Meet the Board of The Virginia Osprey Foundation

Joanie Millward, Executive Director

Joanie Millward has had a lifelong passion for wildlife and animals. Even as a child, she was known for trying to help injured birds and dreamed of one day becoming a wildlife rehabilitator.

After retiring from her career as Clerk of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Joanie and her husband, Barry, relocated to Colonial Beach in 2017. There, she discovered a new passion while watching an osprey pair build a nest, raise their young, and successfully fledge their chicks just beyond her backyard. Fascinated by these remarkable birds, Joanie immersed herself in learning everything she could about ospreys and their conservation.

When the opportunity arose to join the Osprey Festival Committee in 2022, Joanie eagerly became involved. In 2023, she chaired the committee, rebranded the event as the Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach, and, together with a small group of dedicated friends, founded the Virginia Osprey Foundation. She was elected President of the Foundation and has served in that role since June 2023.

Joanie also obtained her Virginia Category IV Wildlife Rehabilitator Permit. Alongside Barry, she has assisted in the rescue and transport of numerous wildlife species, including eagles, owls, vultures, hawks, raccoons, and osprey chicks. One of her most memorable experiences was participating in the successful release of a rehabilitated Great Horned Owl back into the wild.

Today, Joanie dedicates her time to advancing the Foundation's mission of protecting ospreys and their habitat through science, education, advocacy, and community engagement. She and Barry continue to explore and learn about the wildlife that surrounds them, and she considers herself fortunate to live in what she proudly calls "the best place in the world"—Colonial Beach, Virginia.

Yen Zuniga - Treasurer

Jenny Grimes, Secretary

Jenny Grimes is a painter and fiber artist who lives full time in Colonial Beach. She and her husband love living by the water, where daily walks, bike rides, and kayaking feed her creativity and appreciation for small‑town life. An avid traveler and road‑tripper, Jenny explores coastal and inland birding hotspots across the Mid‑Atlantic and beyond, documenting outings in watercolor travel journals, field sketches, and nature notes.

Now retired from a career as a systems consultant and project manager in the energy industry, Jenny has held leadership roles with several nonprofits. She delights in volunteering with the Virginia Osprey Foundation, supporting education and environmental stewardship through outreach, event coordination, and advocacy. Her work and travels reflect a lifelong commitment to art, nature, and community.

Cindy Ligon, Board Member

Relatively new to Colonial Beach, Cindy retired to Virginia from Nashville, TN in 2021. She instantly fell in love with the river and, of course, the wildlife. Smitten with the Osprey, she volunteered at the 2022 Festival and was hooked.

A child development specialist by trade, one of Cindy's roles with the Foundation is to make learning about and advocating for Virginia's wildlife attainable to children of all ages. Connecting children to nature has positive benefits for child development but also creates good stewards for the natural world.

Annemarie Bairstow, Board Member

Annemarie has over 30 years of project management and community service experience. Most recently, she headed the Skyland Workforce Center, a project of Building Bridges Across the River. At the Workforce Center, she instituted several new programs and partnerships, resulting in over 200 job placements in 2022.

Before Skyland, Annemarie was the VP of Marketing and Communications at WC Smith, where she was responsible for marketing strategy, internal and external communications, and public relations.

At WC Smith, she helped found the Skyland Workforce Center and ran the Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides paid summer jobs and workshops to 50-60 young people annually.

Before joining WC Smith, Annemarie worked extensively with business improvement districts. She was Executive Director of the BID Council, as well as Executive Director of the Adams Morgan BID and Transportation Director at the Downtown DC BID. She managed Councilmember Mary Cheh’s first election campaign and served four years on the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Annemarie has a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Virginia and a BA from Swarthmore College. She is also a graduate of the Leadership Greater Washington program.

Luna Nordstrom Board Member

Luna Nordstrom is a lifetime summer brat of Colonial Beach, spending every childhood summer cruising on beach bikes with her cousins, swimming in the Potomac River, and eating crabs on the porch with fans blowing. Osprey were a constant fascination, along with the Herons in Monroe Bay. Now a full-time resident, Luna and her husband moved from Colorado a couple of years ago to be in the town she loves most in the world. Being here has focused her interest on all things Osprey, learning all she can about their behaviors, environments, diet, and conservation.

Luna is a former elementary school teacher, relentlessly curious about the world around her, and passionate about supporting local artists of all kinds while dabbling in creating art for herself. She draws inspiration from 30 years of belly dancing, traveling the world, gardening, and wildlife watching. Once upon a time ago she owned an eclectic imports shop. Luna curates a unique playlist and loves a good book.

Peter M. Mecca, PhD, Board Member

Educator and Scientist

Adjunct Professor of Biology, University of Maryland Global Campus

Science Education Consultant

High School Biology & Environmental Science Teacher (Ret. June, 2020)

Commonwealth of Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District Conservation Education Teacher of the Year, 2015

Dr. Mecca has served as a science teacher (MD, NY, VA), science education consultant (Kuwait, Egypt), school administrator (NY), and a faculty member at multiple universities (UMGC, Georgetown, SUNY-Oneonta, UW-La Crosse). He was also the Instructional Systems Specialist for Science with DoDEA (U.S. Department of Defense Schools) and has enjoyed working with and learning from many successful educators and students.

Michael Academia, Science Advisor

Michael Academia, M.Sc. Biology - William & Mary, won the 2022 William Andersen Award at the International Raptor Research Conference for his research involving ospreys and the localized depletion of Atlantic menhaden in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. He is very passionate and dedicated to ospreys and citizen science. He has produced scientific articles regarding osprey diet composition, ecology, demographics, predator-prey relationships, and citizen science.

Below are a few of his articles of osprey research:

Food Supplementation Increases Reproductive Performance of Ospreys in the Lower Chesapeake Bay

Use of Nest Web Cameras and Citizen Science to Quantify Osprey Prey Delivery Rate and Nest Success

Deborah Newman, Web Designer/Marketing Advisor
She is the owner of Petite Taway Inc, a web design and social media marketing company specializing in working with small businesses and nonprofits. Deborah designs websites for a host of non profit organizations and businesses throughout the United States and abroad. She provides social media and web management training, designs marketing materials, and creates fundraising plans.

Deborah also provides direction, guidance, and training to aspiring entrepreneurs as well as our startup nonprofits. Her passion is helping people who have faced obstacles succeed in business and in life. She currently sits on the board of the Westmoreland County Historical Society, The RappArts Council and is Vice President of the Colonial Beach Historical Society & Museum. Contact Info: arts@petitetaway.com