Our Team

 

 The knowledgeable & professional staff at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary bring extensive and varied credentials in both animal care and nature/science education to our non-profit’s mission. We're proud to work alongside a great group of volunteers who are vital to the success of our organization. Meet our team below!

 

 

 

Julie Schwartz - Executive Director
Julie Schwartz holds Bachelors degrees in Biology and Education from the University of Toledo and a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from the Ohio State University. She has close to 20 years of experience as a professional educator; teaching high school Biology and later serving as a Principal of Discovery School. She has been involved with the Sanctuary since 2016 and has a true passion for nature and environmental education. Julie proudly leads us in our mission and believes in the vital role that non-profits play in making our community a better place to live. 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Tackett — Director of Operations
 Emily Tackett has a Bachelors degree in  Environmental Biology from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She began her career at OBS as an intern and after two years as the Program Coordinator, has taken on the role of Director of Operations. Emily oversees daily operations, the Educational Team, and the Junior Naturalist Program. 

  

 

 

 

Abby Yates - Program Development Coordinator & Volunteer Coordinator

Abby started her career with the Sanctuary by fulfilling the position of Education Intern in the summer of 2022. She is a 2023 graduate from Otterbein University with a double major in Zoo and Conservation Science and Biology. Abby assists in the development and implementation of our educational programs and camps. 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Vanderford — Curator of Animals
Amanda is a licensed veterinary technician with 10 years experience in the care and training of birds. She began her career at OBS as an intern and continued to building her expertise through careers at specialty veterinary hospitals and the Columbus Zoo. Amanda oversees the excellent care of our animals as well as visitor experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Evans- Animal Care Specialist 

 Sarah started her career at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in the Spring of 2023. Driven by her deep love of animals, she made a recent switch from the Criminal Justice field. She works with the Curator of Animals to provide outstanding care to all of the animals in our collection and is also working to train several of our Educational Ambassadors. 

 

 

 

 

 

Clara Zemancik- Environmental Educator

Clara is a 2024 graduate of Ashland University with a degree in Biology. Before joining the full-time Education Team, Clara was involved with the Sanctuary for many years as a camper, Jr. Naturalist, volunteer, and Intern. She loves connecting even the youngest children with nature and leads both our on-site and off-site Preschool programs as well as many others.