January Career Builder Workshop:

Russell Barabe is a Senior Environmental Scientist at California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who is regularly involved with resume review and hiring entry level staff. Russell grew up in the Bay Area where he obtained a BS degree from San Jose State University. From there he worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USGS, and the US Bureau of Reclamation doing fisheries work around the country. After completing a master's degree in Fisheries Management at Mississippi State University, Russ began working at CDFW in 2009. 

Ivan Parr is the Western Section’s Workshop Coordinator and works at a consulting firm. Ivan loves the idea of promoting education and experience when it comes to understanding wildlife and their habitats. A botanist as well as a wildlife biologist, Ivan spends his (albeit limited) free time searching the Golden state for unique treasures of biodiversity. He is currently trying to compile a photographic index of California’s endemic species. 

Colleen Wisinski is the Conservation Program Manager for the Burrowing Owl Recovery Program at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where she has worked for the past 14 years. Colleen is responsible for overseeing the field team, managing and analyzing data, and working with colleagues to make recommendations about management of the species to local land and wildlife managers. Colleen earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, and her master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University in Bozeman. She has been a member of The Wildlife Society since college and has served the Western Section and Southern California Chapter in multiple capacities since 2015.