Who We Are

OHPARC is led by two Co-Chairs and an Advisory Board, each serving 2-year terms with elections occurring at the annual meeting.

OHPARC Co-Chairs and Advisory Board:

Jeremy Barkley

Co-Chair

Jeremy Barkley currently works for Great Parks of Hamilton County as the Senior Parks Manager for Woodland Mound. In this role, he and his team maintain both Woodland Mound and Withrow Nature Preserve in Hamilton County. There his team has conducted surveys for different herpetological species and worked on removing harmful invasive species from our natural areas. Jeremy is a 2017 graduate of Wittenberg University, where he majored in Environmental Science with a focus on Wildlife Management. While at Wittenberg he assisted in the husbandry and care of the school’s captive Mexican Kingsnake population, conducted herpetological surveys during several trips to Mississippi, and participated in survey projects for Spotted Turtles and Kirtland’s snakes near Springfield, Ohio. Through his experiences, Jeremy has developed a passion for connecting community members, especially young people, to nature. Because amphibians and reptiles are especially susceptible to environmental changes and habitat loss, it is now more pressing than ever to inspire a new generation to fight for the preservation of natural areas. He is currently the senior co-chair on the advisory board for OHPARC.

Nicole Hafer-Lipstreu

Co-Chair

Nicole is currently a biologist with the Ohio Department of Transportation based out of District 5 and an Adjunct Faculty at Zane State College, where she teaches Field Herpetology. Nicole received an Associate of Applied Science in Recreation and Wildlife from Hocking College, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Education from The Ohio State University, and Master of Science in Conservation Biology from Green Mountain College. She is also a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator specializing in turtles.

Nathan W. Byer

Advisory Board

Nathan obtained his B.S. (2012) and M.S. (2015) from Towson University, where he worked with Dr. Richard Seigel’s herpetology and conservation biology lab, focusing on freshwater turtle conservation biology and ecology. He studied nesting ecology of the Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) for his Master’s thesis research. He then joined Dr. Zach Peery’s conservation biology lab at University of Wisconsin – Madison and completed his doctoral dissertation on the impacts of climate and land use change on Wisconsin’s freshwater turtles (particularly Blanding’s turtles) in 2019. Nathan then served as a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Marjorie Matocq’s conservation genomics lab at University of Nevada – Reno (2020 – 2022) where he studied landscape genetics for desert tortoises and other southwestern species. He started with Cleveland Metroparks in 2022 where he now works as the Research & Database Manager and has focused much of his research towards providing better quantitative support for adaptive management – not only for reptiles, but for other sensitive taxa as well. Within this role, he assists with project coordination, implementation, and analysis for Natural Resource projects across these park areas. He serves as a quantitative expert for a diverse suite of projects, including: camera trapping for baseline wildlife monitoring, breeding bird surveys, baseline vegetation monitoring activities, and primary headwater stream monitoring efforts. He also coordinates a number of herpetological studies as staff herpetological expert, including: AHDriFT monitoring for reptiles and small mammals, Blanding’s turtle monitoring, and snake disease monitoring.

Craig Biegler

Advisory Board

Craig has been a naturalist with the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks since 2013. He currently works at Blendon Woods Metro Park, and has previously been stationed at Blacklick Woods, Highbanks, and Battelle Darby Creek. Craig is a 2009 graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife. While working as an intern at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, he gained a passion for education, especially when discussing snakes, spiders, and other misunderstood animals. Craig has also worked for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and the Columbus Zoo, and he has assisted with research at Denison University, OSU, and The Maria Mitchell Association.

Matt Cross

Advisory Board

Matt is a conservation biologist with a background in landscape ecology and GIS. His research interests are broad, but has focused on conservation planning for reptiles and amphibians by exploring the effects of habitat management and fragmentation on movement and distributions. He currently works as a conservation biologist for the Toledo Zoo where his work includes population assessments and spatial ecology studies of native reptiles and amphibians. Past OHPARC Co-Chair (2017-2021). 

