ABA Staff

Wayne Klockner is Executive Director of the ABA. Previously he had a long career in conservation with The Nature Conservancy in Maryland, Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, and Indonesia, fulfilling his dream to protect natural lands and waters for all life. At the ABA, Wayne provides strategic direction, resources, and support for the board, staff, and partners in their work to advance the association's mission and financial health. Wayne is a lifelong birder; as a pre-teen in New Jersey, his spark bird was the Dark-eyed Junco. He has subsequently pursued birds in 21 countries—and counting. But he most enjoys documenting the seasonal changes in regional birdlife in patches close to home. Wayne lives in Ocean City, Maryland, with his wife Lisa and a springer spaniel named Lizzy.

Ohio native and Director of Advertising Sales Kelly Ball works with advertisers and partners across the ABA’s print publications and digital platforms. She also cultivates new partnerships and sponsorship opportunities aligned with the ABA’s mission. Kelly owns a writing company and is primarily interested in telling conservation stories to a general audience. She previously handled marketing and advertising at Cellular Tracking Technologies and Bird Watcher’s Digest. Back in 2010, a friend introduced Kelly to the addictive hobby of birding. Soon she began strategizing how to incorporate birding into all her travel. Now based in Cape May, New Jersey, she’s fortunate to live in one of the premier birding locations in the ABA Area. Kelly’s favorite birds are Black Skimmers, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, and Woodstock from Peanuts.

Kim Check serves as the ABA’s Director of Young Birder Programs, providing leadership and vision for initiatives that engage and support young birders. A lifelong birder and nonprofit leader, she brings more than two decades of experience designing and growing youth education programs across nonprofit, state, and federal institutions. Her recent work includes leading bird walks with the U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, conducting bird research for The Nature Conservancy, and creating birding camps for Audubon. Kim builds partnerships that connect a passion for birds with STEM, conservation, community, and career pathways, grounded in a strong commitment to access, belonging, and opportunity for all young people. She lives in Pennsylvania along Lake Erie, perched on a flyway that funnels migratory birds past her doorstep.

Ted Floyd proudly serves as Editor of Birding, a position he has held since 2002. Working closely with his colleague Greg Neise, he also edits all content at the ABA's website. Ted is broadly engaged in other initiatives of the ABA, especially those involving young birders and ambassadorship to the broader birding community; catch his musings about “Random Birds” on the American Birding podcast. He is the author of eight bird books and 200+ articles on birds and nature. Ted is a frequent speaker at bird festivals and scientific conferences, and he has taught math, statistics, and biology to everyone from second graders to advanced graduate students. He lives outside Boulder, Colorado, where the steep foothills of the Rockies meet the western Great Plains in one of the most dramatic ecotones on Earth.

David Hartley is the Membership Database & ABA Store Manager at the ABA, where he keeps technology operations running smoothly and manages essential data systems that support the organization’s mission. With a strong background in nonprofit tech and information systems, David streamlines digital workflows, maintains database integrity, and provides technical support to staff and volunteers. In addition to IT responsibilities, David works closely with the ABA’s membership and development teams to use data in smart ways—helping to drive fundraising efforts, track donor engagement, and strengthen member outreach. David’s passion for birds and conservation makes his work especially meaningful, blending his tech skills with a cause he cares deeply about. Outside of work, he’s an active birder based in Davis, a college town in California’s Central Valley.

Frank Izaguirre is Marketing & Communications Manager for the ABA. Frank runs the ABA’s social media, writes articles for the ABA’s website, and coordinates the ABA’s marketing strategies. Frank is also in charge of the Bird of the Year Program, collaborating with the Bird of the Year artist and writing articles that promote the Bird of the Year Program and conservation efforts related to the Bird of the Year. Frank appears regularly on the American Birding Podcast as a guest and occasionally as a guest host; he has written for Birding, and he has served as a mentor in the ABA's Young Birder Programs. Frank enjoys local birding in bad weather and networking with birders around the world. He also loves looking for salamanders and moths. Frank and his wife Adrienne and daughter Maya live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Frank’s birding patch is urban Schenley Park.

Andrew Keaveney is Regional Reports Coordinator for North American Birds. It started as these things often do, editing some reports here and there, with a focus on Canada; but the enthusiasm was ever-present and has expanded into a more comprehensive goal in the coordination of the journal’s regional reports. Andrew responds quickly to the many regional report writers and is excited to build momentum for additional regional coverage. He has been an ABA member since a teenager and fondly remembers his participation in the ABA’s World Series of Birding youth team. Andrew enjoys twitching across his home province of Ontario and more widely in Canada when circumstances allow. His most recent accomplishment was being an active participant in the ambitious third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Alex Lamoreaux is Field Ornithology Editor for North American Birds. In this capacity, he oversees the ABA’s online coverage of major ornithological phenomena like rarities, irruptions, notable weather events, and other “breaking news” in the birding world. Alex is a Senior Leader with Wildside Nature Tours and a freelance wildlife biologist conducting seabird surveys and banding songbirds. Alex’s main avian interests lie within the realms of vagrancy and VisMig (“visible migration”). His love for nature shines through in his enthusiasm, and he strives to bring the birding community together to conserve and protect wildlife. Alex lives in southern Maine, where he can be found scouring the state’s coastal hotspots for unusual birds.

