Meet Our Team

Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Board of Directors

Kendra Foust, President

Kendra Foust was born and raised in Northwest Ohio with the privilege of having Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge within walking distance from the backdoor of her childhood home. Kendra relocated to Southeast Ohio where she received her Associates Degree in Wildlife Management from Hocking College, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Management from The University of Rio Grande. Kendra works for Ottawa County. Kendra’s goal as a board member of Friends of Ottawa NWR is to increase awareness about the refuge along with making sure future generations are able to experience what our natural world has to offer. Kendra and her husband Jonathan enjoy hunting, fishing, and traveling. They reside in Oak Harbor, Ohio with their dog Ava June and rescued guinea pigs.

Carol Fingerhut, Vice President

Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Carol Fingerhut has long appreciated the unique beauty of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding area. She hopes her involvement on the Board of Directors will encourage others to become members and get involved in habitat conservation efforts. A recently-retired Human Resources professional, Carol now has more time to enjoy the outdoors, whether working in her yard, walking in her neighborhood, or taking nature photographs. She enjoys watching the birds and other ‘critters’ who visit her property, which has been designated a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Carol lives in Genoa, Ohio, with her Golden Retriever (Echo) and her two cats (Ziggy and Pyewacket).

Kris Johnston, Secretary

Kristina Johnston works as a Nurse Manager for an insurer, and is currently completing her Master's degree in leadership. Kris brings a strong commitment and passion for preserving and encouraging the use of the refuge.  Personally, she thinks the lands are an amazing gift to photographers.  Kris also enjoys thinking creatively and public speaking to support a cause. She would like to see the refuge continue to expand its physical footprint.  By being on the board she hopes to bring increased awareness of the offerings at the refuge and membership opportunities to sustain the refuge for years to come.  Kris resides in Jefferson, Ohio with her husband Doug and Lab/Australian Shepherd mix Tucker who is the real birdwatcher of the family. Together, they enjoy camping, photography, and spending time with family and friends.

Ron Overmyer, Treasurer

Ron Overmyer worked as an Ohio State University Extension Agent for 37 years, retiring in 2004. His focus now is private agricultural business development consulting. Ron has completed several volunteer consulting jobs in east and southern Africa, though he resides in Oak Harbor.  Ron plans to bring his expertise in organizational development to the Friends, helping to grow and preserve this unique wildlife refuge in Ottawa County.  He enjoys traveling, camping, biking, and the outdoors in his spare time.

Michael House

Michael, who has an interest and background in natural resources, began volunteering at the Ottawa NWR in the fall of 2018. He also volunteers at the Canaan Valley NWR in West Virginia. In addition he has served on the Friends of the Ottawa NWR Board of Directors since January, 2020. Michael served on the Board of Directors for the Lutheran Ministries of Mercy and Luther Home of Mercy (LHM) from 2003 – 2019. He was Board Chair from 2013-2018. He is currently serving as a Board member for the LHM Foundation. Michael is retired from a career as a researcher, analyst and business manager. In addition to working for several private market research organizations, he worked for the USDA for ten years. Michael has a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources and a Master’s degree in Biometry from The Ohio State University.

Justin Woldt

Justin Woldt grew up in Wisconsin and spent his youth outdoors camping and exploring. Family trips to public lands around the country helped shape his appreciation for nature and early desire to become a park ranger. Woldt graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a degree in Zoology and Psychology. Prior to serving with the Department, he was employed at a non-profit residential environmental education center​. He started his career as a Park Ranger shortly after and was an employee of the Department of the Interior from 2005-2020. Woldt has worked at Yellowstone National Park, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Congaree National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. After transitioning to a position at Allegheny National Forest in 2020, Justin accepted a position on the Friends Board of Directors in 2021. Woldt enjoys kayaking, biking, hiking, swimming, camping with his wife Becky and four kids: Nina, Elsie, Avery and Logan. (Although most of his free time is spent “working projects” and “pretending”.)

