Board of Directors
At the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge, at the Wilmington Riverfront.
Steve Cottrell
President
Steve has been a member of the Delaware Audubon board since 2017. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, and his master’s degree in Applied Statistics from Villanova University.
Since retiring from his professional career, he has been heavily involved in birding activities, including setting up and monitoring nest boxes and Purple Martin colonies in public and private open spaces, as well as being an advocate for bird conservation.
As a licensed pesticide applicator, he has been working since 2018 on removing invasives to increase biodiversity at Middle Run Valley Natural Area.
Steve can be reached at steve.cottrell@delawareaudubon.org.
Tracey Duffy
Vice President
Tracey is a life-long resident of Delaware and a 19-year veteran of a local police department. Tracey has always been curious about nature and understands the importance of conservation, environmental justice, and respect for the natural community.
Tracey organized Delaware’s first Black Birders Week bird walk in 2023. The very successful event took place on May 31 at Curtis Mill Park in Newark.
Jon Euston
Secretary
Jon is a Delaware native who grew up traversing the Tri-State landscape during his years hiking and camping as a Boy Scout. He has developed great love and admiration for the outdoors and is eager to help in the efforts to preserve it, starting right at home. Birds have always been one of the core sounds of nature and Jon is focused on helping conserve their many unique voices for years to come.
His spark bird is the Belted Kingfisher, in which he first discovered rattling on a lakeside tree while on a canoeing trip in Canada.
Jon obtained his Business Degree from Goldey-Beacom College after attending Deltech Community College, where he captained the Men's Soccer Team.
Nathan Meyer
Education Chair
Nathan has a love for wildlife, habitat, and nature in general, but birds are special since they are always around us. He grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota where his dad taught him about farming practices that improve the environment and protect wildlife.
He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Biology and received his M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University.
Walt Blackwell
Field Trip Chair
Walt is from Stamford, Connecticut, currently living in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife Mary. He attended Oklahoma City University and Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout which got him to appreciate the outdoors. He worked for Conoco Inc., Toll Brothers, Inc., and DuPont. He is currently a State of Delaware Notary Public.
Since retirement, Walt started birdwatching in 2019. He now teaches a birdwatching class at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Wilmington, Delaware. Walt is a member of the Delaware Ornithology Society and Delaware Nature Society. He is a participant at the Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch and the bird banding program at Bucktoe Creek Preserve in Avondale, PA.
Hollis Thomases
Communications/Outreach Chair
Hollis Thomases has been connected to nature her entire life. A native of New York state, she spent her childhood living on Woodland Road and playing in the woods, her winters skiing, and her summers in the Catskill and Taconic mountains. A Delaware resident since 2003, Hollis appreciates the state’s abundant trail system for hiking, mountain biking, and bird watching.
Born with a creative, entrepreneurial spirit and an education in marketing and communications, Hollis has hatched three businesses. In recent years, she has re-directed her focus to advocating for natural land and wildlife protection. Hollis has a B.A. in Social Relations with a Concentration in Communication Arts from Cornell University.