Tony Leukering runs the popular online photo quiz that appears monthly at the ABA website. He is also a frequent contributor to Birding magazine, with content primarily on field identification and secondarily on status & distribution. Tony is a lifelong field ornithologist, having worked for five different bird observatories all across the ABA Area. And he has done seasonal work at hawk watches in four U.S. states and sea watches in three U.S. states. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bird Records Committee, is a past member of the Colorado and New Jersey committees, and was a longtime reviewer for eBird. Tony is based out of Denver, Colorado, where he delights in seeing and photographing anything animalian that flies, especially birds, moths, and odonates.

John Lowry, who for well over a decade provided substantial support and leadership to the ABA, has “officially” moved on—to devote more time to birding, travel, and birding travel. During his tenure with the ABA, John invigorated and modernized the association’s partnerships with advertisers and sponsors. He was also the “man behind the curtain” at the American Birding podcast, a friendly and familiar rep at bird festivals, and even the unofficial “staff therapist.” All of John’s formal ABA functions are now in the capable hands of Kelly Ball, Cedar Stanistreet, and others on staff—but we continue to enjoy “talking birds” and otherwise engaging with him. If you wish to reach out to John about non-ABA birding matters, he would love to hear from you!

Holly Merker volunteers as Director of the ABA’s Camp Delaware Bay, where she’s had the privilege of working with young birders since the camp launched in 2013. She has contributed to the ABA in many other ways, including serving on the Recording Standards and Ethics Committee. Beyond her work with the ABA, Holly supports students through several organizations and co-founded a symposium that helps youth explore career pathways in bird conservation and related fields. A nature-based wellness specialist, professional birding guide, and author, Holly is passionate about helping all people discover the joy and wellbeing that come from birding. Holly lives in the western Philadelphia suburbs, spending much of her birding time in nearby Delaware or hawkwatching at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary along the Kittatinny Ridge.

Rebecca Minardi, Book & Media Reviews Editor for Birding magazine, assigns and edits full-length reviews, typically three or four per issue. She also compiles a “Bird Book Bulletin,” providing a quick look at scores of other titles. She contributes to the American Birding podcast’s “Birding Book Club” and is a mentor with the Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program. Rebecca was a longtime board member of Detroit Bird Alliance, fulfilling her final two years as Vice President. When not birding or wrangling her three young kids, she enjoys trail running, filling her yard with native plants, and a good sci-fi novel. Rebecca lives in Naperville, Illinois, outside Chicago, where she is improving her grassland birds ID on an 1,800-acre restored prairie near her home.

Marky Mutchler runs NARBA, the North American Rare Bird Alert, providing timely updates on Code 3+ rarities across the ABA area. Marky’s history with the ABA extends back to her title of ABA Young Bird of the Year in 2015 and has continued in the form of contributions to Birding magazine and the American Birding podcast; she is also a voting member of the ABA Checklist Committee. Beyond the ABA, Marky has conducted research at world-renowned museums, and she is an ornithological illustrator for National Geographic and the Cornell Lab’s Birds of the World. Marky is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago & Field Museum, where she studies bird crests and their evolutionary and genetic mechanisms, all while enjoying the beautiful Chicago lakefront. 

Greg Neise, ABA Webczar, oversees all aspects of the association’s public and member-only websites, is staff liaison to the Recording Standards & Ethics Committee (RSEC), and is a creator and host of ABA’s popular video series, “What’s This Bird Live.” At the age of 13, he worked alongside William S. Beecher, then Director of the Chicago Academy of Sciences and a pioneering ornithologist, and learned to photograph wildlife, an interest that developed into a career providing content to magazines, newspapers, institutions, and books. Greg was a founder of Rainforest Conservation Fund, an organization dedicated to preserving the world’s tropical rainforests, where he served as President for nine years. He lives in Berwyn, Illinois, on Chicago’s west side, and has developed a fanaticism for yard listing.

