Ellen Murphy: Chair.

Ellen is the former Program Specialist for the Potomac Valley Audubon Society which she says was the best job ever (although now she is happily retired!) Prior to joining PVAS in 2006, she had a varied career as a National Park Service ranger, a professional Girl Scout camp director, and a church program director. For more than 16 years she has directed children’s camps, including PVAS’s Audubon Discovery Camp at Yankauer Preserve. She became a Master Naturalist in 2007 and was co-Chair for the Master Naturalist Committee for several years. In 2016, she began volunteering at the USFWS Archives at NCTC.

Ellen spent much of her time with PVAS in the classroom, teaching a variety of environmental subjects to ages PK-5th grade. She majored in American History at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, but is proof that even a historian can become fascinated by nature. She’s come to love West Virginia as a home and feels that sharing nature with children is one of the greatest things anyone can do.

Ellen and her husband, Kevin, live outside of Harpers Ferry and have two rather large and spoiled pound puppies. Everything they own is covered in dog hair and she’s happy to share pictures of the mutts. She is a certified private pilot, loves to read, and has a complete Pickleball addiction. She lives her life based on the first word she ever learned to read, which was “Look!”

Cindy Beyeler: Secretary.

Cindy serves as Secretary on the board of the Friends Group. She is a graduate of local Shepherd College (now university) with a BA in Psychology and BS in Sociology. In the early 1990s, she left the area and moved to the Southwest. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she graduated with her MPA in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. She also lived in Phoenix, Arizona for 5 years and Austin, Texas for 20 years. She returned to the east coast in 2022 and resides in Charles Town, WV.

She currently works as a contractor for NCTC as the oral history transcriptionist under the History, Library, and Partnerships Branch Division.

In her spare time, she likes to volunteer at the animal shelter, is involved in her local church, nature walks and hiking. She also loves libraries, piano playing and traveling. She belongs to one gangster tuxedo cat named Inky.

Gabrielle Hersey: Web Manager.

Gabrielle holds a B.A. in English, concentrating in Creative Writing, as well as has double minors in Communications and Gender & Women’s Studies from Shepherd University. She is a ghostwriter, creative consultant, and community marketing specialist. She’s contributed to numerous websites, writing conferences, festivals, literary magazines, and anthologies. She has been published in multiple places, including, but not limited to, the Good Shepherdstown Newspaper and Equality & Justice: An Engaged Generation, A troubled World. Her varying interests and dedicated work ethic led her to the Web Manager position with the FNCTC. Here, she is responsible for: managing website updates; informing members of current goals and news; evaluating website performance; and implementing strategies to increase web traffic and subscribers.

Karmann Kessler:

Karmann has a B.S. in Biology, concentrating in Ecological Sciences, and minored in Anthropology. Her career has resulted from a love of nature. She strives in every aspect of her life to promote diversity and its conservation. Currently, she is working with the Eastern Ecological Science Center on aquatic preservation. Karmann serves as co-Chair of the Outreach Committee and is a member of the Communication Committee where she brings educational programs and resources to schools and the broad public (via online sources). She works towards connecting with, and educating, the local community on topics of conservation. In Karmann’s free time, she enjoys being active outdoors. Her hobbies include hiking, rock climbing, spending time with loved ones (close friends, family, and her animals), and taking pictures.

Annitsa Spanos:

Annitsa Spanos is a dedicated educator serving as a full-time high school teacher. In addition to her primary role, she contributes to higher education as an adjunct professor at Shepherd University and Hagerstown Community College. Annitsa holds a Master of Science degree in Life Sciences with a concentration in Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Towson University. Annitsa is passionate about fostering academic growth at all levels of education, with a particular focus on environmental sciences, nature preservation, and a love for all Earth’s creatures. She is an active member of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) and serves as a lead instructor for various children’s nature camp programs. Additionally, she spearheads initiatives to promote girls in science, encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) fields. Annitsa’s extensive background and commitment to teaching underscore her dedication to inspiring and educating future generations about the natural world and scientific inquiry.