Mary Willoughby

Mary Willoughby worked at Kay Jewelers in Fremont for over 40 years and most recently at Huntington Bank. She lives near Oak Harbor with her companion Rick on the Toussaint River and together they enjoy all the wildlife and birds that stop by. Family is very important to Mary. She has 3 children and 7 grandchildren and she loves going to their sporting events and spending time with them. Besides family Mary and Rick love to travel the world and see all the beautiful sights there are to see.  Since joining the board she has been involved in many fundraising activities and wants to promote the refuge to neighboring communities and increase membership to a new high.

Tajinder Singh

​Tajinder Singh (TJ) a resident of Sylvania, Ohio has been in Healthcare IT for the past 20+ years. Photographing the wildlife, especially birds, became a hobby to de-stress after long hours at work and he discovered ONWR in 2020. TJ immediately fell in love with the natural beauty, diverse wildlife and outdoor opportunities that the Refuge provides to its inhabitants and visitors. Through his photography and his tenure as a board member of Friends of ONWR, his goal is to promote the Refuge to the communities in areas beyond the immediate vicinity of the Refuge properties. TJ also serves as a Secretary for the Sylvania STEM Center, a non-profit organization that runs an after-school, K-12, robotics program benefiting more than 1500 students per year in the greater Sylvania area.

Jacob Price

​Jacob Price is working at Sunrise Cooperative in Fremont, Ohio as the Vice President of Administration. Previously, he worked in the sales and in the finance world. He also owns his own business, Sandusky River Valley Power Washing. Jacob joined the Friends of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to help raise awareness of this great natural area, help grow membership and raise funds to use throughout the refuge. He also volunteers as a board member of the Seneca County Park District, Tiffin Historic Trust and participates in the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program. Jacob currently lives in Tiffin, Ohio and grew up in the Alvada, Ohio area. He received his MBA from Tiffin University, Bachelor Degree from University of Northwestern Ohio and Associate Degree from Brown Mackie College – Findlay. During his free time, he enjoys boating on the Sandusky River, camping, photography, hiking animal observing and taking scenic drives. He looks forward to serving all the current and future members of the Friends of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Joey Warner

​Joey Warner has a passion for many areas of conservation. She attended Ohio State University to study forestry then transferred and graduated from Hocking College with a GeoEnvironmental Science Degree. Upon graduation, Joey started working for the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District as the Secretary and soon became the District Manager where she continues to work in that position today. She spends many days in the wetlands along the Lake Erie coastline photographing wildlife and learning about habitats of the animals and plants that live in them. She also loves to travel and visit the National Park System with her husband David. Joey has several goals she wants to work toward with the Board for the Refuge as she has experience working with grants and doing project management as well. 

Jim Krieger

Recently retired Senior Manager, IT Internal Audit from Dana Corporation. Resides in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

Pete Schwager

Pete Schwager is the Senior Vice President and Chief Process and Innovation Officer for First National Bank of Bellevue. Pete brings financial expertise to the boardroom and his goal is to help create a strong financial base to ensure long term viability for Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge for future generations of birders and nature enthusiasts. Outside of work and the Friends, he enjoys traveling, antiquing, and flea markets with wife Jan and three adult kids Michael, Chris, and Emily. 

Tara Bostater

Tara Bostater is currently a part of the Interpretation and Education Division at First Ladies National Historic Site. You might also find her working with artifacts and collections at James A. Garfield National Historic Site and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Tara graduated with a B.A in Anthropology and History from Kent State University and a Master's degree in History, Museum Studies, and Historic Preservation from Cleveland State University. Her passion is studying and preserving history so the next generation can enjoy it. Tara grew up on the refuge, helping her parents from a young age, those experiences formed her love for preservation and conservation. She hopes to continue her parents' passion for and dedication to conservation by being a part of the Friends of Ottawa NWR group. Outside of work, you can find her spending time with family, hiking, and spending time with her animals.
In Loving Memory of Kathy Booher
September 5, 1961 - October 19, 2018 
Board member, Friend.
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​Go Bucks.