LeAnn Pilger is Membership Services Manager for the ABA. One of the association’s longest-tenured staff members, she started out in customer service with ABA Sales in 2003. LeAnn is always happy to answer any questions you might have about membership services and any other offerings of the ABA. Working closely with her colleagues on staff, LeAnn ensures that prospective members, current members, and donors have a positive experience when they call in or email. A lifelong Coloradan, she loves getting outdoors to watch birds and other wildlife as often as possible. LeAnn also enjoys reading, photography, and volunteering with animal rescues. LeAnn lives in Colorado Springs with her dog Clementine—and she relishes every encounter with the Spotted Towhees of Garden of the Gods Park.

Peter Pyle is Editorial Consultant for Birding magazine and Chair of the ABA Checklist Committee. He has been an ABA member since 1969 (at age 11) when his dad, Robert L. Pyle, signed him up. Peter has written many articles—both technical and more light-hearted—for Birding over the years, on such topics as molts and plumages of Sanderlings; on the importance of environmental context in field ID; and on how an “old guy” dared enter the mob-taping world. He is the author of the two-volume Identification Guide to North America Birds, widely admired by bird banders and serious birders, and Editor of the Molts & Plumages content at Birds of the World. Peter tends a ranch with his wife on the Mendocino, California, coast.

Michael L. P. Retter is Editor of North American Birds, Special Issues Editor of Birding, and past Editor of Birder’s Guide—all magazines produced and published by the ABA. He came up through the ABA’s youth birding program in the 1990s and now helps at its youth birding camps when he can. Michael is author of the ABA Field Guide to Birds of Illinois and the forthcoming Princeton University Press Photographic Guide to Birds of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. He is passionate about making birding welcoming for all, and in that vein, he helps to run QBNA, North America’s informal club for LGBTQ+ birders and their allies. A serious gardener, Michael splits his time between homes in Fort Worth, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Ed Rother has been handling design and production of the ABA’s publications since 2003. He claims not to be a birder, but the association’s magazine editors frequently comment on Ed’s careful attention to every detail in even our most complex content—sometimes improving technical diagrams of individual feathers in bird’s wings. A native of Peru, Ed has been known to sneak in editorial improvements for content on Latin America. He also lends a hand wherever he can with other ABA creative needs: logos, house ads, annual reports, and more. Ed works from his Atlanta, Georgia, basement, whence he occasionally comes up for air and sees the light of day to be with his wife, son, and menagerie of dogs, cats, gerbils, conures, canaries, and fishes.

Ioana Seritan (she/they) is ABA Young Birder Programs Coordinator and longtime Associate Editor of Birding. Ioana has been involved with the Young Birder of the Year Program since being named 2013 ABA Young Birder of the Year—and is excited to help the ABA reach even more youth through the association's expanding and flourishing Young Birder programs; at Birding, she compiles the ever-popular “Celebrations” column, welcomes readers to online issues, and occasionally authors articles. Outside of the ABA, Ioana has been a wildlife rehabilitator, environmental educator, and research assistant. Ioana lives with their partner Alex in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they love biking, birding, and crocheting.

Cedar Stanistreet is the audio engineer behind the American Birding Podcast, mixing and editing everything that goes into the show. Besides helping with the weekly podcast, they are a professional musician, birding guide, and avid traveler. Cedar started birding as a kid in the Adirondack mountains of New York State, surrounded by fields, forests, and a wealth of breeding birds. They have worked for the NYS Breeding Bird Atlas, volunteer for Project Mountain Birdwatch and Breeding Bird Survey, and guide groups of happy birders both at birding festivals and on international birding tours. As a musician, they travel across North America performing traditional music for contra dances and other events. Between music and bird tours, Cedar usually lands at base camp in southern Vermont.

Noah Strycker has served as Birding magazine Associate Editor since 2006, has conducted the Birding Interview since 2007, and occasionally publishes articles in the magazine. He was 2004 ABA Young Birder of the Year for 14- to 18-year-olds. Noah is an accomplished researcher, writer, photographer, speaker, and guide. His bestselling books include The Thing with Feathers, about the relationships between bird and human behavior, and Birding Without Borders, chronicling his record-breaking 2015 world Big Year of 6,042 species. Called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek, Noah also guides in the polar regions for Quark Expeditions and Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, spreading the joy of birds from pole to pole. Based in Eugene, Oregon, he is often birding farther afield.

Nate Swick is Education & Digital Content Coordinator for the ABA and host of the American Birding podcast. The popular podcast, airing every Thursday, is highlighted by in-depth conversations with birding experts and enthusiasts from all over the ABA Area; coverage also extends to rare bird roundups, breaking bird news, and timely news from the association. Nate is author of A Beginner’s Guide to Birding, as well as the ABA Field Guide to Birds of the Carolinas. He serves on the North Carolina Bird Records Committee, which he previously chaired, and he is an eBird reviewer for the state. Nate and his family are based out of Greensboro, putting them roughly halfway between the biologically fascinating southern Appalachian Mountains and world-renowned pelagic birding off the Outer Banks.