Logan Curfman

Advisory Board

Logan Curfman is a Park Officer, with 6 years experience as a commissioned peace officer and 10 years experience in natural resources. Logan studied Natural Resources Law Enforcement / Wildlife Management at Hocking College. During this time Logan assisted the Kentucky State Fish and Wildlife Service with habitat restoration and vernal pool construction to promote breeding and conservation of the four-toed salamander. He also conducted salamander surveys on the Hocking College Land Lab, cataloging 11 different species. While working for Franklin County and Columbus Metro Parks, Logan served on the salamander monitoring team at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. Under the lead naturalist, Logan was one of the first team members to document nesting marbled salamanders on the property. Logan currently monitors amphibian populations for Preservation Parks of Delaware County. In this role, Logan is assisting with documenting all of the amphibian species across park properties. He has documented 18 species to date.

Ryan Dumas

Advisory Board

Ryan was a late bloomer in the field of wildlife. Although he grew up in Greater Cincinnati spotting Garter Snakes and Leopard Frogs, it wasn’t until his first year in college that the world of Herpetology found him. After interning at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s Reptile House, his path was set. Since graduating from Northern Kentucky University, Ryan has worked in a number of AZA accredited institutions, including the National Aquarium and Bronx Zoo. After returning to Cincinnati in 2014, Ryan realized Cincinnati was home and he has been here ever since! In 2023, After working in Cincinnati for 9 years (and Zoos and Aquariums for 18), Ryan entered a new wildlife profession and is now a Conservation Biologist with Great Parks of Hamilton County! For Ryan, Herpetology has become more than a passion. It’s a way of life. He is also a proud husband and father of two wonderful kids!

Greg Lipps

Advisory Board

Greg is the Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Coordinator at Ohio State University’s Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership.  His career has focused on developing and implementing plans to ensure the conservation of Ohio’s herp species.  Recent projects have included recovery of the Eastern Hellbender and Massasauga.  While his work often includes research to investigate life history requirements or to determine the most effective surveying and monitoring techniques, it just as often is about building relationships with partners and landowners that he believes are necessary for conservation to be successful.  Greg’s work has taken him to every corner of the state, with projects focused on Green Salamanders, Cave Salamanders, Four-toed Salamanders, Spotted Turtles, and Blanding’s Turtles.  He routinely collaborates with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and staff of Ohio’s zoos, land trusts, park districts, soil and water conservation districts, and nature centers.  Greg is originally from Cincinnati, worked as a zookeeper at the Toledo Zoo, is an editor and contributor to Amphibians of Ohio (2013) and Reptiles of Ohio (2021), and is a past Co-Chair of Midwest PARC.  He currently resides in the Oak Openings Region in southeast Fulton County.   https://u.osu.edu/lipps.37/

Tereza Jezkova

Advisory Board

Tereza is an Associate Professor at Miami University where she works as an evolutionary biologist using genetic tools to address various questions about macroevolution (speciation, diversification) as well as microevolution (population demography, connectivity, adaptation). Her biology lab works on several herpetology projects in Ohio, including a conservation genetic assessment of the state endangered Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis). The Smooth Greensnake has disappeared from many localities where it occurred previously. They are using genetic tools to assess the health of the remaining populations in order to better inform conservation strategies. They are also assessing the genetic identity of the Streamside Salamander (Ambystoma barbouri), a species that is currently under consideration for the Endangered Species Act. Their research aims at identifying genes and traits that differentiate it from the Smallmouth Salamander.

Sarah Kitson

Advisory Board

Sarah Kitson works as a Land Steward for Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s southern and western regions. This involves visiting a portion of the many publicly and privately owned properties in northern Ohio that are permanently conserved with conservation easements. Sarah obtained her B.S. in Biology from Kent State University in 2013. During that time, she completed an undergraduate thesis project studying larval wood frog growth in response to vernal pool leaf litter composition. Sarah went on to acquire her M.S. in Biology from Ohio University in 2016 studying hatchling Diamond-backed Terrapin performance and survivorship for her thesis. Sarah is pleased to continue her involvement with the herpetological community by serving on the OHPARC advisory board and working with reptiles and amphibians on permanently conserved properties.

Bill Peterman

Advisory Board

Bill is an Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology with the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University. Originally from Michigan, he has spent time in Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. He has had a life-long passion for reptiles and amphibians, and has had the good fortune to make a career of studying the ecology of these animals. Bill has a particular fondness for plethodontid salamanders, but past and present research has focused on turtles, pool-breeding amphibians, and timber rattlesnakes. Ultimately, his research seeks to answer fundamental ecological questions to serve as the foundation for informed management and conservation of landscapes as well as the wildlife communities that inhabit them. His lab is currently focused on a variety of applied ecological and conservation questions in Ohio and the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Find out more at http://petermanresearch.weebly.com/.

