Mike Fies has worked for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as a wildlife research biologist for the past 38 years. He has also been a member of the Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society during this entire period. Mike has served in every officer position of the Chapter (some several times) and previously served as President in 2002.

Mike is currently the DWR Furbearer Project Leader with job responsibilities that include conducting research, monitoring populations, developing management recommendations, resolving wildlife conflicts, and providing information to the public related to Virginia’s furbearer species. He has statewide responsibilities. Mike reports to the Department’s Region 4 office located in Verona. Mike received a B.S. degree in Forest Science from Penn State University and an M.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech. He is married and lives in Waynesboro.

Grant Sizemore earned a B.S. in Zoology and Environmental Science from Miami University (Ohio) and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. As an undergraduate student, he conducted field and lab research on the population dynamics of white-footed mice in fragmented forest habitats. As a graduate student, his research focused on the foraging ecology of wading birds in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Grant has worked for a variety of conservation organizations and has at American Bird Conservancy (ABC) since 2013. At ABC, Grant currently serves as the Director of Invasive Species Programs, a role that has included outreach and wildlife conservation advocacy throughout Virginia. Grant has been a member of The Wildlife Society since 2008, served as a policy intern for TWS in 2010, is an active participant in TWS’ Invasive Species Committee, is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and has been the Virginia Chapter’s Secretary since September 2020. He lives in Northern Virginia.

Susan Watson began working for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) in 2001, where she currently works as the Wildlife Information Biologist in the Aquatic Wildlife Resources Division. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. She was the first female President and current Permits Committee Chair of the Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS). She also serves as the current Secretary of the Organization of Fish & Wildlife Information Managers (OFWIM) and on the Board of the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR). She has past employment experience with local nature centers and the VA Department of Environmental Quality. Outside of work, Susan enjoys hiking, kayaking, gardening, fishing, craft beer sampling, and artwork.

Stephanie Coster is an Assistant Professor at Randolph-Macon College just north of Richmond. She received her B.S. from Trinity University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire. She is broadly interested in using genetic techniques to manage and conserve animal populations and has worked with a number of taxa including black bears, frogs, salamanders, elephant shrews (sengis), and bats. She likes when she gets to go outdoors and catch things with her students, but she spends a lot of time in the lab problem-solving. Her notable work with VATWS is that she was the mastermind of the virtual PubQuiz at the 2021 meeting and helped facilitate the meeting at Randolph-Macon in 2020. She’s been on the program committee for the past two years and currently serves as a Member-At-Large. She’s ready to serve again!