Larame Ferry graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Biology and has worked in the field of land conservation and planning with the state for over 20 years. She is now the Land Conservation and Planning Administrator with FWC and throughout her tenure has been leading conservation planning efforts and coordinating land acquisitions for FWC. She has been active in various roles of the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society and is now serving as President.

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Jodi Slater is currently an environmental scientist with the St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD) with 26 years experience working with wildlife and in habitats of the southeastern coastal plain. She has both a bachelor’s from UF in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and a Master’s from Clemson in Wildlife, Aquaculture, and Fisheries. She’s has worked for UF, FWC, SJRWMD, and consulting firms. She is a long-time member of FLTWS (joined in 2003) and had previously assisted with registration and served as the co-chair of the membership committee. Jodi brings some institutional knowledge from past FLTWS experience and is excited to serve as President Elect.

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Maria Zondervan obtained a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida in 1996. She worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for 3 years as a Biological Scientist before taking a position with St. Johns River Water Management District. While working for the District, Maria defended her thesis, Expanding Protection of Ecosystem Services on Agricultural Lands in the U.S., in 2011 to obtain her master’s in Environmental Policy and Management through the University of Lund in Sweden. Maria worked for the District’s Bureau of Land Resources for 23 years, managing multiple wildlife programs and serving as Land Manager for Lake Apopka North Shore. Her favorite projects include red-cockaded woodpecker translocation, scrub-jay habitat restoration, prescribed burning, and longleaf pine reforestation. Maria is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and has been an active member of FLTWS since 1996.

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Sierra Fernandez is a born-and-raised Floridian and a FL Panther Biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Having worked as a wildlife technician at a large private ranch in south Florida and as a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist for Quail Forever in NW GA, Sierra is equipped with a unique and robust background in private lands conservation. She brings this experience to her current role where she interacts regularly with private landowners through the agency's new Payment for Ecosystem Services program associated with our state's endangered kitty. Throughout her career, Sierra has demonstrated a dedication to The Wildlife Society at all levels and is currently the Communications Chair for the Early Career Professionals Working Group and member of the 2024 cohort of Leadership Institute alumni. Sierra strongly believes in the values of collaboration and mentorship - values she not only applies in her work and personal life, but that she aims to bring in a role with FLTWS. As FLTWS Secretary, she brings her organizational experience with data management along with her passion for community-building to the table.

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Brooke works for the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) as their Turtle Conservation and Policy Director. This position affords her nationwide connections to advance ARC’s mission and achieve turtle conservation goals. Her primary duty, as Strategic Coordinator for the Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles (CCITT), aligns with her overall interests of strategically addressing complex wildlife policy needs to make meaningful impacts. She honed her communication and policy-related skills while working for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as the Reptile and Amphibian Conservation Coordinator (2014 – 2020) and the Alligator Management Program Coordinator (2020 – 2024).

Talley’s commitment to The Wildlife Society (TWS) began in 2007 when she served as a Government Affairs intern, learning firsthand how government activities impact wildlife. She is currently a member of the TWS Southeastern Section, TWS Florida Chapter, and nine TWS Working Groups. Talley joined the Conservation Committee of the TWS Florida Chapter in 2024.

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Blair Hayman is the Wildlife Diversity Conservation Biologist for FWC’s North Central Region. Since 2011 she has worked to conserve imperiled species, first focused on coastal systems, then for the past 10 years, across north central Florida. She began her career with FWC in the Alligator Management Program. Blair has been involved with FLTWS since 2004. Before returning to Florida, Blair worked for the California Dept. of Fish & Game and the Institute for Bird Populations. She has a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida.

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Grace Campbell is an Associate Wildlife Biologist and currently leads the Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site program at Lykes Bros. Inc., a large private landowner located near Lake Okeechobee.  In this role, she helps coordinate tortoise relocations, engages with many different partners in the Florida conservation space, and assists with land management efforts on the ranch. She earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. Grace also volunteers her time with the Florida Chapter of TWS on the Fundraising and Scholarship committees, serves on the board for the TWS Conservation Education and Outreach Working Group, and was recently selected for the 2025 TWS Leadership Institute.

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Rob Meyer is a certified wildlife biologist currently holding positions as a researcher with Tall Timbers (Tallahassee, FL) and as a PhD student at the University of Florida. His research primarily revolves around the ecology of pineland-dependent species of birds but features mammals and butterflies as well with over a dozen papers spanning several wildlife journals. He became a member of TWS in 2013 while pursuing his undergraduate degree in Wildlife Science at the SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry. Since then, he has gained experience working with on both private and federal lands and obtained his master’s degree at Mississippi State University. He serves as a member of FLTWS's Conservation Committee helping to forward FLTWS in protecting our state’s many species of plants and animals.

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