Bald Eagles - Photo: Dow Lambert

The OPAS Board is pleased to announce the following individuals who have offered to serve the chapter as its elected officers for the one-year term, beginning on July 1, 2025 and ending on June 30, 2026.

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Matt McCoy Bio

Nominee for OPAS President (2025 – 2026 Term)

Before retiring to Sequim, Matt’s “day job” was as ecologist with the Bureau of Land Management for the better part of 40 years. His extensive volunteer work is summarized as follows:

President, Golden Eagle Audubon Society (GEAS) serving SW Idaho (1988 – 1994);
Coordinated GEAS participation in creation and management of Hulls Gulch Reserve (1990 –2000);
GEAS Conservation Chair and participant in a variety of activities including field trips, CBC, newsletters, programs (1988 –2022);
Coordinated shoreline protection and access management portion of Boise River ReWild project (2022 –2023);
Cofounder and early President of the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley (SW Idaho) (1994 –1998);
OPAS Board Member At-Large (2025 – present).

Matt, along with his wife Kathy, joined OPAS immediately upon their relocation to Sequim in 2022. Now settled in, they are making themselves indispensable members of the chapter. In May, the Board appointed Matt as Interim President to serve out the current term ending June 30. He has agreed to be placed on the ballot for the office of OPAS President for the new term beginning July 1. For his willingness to serve, the Board is enormously grateful!

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Katja Bridwell Bio

Nominee for OPAS Co-Vice President (2025 – 2026 Term)

Katja has been working as an environmental scientist for 50 years. Currently, she is consulting part-time. Just prior, she worked full-time for the US Navy, conducting a variety of environmental and disaster planning tasks throughout Navy Region Northwest (including Alaska) as well as in Europe, South America, and the Middle East. The following is a summary of Katja’s projects and volunteer work:

OPAS Co-Vice President (2023 – present);
Former president and board member of Bainbridge Island Land Trust;
Spear-headed gaining Bainbridge Island Community Wildlife Habitat certification under the National Wildlife Federation (NWF);
Department of Ecology Task Force for Area-Wide Soil Contamination;
Worked on numerous Environmental Management System and Sustainability projects;
Spill response team—authored spill plan for US Coast Guard (USCG) pier in Port Angeles;
Conducted numerous audits at Navy bases; several years of storm water work for USCG in Alaska;
Manager of Environmental Impact reports for Lawrence Livermore Lab;
Conducted a study on a wild horse herd.

As a member of the OPAS Conservation Committee, Katja is team leader for the chapter’s environmental initiative, the North Olympic Wildlife Habitat Project—with the initial goal of community-wide certification for our region under the NWF Wildlife Habitat Program. In her “off” time, Katja creates wildlife habitat on her own 10 acres and cares for her two mini horses.

Education: BS Conservation – Wildlife Biology; MS Agriculture – Range Management; JD Law

For Katja’s willingness to continue serving as OPAS Co-Vice President, the Board is very grateful.

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Melonie Ramsey Bio

Nominee for OPAS Co-Vice President (2025 – 2026 Term)

Melonie fell in love with birding in 2009 upon first meeting avid birder Bret, now her husband. Before relocating to Sequim in 2020, the Olympic Peninsula had always been the Ramsey’s “go to” place for birding vacations with their dogs. Since moving to Sequim, Melonie and Bret have transformed their front lawn into a flourishing display of native plants—enjoyed by neighbors and recognized by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Melonie shares her gardening expertise as a volunteer Habitat Steward with NWF.

Professionally, Melonie practiced as a Registered Nurse in a variety of settings including hospitals and a brain injury rehabilitation facility. Her nursing career led her into the liability insurance industry as a claims adjuster, defending healthcare professionals. Later, she administered the Washington State Joint Underwriting Association, a state insurance program for licensed midwives and birthing centers. Melonie managed the agency, including all board functions, website, and multi-million dollar budget. Although now retired, Melonie continues her consulting work (since 1996) advising nurses and other health care professionals on how to limit their legal exposure through practices that improve patient safety.

Melonie’s volunteer work is summarized as follows:

President, Vice President and Chair of Bylaws and CCR Restatement Committee; Westgate Homeowners Association in Sequim (2021 – 2024);
Secretary and Webmaster for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (2008 – 2013);
Team member, OPAS initiative: North Olympic Wildlife Habitat Project (2024 – present);
OPAS Board Member At-Large (2025 – present).

Education: B.S.N. in Nursing; M.S. in Health Services, specializing in elder care.

Despite being one of the newest members of the OPAS Board, Melonie already is bringing her corporate experience to the table. She considers it her honor to be nominated by the Board for the office of Co-Vice President.

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Sue Dryden Bio

Nominee for OPAS Secretary (2025 – 2026 Term)

Since August 2022, Sue has well-served OPAS as Board Member and Secretary. Sue brings to the Board table her 35 years of experience in Marketing-Communications for Pacific Medical Center in Seattle and for NTT Data in Redmond.

Sue’s volunteer work is summarized as follows:

OPAS Trumpeter/Tundra Swan Study, carrying out weekly surveys from November through March when swans visit our area. (2018–present);
Volunteer with COASST, an organization surveying 450 beaches in northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. (2022–present);
Capital Campaign Committee member, helping to raise funds for the expansion of the formerly-named Dungeness River Audubon Center—now named Dungeness River Nature Center. (2018–2022);
Travel counselor for AAA Washington during the school summer months. (1968 to 1977).

With this re-nomination, the Board expresses its appreciation for Sue’s kind, steady leadership and her willingness to serve another term as OPAS Secretary.

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Karen Cwirla Bio

Nominee for OPAS Treasurer (2025 –2026 Term)

In February 2025, Karen (Cwirla—pronounced swirla) accepted appointment by the OPAS Board as Interim Treasurer to complete the current term ending June 30. Karen and husband Bill (aka William) joined OPAS in the spring of 2024. Since joining, she has become a regular birder on the weekly Wednesday morning bird walks at Railroad Bridge Park.

Originally from Kansas, Karen lived for 29 years in Southern California where she held positions in various financial institutions throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. From 1996 until retirement in 2021, Karen’s main focus was small business support—facilitating Small Business Government Guaranteed Loans. In total, her banking career spanned 45 years.

Karen’s longtime interest in birds was greatly enhanced by numerous trips from 2003 to 2021 to the California Central Coast, watching Great Blue Heron, Egrets, Cormorants, and other wondrous shore birds. This summer, in addition to crunching our OPAS financials, Karen will join the Pigeon Guillemot survey team out at Port Williams, Sequim.

The OPAS Board is grateful to Karen for her smooth transition into the role of Interim Treasurer and her willingness to “re-up” for a full term starting in July.

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These five willing and capable people will be announced officially at the monthly chapter meeting on May 21. The election of officers will take place on June 18 during the regular business of the chapter. Attendance by all members is greatly encouraged!