Staff Biographies

Steve Engel, Adult Programs Coordinator since 2006, received his B.S. from Evergreen State College.  Steve has worked in the environmental education field since 1982 teaching students of all ages in a variety of settings.  He worked as a naturalist-educator and Education Director for the Yosemite National Institutes Headlands Campus in Sausalito, CA. from 1983 to 1991.   Steve worked as an observer at the Hawk Watch International Goshute Mountains, NV., raptor migration site for four years and has traveled as a naturalist aboard expedition cruises to Alaska, Mexico, Antarctica and Northern Europe with Lindblad Expeditions since 1991.  He moved to Portland in 1993 and from 1994 to 1997 Steve was lead naturalist for the Green City Data Program, a joint project between Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Graduate Institute and Portland State University.  He has operated his own business, Animal Tracks by Steve, since 1997, providing products and services dealing with animal tracks and stories he has collected on his travels. 

Mike Houck has been Audubon Society of Portland's Urban Naturalist since 1982. He received a BS in Zoology from Iowa State University and an MST from Portland State University. Previously, Mike directed OMSI's Research Center and National Science Foundation summer research, taught at Oregon Episcopal School, and contracted with Portland Public School's TAG program to lead "Wild In The City, What's In Your Own Backyard" field trips. He co-founded the Coalition for a Livable Future and currently serves on numerous city and regional advisory committees. Mike recently co-edited "Wild in the City, A Guide to Portland's Natural Areas," a natural history of the Portland metropolitan region. Among his many honors, Mike has recently received the following: the National Conservation Award from Chevron. He was Designated as a "Giraffe" in 1995 by The Giraffe Project, for people who stick their necks out in community-oriented work; Metro recognized Mike in 1999 with its first annual regional growth award for his contribution to protect natural resources in the metropolitan region; and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council gave him a "Leadership" award in 2001.

Greg Kurtz, Sanctuaries Assistant since 2001.

Jim Labbe, Urban Conservationist since 2003, grew up enjoying nature-rich West Portland neighborhood. He has over 20 years of experience in natural resource planning, research, and advocacy as a student, watershed council coordinator, consultant, citizen advocate and general Oregon enthusiast. He holds a BA in history from Reed College and an MS in Physical Geography from Portland State University (PSU). His past research includes a history of the Rogue River Salmon Fishery and a study of river channel morphology in the Tualatin River Watershed. He recently authored a chapter in the Coalition for a Livable Future's Regional Equity Atlas that assessed access to greenspace in the Portland-Metro region. Jim represents Audubon in advocating for local and regional natural resource policies throughout the Portland-Metro region. He also coordinates outreach and education through www.urbanfauna.org and the Urban Natural Resource Directory while leading Wild in the City Trips to local natural areas. Jim also chairs the Coalition for a Livable Future's Natural Resource Working Group. In March 2005 Jim received the Coalition for a Livable Future's Robert L. Liberty Regional Leadership Award. Jim also serves on the board of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council and the advisory board for Depave.org. When he is not doing all that Jim enjoys biking, tango dancing, playing music, and lollygagging in his garden.

Molly McAllister, DVM, Wildlife Care Center Assistant Manager and Veterinarian.  Molly came to Audubon in 2005 as a volunteer in the education program and Care Center and began working full-time at Audubon in January, 2008.  Raised between the Portland area and central Oregon, she grew up loving animals and the outdoors.  After obtaining a B.A. in Biology from Lewis and Clark College, Molly worked as a field biologist for the USGS on projects in Alaska and Mexico and then pursued a DVM at Oregon State University.  As a veterinarian, Molly worked on a diversity of species and obtained a specialization in veterinary acupuncture before starting at Audubon.  When not working with the wildlife, Molly enjoys spending time with her dogs and traveling locally and globally.

Tammi Miller, Office Manager since 2002, came to Portland Audubon in 2000 as a volunteer in the Wildlife Care Center and Peregrine Watch Monitor. In addition to keeping the office running smoothly, Tammi manages the Society's IT systems and maintains its website and e-newsletter.  When offline, Tammi can be found hiking the Dark Divide, photographing, paddling, digging in the garden, or hanging out with a  Vulture or Raven.

Karen Munday, Urban Wildlife Specialist at Audubon Society of Portland has been on staff since 2001.  Karen originally started at Audubon in the Membership and Development Department and has been a part of the Audubon Conservation team since 2003.  Previous to joining Audubon, Karen worked at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco.  She graduated from University California Santa Cruz with a BA in Biology and Portland State University with a MS in Science Teaching. 

Marilyn O'Grady, Nature Store Assistant. Marilyn O'Grady has been the Nature Store Assistant since 1988.