Olivia Ruppert

Advisory Board

Olivia is passionate about landscape and conservation genetics, currently pursuing her PhD at the Ohio State University. She holds both undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Michigan State University in Fisheries & Wildlife, specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Her Master’s thesis focused on using eDNA metabarcoding to study wetland herpetofauna communities across the Midwest, with a focus on threatened and endangered species. Olivia interned with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working on a project addressing snake mortality caused by erosion control methods in Michigan. Throughout her career, she has contributed to a variety of projects, including a habitat suitability study for Eastern red-backed salamanders and community herpetofauna monitoring efforts in central Michigan. Currently, Olivia is collaborating with the Ohio Salamander Population & Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARCnet) to conduct Eastern red-backed salamander surveys, working alongside a team from Ohio Wesleyan University. Her passion for reptiles and amphibians drives her ongoing involvement in research, scientific communication, and conservation initiatives.

Nicholas Smeenk

Advisory Board

Nick has a B.S. in Wildlife Resources from the University of Idaho, an M.S. in Environmental Studies from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Sciences from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. His doctoral research focused on wetland assessment methods in the Great Plains, leading to the development of the Nebraska Wetland Rapid Assessment Method and advancements in amphibian community ecology. Previously, Nick served as a Research Associate with the Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership at The Ohio State University, where he spearheaded research and conservation programs for state-listed reptiles and amphibians, including the Eastern Hellbender, Blanding’s Turtle, Spotted Turtle, and Streamside Salamander, as well as the federally threatened Eastern Massasauga. Nick’s expertise extends to being an Ohio Division of Wildlife Approved Herpetologist for various species and holding a federal recovery permit for the Eastern Massasauga. As a Certified Wildlife Biologist (The Wildlife Society) trained in assessment methods such as ORAM, HHEI, and QHEI, he applies his skills in research, statistical and spatial analysis, and T&E monitoring to support ecological survey, monitoring, and restoration projects in Ohio and beyond.

Megan Seymour

Advisory Board

Megan Seymour is a Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in the Columbus, Ohio Ecological Services Field Office, where she has worked for the past 18 years. Her work is focused on implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) including listing, consultation, recovery, and delisting of endangered and threatened species. She was the co-author of the recovery plan for the federally threatened Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum), and lead for recovery implementation and delisting. The Lake Erie Watersnake was delisted in 2011, the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery nationwide. Megan is currently working on a species status assessment for the Kirtland’s snake (Clonophis kirtlandii), to evaluate if this species warrants listing under the ESA. Megan received her Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Wildlife Management from The Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources, in 2000.

Eileen Wyza

Advisory Board

Eileen Wyza works with the ODNR, Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Terrestrial Diversity Team as a Wildlife Biologist for terrestrial species of greatest conservation need. Eileen earned her Master’s degree and PhD at Ohio University researching conservation, landscape genetics, and spatial patterns of carnivores. While she still works with furry critters with her position at ODOW, endangered herps are also a high priority. She assists in ongoing research, monitors populations of snakes and turtles, and provides regulatory recommendations to minimize impacts to these imperiled species. One of her biggest passions in the herp world is helping the state and partners develop a protocol for confiscated turtles from the illegal trade industry that will enable these turtles to be released or incorporated into captive breeding programs.

Past Board Members:

Aaron Crank

Advisory Board (2022-2024)

Brian Banbury

Advisory Board (2021-2023)

Richard Phillips

Advisory Board (2021-2023)

Ryan Wagner

Advisory Board (2020-2022)

Valorie Titus

Advisory Board (2021-2022)

Mick Miccachion

Advisory Board (2021-2022)

Jenny Richards

Advisory Board (2020 – 2022)

Teal Richards-Dimitrie

Advisory Board (2020 – 2022)

Pete Johangten

Advisory Board (2018-2020)

Meaghan Gade

Advisory Board (2017-2020)

Kate Parsons

Advisory Board (2017-2019)