WPBO Staff

Tony Janisch - Executive Director

Tony Janisch is the Executive Director or the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, working full-time and year round at the Paradise office.  Tony has nearly 20 years of experience working for and managing environmental education and interpretive facilities.

Tony comes to WPBO from Illinois, where he worked as an Instructor for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (WI), teaching adult basic photovoltaics (solar electric) workshops and youth renewable energy programs.  Before this, Tony was the Environmental Education Supervisor for the Forest Preserve District of Will County.  He directly managed the Environmental Learning Center and oversaw the education programs at three other facilities.

Tony has a Masters in Recreation Administration from Aurora University (IL) and a Bachelors in Natural Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.  Migrating from Illinois with Tony are his wife Tara and their two small daughters.

Chris Neri and Nova Mackentley - Owl Banders

Chris Neri & Nova Mackentley have returned as the WPBO owl banders this spring & summer. Chris is returning for his 22nd season, and Nova is returning for her 16th season. They love the U.P. and have enjoyed their work here, both as owl banders and as past co-directors (2 yrs). Whitefish Point and its wonders have inspired much of their photography, which can be seen at nightflightimages.com.

A lifelong birder, Chris became particularly fascinated with owls at the age of eight. He has worked with birds of prey in NV, NJ, NM, ID, CA, OR and his home state of PA. Since the spring of 1999 his main focus has been the owl migration at Whitefish Point.

Nova graduated from Oberlin College, and has worked at various field sites all over the country. She landed her first owl banding job in Duluth in 2003, and has been working with raptors ever since. She spent three winters in Texas working with endangered Ocelots (a wild cat), but owls draw her back to Whitefish Point each year.

Cory Ritter - Hawk Counter

Cory Ritter has been a traveling field ornithologist since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall of 2008.  In addition to counting hawks in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, Cory has also banded passerines in California and conducted breeding bird surveys in Pennsylvania and Colorado before becoming Whitefish Point’s newest Spring Hawk Counter. His love for raptors is only surpassed by his love for the Midwest, and he truly considers himself at home here at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory.  

Karl Bardon - Waterbird Counter

Karl returns to Whitefish Point from a several year hiatus.  Karl last worked for WPBO in 2006.  Karl hales from Duluth, MN; where he has been counting birds for Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory.  Give Karl a hearty welcome back when you stop out to the Waterbird Shack to see the daily migration.

Joanne Selbee - Gift Shop Manager

Joanne Selbee moved to Paradise in 1992 and began working for WPBO in October of the same year. When asked about her long-time experience at the Point, Joanne replies: It is not a place you just pass through, it’s a destination. Almost every year we have visitors from at least 46 or more states. Lots of different countries have also visited.  I love seeing some of the same people stop in just to say hi every year and see how we’re doing. People have always loved our gift shop with the variety of things that we have carried over the years. Joanne, who has a teaching degree, is well-known for helping guests identify the birds, wildflowers, trees, berries, and rocks that make Whitefish Point such a unique natural treasure.

Betty Maxson - Kettle Korp Ambassador

Betty Maxson has been a WPBO member since the early ’80s and is a very active volunteer for us. She has lived in Paradise for 14 years. Betty's knowledge about the area back roads and where to find many sought after bird species makes her especially popular with our visitors.