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Executive Director Alicia Craig-King is the Interim Executive Director of Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Alicia started the position part-time at the end of May in 2025. She recently retired from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory where she was the Director of Communication & Science Delivery. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Alicia was the Alaska Region Public Affairs Specialist for Strategic Planning for two years. Before moving to the Alaska Regional office in Juneau, she was the Public Affairs and Partnership Staff Officer for the Chugach National Forest in Anchorage, Alaska for five years. During her career, Alicia was the Migratory Bird Program Communication Coordinatorand Urban Bird Treaty Program Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inWashington DC. Before joining the Federal Government, Alicia spent six years as theDirector of the Bird Conservation Alliance for American Bird Conservancy and prior to that, worked as the Education and Cause Related Marketing Manager for a U.S. and Canadian bird feeding retail franchise of over 320 stores. Earlier in her career, Alicia was a naturalist at a nature center in Florida where she created and presented educational programs. Alicia is the author of the book Orvis Beginners Guide to Birdwatching. She hosted the Bird Feature segment on Discover the Wild for Wyoming Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and co-hosted a season of the national Bird Watch television program for PBS. She also created and co-hosted a news segment For the Birds for Indianapolis CBS affiliate WISH TV. Alicia has facilitated workshops and has been a keynote and featured speakerat many bird festivals, community events, and nature centers. She is also a Yoga Alliance Recognized yoga instructor. Alicia enjoys kayaking, yoga, hiking, birdwatching, and gardening. |
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Administrative Assistant Elise Bleyl-Ericson is the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Administrative Assistant. Elise holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Texas), a Master of Arts in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has nearly a decade of experience in administrative roles. With this diverse career background, Elise brings a broad range of skills and expertise to WSO. Elise cares deeply about community engagement, education, and conservation efforts. Most recently, Elise worked as a Sales Specialist at Recreational Equipment Incorportated (REI) where they enjoyed connecting with other outdoor enthusiasts as well as learning about outdoor gear and clothing. Before that, they spent five years studying, researching, and teaching philosophy at UW-Madison. Elise is happily married. Together, Elise and their spouse have three (strictly indoor) cats. In the summer months, Elise enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing, bonfires, and sitting in the sunshine (all of which always seem to end in birdwatching). When the weather turns cold, you can find Elise snuggled up with a book or playing video games and board games. |
