> is an experienced finance and information technology executive, with a broad background in the consumer and energy sectors, and is a passionate advocate for the environment. He\u00a0has served as a director for several environmental organizations, including Nature Canada, where as Chair of the Board he oversaw the development of the organization\u2019s strategic direction; and Green Centre Canada, an innovator in environmental chemistry, where he facilitated its long-term financial health.\u00a0As a corporate director, he is a keen advocate for sound environmental, social and governance policies. Based in Toronto and Collingwood,\u00a0Ontario, Bill\u00a0actively participates in outdoor activities and works passionately in his community to preserve nature for generations to come.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Dan Mennill<\/strong> is a Professor of Ornithology, Canada Research Chair in Avian Bioacoustics, and Associate Dean of Science at the University of Windsor. He studies acoustic communication in wild animals, especially the songs of birds. He runs the Mennill Sound Analysis Laboratory, where he and his research team use field-based approaches to study birds and other animals around the globe. Dan has helped pioneer many new recording and playback technologies for studying birds. He has published more than 190 scientific papers and has supervised more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and a lifetime member of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and the Animal Behaviour Society. Dan is passionate about using innovative field-based techniques for studying and conserving migratory birds. He lives in LaSalle, Ontario, with his wife, professor and artist St\u00e9phanie Doucet, and their two children.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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PIBO Staff<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jeff Schaffhauser, Executive Director<\/strong>, brings more than twenty years of leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, with a career focused on conservation and community engagement, organizational growth, volunteer development, and strategic planning. He has led mission-driven organizations through periods of growth and transition, built strong partnerships and high-performing teams, and developed programs that connect people and communities to causes that matter. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph and is a certified Project Management Professional. As Executive Director, he leads PIBO’s strategic development, fundraising, partnerships, and organizational capacity as the observatory opens the Atwood-Gibson Bird Centre and grows its impact for birds, biodiversity, and the communities it serves.<\/p>

Jeff’s connection to Pelee Island runs deep. He grew up in Leamington, just across the water, and spent childhood summers exploring the island long before he understood its global significance as a migratory bird stopover. A naturalist at heart and an avid outdoorsman, he is a passionate paddler, backcountry canoeing enthusiast, and skier who has visited every Canadian national park accessible by road. He also volunteers with his local Scouting group alongside his children. Jeff is thrilled to return to the region that shaped him, and to help write the next chapter in PIBO’s story.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Suzanne Friemann, Director Regional Programs and Operations<\/strong>, has over a decade of experience in environmental non-profit management. Since joining Pelee Island Bird Observatory in 2015, Suzanne has played a pivotal role in advancing its mission and operations, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to environmental conservation and community engagement. With a comprehensive educational background, Suzanne holds a Masters degree in Sociology, complemented by degrees in Anthropology and Education.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sumiko\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sumiko Onishi, Field Supervisor, Bander in Charge<\/strong>, joined the PIBO staff full-time in 2011, following a summer of working on Pelee as a volunteer. Sumiko is PIBO\u2019s chief bander; she also logs the daily bird census reports, monitors nesting sites, and conducts species counts. Even after more than 5,000 hours in the field, Sumiko remains enthusiastic: \u201cMy passion to see the phenomenal bird activity on the island,\u201d she says, \u201cis still strong.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Emma Gignac, Engagement Coordinator,<\/strong>\u00a0has a strong background in environmental research, community engagement, and public outreach. She has contributed to the work of several conservation organizations, including various stations within the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, and has supported a range of projects focused on restoration, habitat stewardship, and environmental education. Emma\u2019s work experience has included field-based research, collaborative planning, and communications support. Her academic training is in environmental anthropology, with a particular interest in human relationships with wetland landscapes.<\/p>

Emma loves spending time outdoors cycling, paddling, and exploring the infinite wonders of nature. She believes in the power of collaboration and community action, and is passionate about helping people connect with nature. Emma welcomes opportunities to meet others who share an interest in conservation and community-based environmental work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Assistant Field Co-ordinators<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Each year PIBO employs two seasonal Assistant Field Coordinators to assist our Field Supervisor, Sumiko Onishi, with research, fieldwork, data management, volunteer supervision, and Pelee Island education programs. During the field season, the assistants live on Pelee Island at the PIBO staff cottage.<\/p>

The job requires that an assistant be an experienced field birder, able to identify 75-95% of the majority of species found in the Great Lakes region by sight and sound. Ideally, they have previous bird-banding experience, with more than 5,000 birds banded, and familiarity with the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network<\/a>,\u00a0 the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program<\/a>, and the North American Breeding Bird Survey<\/a> (BBS).<\/p>

It isn\u2019t an easy job! An assistant field coordinator has to be able to spend long periods of time standing and walking over uneven terrain, be comfortable interacting with the public, easy to live with, and willing to work hard\u2014sometimes ten-hour days for up to 70 days in a row without a day off, in both cold and \u00a0hot, humid, buggy conditions. Sound tough? Maybe so, but these positions never go unfilled!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Vincent Moreau, Assistant Bander<\/strong> Having worked with many animals, including macaques, Vincent started his journey in the world of ornithology when he took a job as guide for a banding station in Quebec. Since then, he enjoyed every migration season birding and banding birds! What fascinates Vincent most is bird molt and all the small details that allow banders to age and sex birds in hand. He worked with different observatories doing migration stations in Quebec and breeding birds stations in northern Alberta. He is now motivated to contribute to bird conservation and to exchange knowledge and experience with Pelee Island Bird Observatory.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Pablo\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Pablo Rojas Rodriguez, International Intern,<\/strong>\u00a0is a Costa Rican biologist pursuing a degree in Zoology, with a particular interest in the taxonomic, ecological, and evolutionary patterns of birds and fishes. Since 2023, Pablo has been actively involved in avian research, with a focus on hummingbirds, including collecting morphological data through mist-netting and investigating sexual dimorphism using museum specimens.<\/p>

In 2024, Pablo participated in a scientific bird-banding workshop in Costa Rica with OTS and SELVA, gaining hands-on experience with resident species. In 2025, he volunteered with EcoVida Hawkwatch during the spring migration, developing skills in migratory bird surveys and hawk counting. Most recently, he expanded his bird-banding expertise through an advanced workshop in Colombia with SELVA, strengthening his knowledge of ethical and professional banding techniques for both migratory and resident birds.<\/p>

To date, Pablo has released approximately 100 birds from mist nets and banded 19 passerines. An enthusiastic birdwatcher since 2021, Pablo is passionate about combining field research and conservation to better understand and protect avian diversity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The PIBO Board Margaret Atwood, Founding Honorary Chair, is one of Canada\u2019s best-known and most respected authors, winner of numerous awards, including the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize, and the Mann-Booker Prize. She and her long-time partner, the late Graeme Gibson, co-founded PIBO in 2003, and Margaret […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":228,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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