Golden Eagle Audubon Society Board Candidates 2026-2027

Golden Eagle Audubon Society members in good standing are privileged to vote for members to serve on its Board of Directors. Voting runs from April 15-29 and there are five seats open. The following includes five candidates nominated by the Governance Committee for your consideration. When you’re ready to vote, click here to access the ballot. Thank you for your dedication to Golden Eagle Audubon Society.

Lauren Bauer:

I’m Lauren, a wife and mom of five. Birds have always been a passion for me, and it’s a love that my family now shares with me! I’m currently pursuing a degree in wildlife biology and conservation and I volunteer with Intermountain Bird Observatory and The Peregrine Fund. I also conduct winter raptor surveys for the East Cascades Bird Alliance, run a breeding bird survey for the U.S. Geological Survey, and serve on the Golden Eagle Audubon Advocacy Committee.

I’m interested in joining as a board member because I want to help our chapter protect local habitats, engage the community, and inspire a love of birds in people of all ages. Birds have been a central part of my life, and I hope to bring my passion for sharing nature to help strengthen our chapter’s mission.

Deena Kolb

For 20 years I owned my own business, Ledger Domain, as an independent bookkeeper.  Before I started my business I got certified as a Professional Bookkeeper through Universal Accounting after taking about a 70 hour course on Bookkeeping for Small Businesses where you really learn accounting.  I kept books for many types of businesses including non-profits.  Retired for the past couple years, I still do bookkeeping as the Treasurer for my church and a hiking club.  I love to go birding, hiking, camping, playing pickleball, cooking, reading and traveling.  You can say I am an avid outdoor/nature lover.  I have lived in Boise since 1992.

Dean Jones

My interest in the Golden Eagle Audubon dates to 1981 when I moved to Boise from Council, Idaho. I served as a board member/field trip coordinator in the early 80s and then as Christmas Count organizer and compiler for twenty years at Al Larson’s request. My interests have always been in the natural sciences and education. I taught science at Council High School and then at Fairmont Jr. High after moving to Boise. My interest in curriculum landed me in the supervisory position for math and science in the Boise Schools. I have been birding since taking an ornithology class at UC Riverside in the late 60s. GEAS has come light years from the 80s and I relish the challenge to continue to move our organization forward. I think my background in science, education and environmental causes will help me provide the membership and the board with perspectives and ideas to further the good work that is being done now and in the past by Golden Eagle. So, I look forward to serving the members of GEAS should I be selected to the board.

Mary Ann Reuter

Mary Ann Reuter is a retired marketing communications professional and nonprofit manager. Her current interests include nature writing, citizen science, and teaching nature journaling as an amateur naturalist and interpretive guide. Her motivation for serving on the GEAS board is to become more active in advocating for birds and protecting their natural habitats, as well as to assist the organization in fund development activities to support its community education and outreach programs.

Vicky Runnoe

My love of birds began while growing up in Wisconsin and has continued ever since.  This passion for all things feathered led me into a thoroughly enjoyable career in environmental education and natural history interpretation from which I recently retired.  I have worked in this field across a wide range of entities including non-profit organizations, Oklahoma State Parks (Park Naturalist), National Park Service (Interpretive Ranger) and Idaho Department of Fish and Game (Regional Conservation Educator and Conservation Education Supervisor).  At the time of my retirement, I superintended the operations of the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center in Boise.  Spending my career helping people of all ages learn about, appreciate and enjoy our incredible natural world has been a joy, indeed!

I have been a Board member or officer for a number of non-profit organizations.  These include Secretary of the Salmon, ID Advanced EMTs;  Board Member of Golden Eagle Audubon Society; and Secretary, Vice President and Board Member for the Idaho Capital City Kennel Club (ICCKC). I also currently serve on several committees within ICCKC.  Volunteering has always been important to me and retirement has allowed me to become an active volunteer with the Intermountain Bird Observatory’s songbird, hummingbird and owl banding projects.  I am also a volunteer instructor for ICCKC’s AKC STAR Puppy class and am a AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator.  As you might have guessed, dogs are another passion—I have three border collies who are reasonably patient with my stopping along the trail to watch birds. 

While I have not been much engaged with GEAS in the past when my two children were growing up, I have always kept an eye on the organization and its doings.  It has been impressive to see the organization’s growth and involvement in conservation projects across the area. I would welcome the opportunity to once again be an active part of this growth and positive community impact.

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Again, when you’re ready to vote, click here to access the ballot. If you have any questions, please contact Patti Guicheteau at president@goldeneagleaudubon.org