Meryl Redisch, Executive Director since July 2003, came to Portland after serving seven years as Executive Director of TreeUtah, a statewide NGO, based in Salt Lake City that promotes urban forestry, conservation, and community building. In this position, she managed a $500,000 project to design, plant and maintain forty-one landscape schemes in communities associated with the 2002 Winter Olympics. Her organization collaborated with public agencies and non-profit groups to restore the Jordan River for wildlife and avian habitat. Previously, Meryl spent ten years with the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, rising from the position of Urban Park Ranger in Central Park, to Director of Natural Resources for Forest Park in the Borough of Queens. Ms. Redisch holds a BS in Environmental Science and Forestry from Skidmore College and a BS in Geography from the University of Utah. She is certified by the International Society of Arboriculture.

Steve Robertson, Education Director since 1998, also currently serves on the Board of Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. He previously managed OMSI's Science Classes, Camp-In and Science Academy Programs, and the Outreach department, which delivered programs over an eight-state region. Steve also spent five years at OMSI's Marine Science Camp and five years at Multnomah County Education Service District's Outdoor School program. He holds a BS in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University, and an MST and secondary Teaching Certificate from Portland State University. Steve's interest in wildlife have taken him to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Madagascar, and South America, where he has spent significant time in the field.

Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director, has worked for Audubon since 1992 and previously served as the Society’s Wildlife Care Center Director and Urban Conservation Director. His current responsibilities include managing the Audubon Statewide Important Bird Area in Oregon, recovery of imperiled species, and promoting wildlife conservation in the Portland Metropolitan Region. He has a particular interest in anthropogenic impacts on wildlife and promoting wildlife stewardship in urban ecosystems. His work in this area is informed by his experience overseeing the rehabilitation of more than 40,000 injured wild animals and responding to more than 200,000 wildlife related phone calls. In 2001, Bob developed Audubon’s “Living with urban Wildlife” program to proactively promote wildlife stewardship on the urban landscape. A highlight of Bob’s career with Audubon has been his work managing Audubon’s Peregrine Project which has combined educational outreach, management, captive rearing and release, and citizen science to promote peregrine falcon recover in the Portland Metropolitan Region. Today Portland area peregrine eyries comprise 5% of the known peregrine nesting population in Oregon and the Audubon Program has been recognized with awards for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Chapter of the Wildlife Society. Bob’s passion for conservation was developed early exploring the woods of Massachusetts and later on solo hikes from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail and from Canada to New Mexico on the Continental Divide. Bob has a B.A. in Biology from Reed College and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for a Livable Future and the East Multnomah County Soil and Water Conservation District. He lives in Northeast Portland with his wife Elisabeth Neely, two children, a dog and a couple of chickens

Deanna Sawtelle, Volunteer Coordinator since 2007, comes to Audubon with years of experience training and working with volunteers, first as a teacher and then as an assistant principal.  In 1987, she decided she wanted to return something to the community so she started volunteering at the Oregon Zoo (and later at Audubon).  Eventually, Deanna was hired as Oregon Zoo show staff where she did animal displays, assemblies, classroom presentations, and summer on-grounds shows for 18 years.  She became the primary trainer for most of the teen and adult bird show volunteers and has trained over 250 people how to care for and handle hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures.  After leaving the show staff, the Zoo hired Deanna to coordinate the ZooAmbassadors, the volunteers who staff the “Winged Wonders” butterfly exhibit.  She learned a lot about butterflies, but the joy of each season was the 200+ volunteers she got to know.

Deb Sheaffer, DVM, Wildlife Care Center Operations Manager has her own Veterinary practice in Milwaukie. Deb volunteered her veterinary services for years before joining the wildlife care center staff.

Ann Takamoto, Development Director
After completing studies in art and design at the University of Illinois, with a copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Ann responded to the call of the west and the lure of progressive communities and moved out to Oregon. First landing in Corvallis, Ann enjoyed the slow pace of the small town while students were away for the summer, and lucked into joining a marimba band which was a part her life for some 20 years.

After 5 years in Corvallis, Ann moved to Portland and developed management, production, recruiting, sales and new business development skills in the for-profit sector, which prepared her quite nicely for her current role in development. Volunteering gave her satisfaction that she had been sorely missing, so she made the switch to nonprofits. A love for building things and an entrepreneurial spirit that guided her career in the for-profit world helped Ann make impacts at her previous positions in development at InAct, Inc., Schoolhouse Supplies and Hands On Greater Portland. It is this same love and spirit that Ann brings to help build a stronger future for The Audubon Society of Portland.