Executive Board
Mandy Guinn, President-Elect
By night, Mandy Guinn is a molecular ecologist with a focus on host-pathogen interactions. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she studied bat habitat use and distribution across the Great Plains. She is currently completing her Ph.D. at the University of North Dakota, researching the evolutionary and genomic responses of Little Brown Bats to White-Nose Syndrome, and hopes to defend in December.
By day, Mandy serves as the Department Chair of Environmental Science at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC), where she has been a leader in advancing undergraduate curriculum, research, and STEM programming for over 17 years. She spearheaded the development and accreditation of two Bachelor of Science programs, Environmental Science and Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences, both grounded in hands-on, research-based learning that prepares students for careers in conservation and natural resources. As curriculum committee chair, Mandy has been instrumental in implementing culturally responsive teaching and community-based research initiatives across UTTC. She also works closely with local, regional, and national partners to build strong pipelines that support student transitions into graduate programs and the STEM workforce.
In addition to her role at UTTC, Mandy mentors high school and undergraduate researchers across the U.S. through multiple National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs, including field-based projects in Costa Rica and Panama. Her goal is to help build self-efficacy and STEM identity all while making science accessibility, relevant and achievable.
Mandy lives in Bismarck, with her husband Jeremy, their four kids, Gavin, Xavier, Ezekiel, and Aurora, and their “old man” Ninja (German Shorthaired Pointer). In her spare time she loves to fish but rarely makes it up for the earlier morning bites. She is a night owl by nature and profession.
Curt Francis, President
Curt serves as the East Region Supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department Private Lands Initiative. He oversees the delivery of habitat and hunting access in 30 counties through the Department’s PLOTS program. Before joining the Department, Curt spent time working for agencies including Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USDA – APHIS and USDA – NRCS. He attended NDSU earning a Master’s degree in Zoology examining reproductive investments in Lesser Scaup and a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from Lake Superior State University. Curt originates from the Suburbs or Detroit, MI but has enjoyed calling North Dakota his home since 2003. He enjoys spending time hunting and ice fishing with his wife and daughter and training their two hunting dogs.
Phil Mastrangelo, Past President
In 2015, Phil retired after a 31-year career with USDA Wildlife Services. He began working with Wildlife Services in mid-1980’s as a biological aide and subsequently hit all the rungs as he climbed the career ladder and retired as the State Director for the North Dakota and South Dakota Wildlife Services programs. Phil first joined The Wildlife Society about 45 years ago when he was a student at Eastern Kentucky University where he earned his B.S. degree in Wildlife Management and M.S. degree in Biological Sciences. After starting his professional career, he maintained his TWS membership in each of the states where he worked (KY, TN, TX, WV, MS, ND). As he neared retirement Phil’s doctor told him to stay active and his wife Linda told him to stay out of the house. He now spends his retirement fishing, hunting, tending his small patch of prairie at his home north of Mandan, and assisting Linda, who trains their hunting dogs. He has also been a guest lecturer for the wildlife resource programs at the University of North Dakota and the United Tribes Technical College and enjoys spending time with the next generation of wildlife professionals.
Jodie Provost, Treasurer
Jodie is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, hunter, birder, horse rider, and appreciator of wide open, wild spaces. She hails from North Dakota, graduating from North Dakota State University with a B.S. in Zoology and University of North Dakota with an M.S. in Biology. She worked 30 years for Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as an Assistant Wildlife Manager, Wildlife Resource Assessment Specialist, and Private Land Biologist. Her management experience includes prairie, savanna, shrubland, wetland, and forest. She currently works for the North American Grouse Partnership as their Communications Director. Her volunteerism includes many years with the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society and is ongoing with The Wildlife Society from the local to section to national levels. She is grateful to serve the North Dakota Chapter of TWS!
Jeff Williams, Secretary
Jeff works for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department as a Private Lands Biologist. He is responsible for the delivery and implementation of the Private Lands Initiative (PLI). He coordinates habitat and hunting access projects via PLOTS and other PLI programs in an eight-county area. Prior to joining the Department in 2023, Jeff worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Pheasants Forever in a variety of roles. Jeff is an Associate Wildlife Biologist thru TWS certification. In his free time, Jeff enjoys hunting a variety of game with his Drahthaar, fishing, and sporting clays.
Cara Gregor, Executive Board
Cara Greger grew up on a small grain and livestock farm near Grace City, ND. Her family grew flax, barley and wheat and raised 30 head of Simmental cattle. She graduated in 1998 with a Zoology/ Wildlife Management Bachelor of Science Degree from North Dakota State University. During the summers, she held various bio tech positions for US Fish and Wildlife Service (Arrowwood NWR & Chase Lake NWR) and USGS (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center). After leaving North Dakota in 1998, Cara worked numerous Natural Resource related jobs including: Natural Resource Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, West Africa; Wildland firefighter Minnesota & Iowa for USFWS Big Stone NWR; Wildlife Biologist, Butte, MT BLM; Invasive Species Specialist, MNDNR Lac qui Parle WMA, and from 2010-2021 for Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Parks and Trails division at Lac qui Parle (Natural Resource Park Specialist) and Big Stone Lake (Assistant Manager) State Parks. Currently, Cara works as the Western ND Conservation Coordinator for North Dakota Wildlife Federation. Her focus is on habitat projects related to woody encroachment and using prescribed fire for range management. Partnering with other organizations to work on outdoor and wildlife education with adults and youth are other priorities of her job.
Levi Jacobson, Executive Board
Levi currently works as a Wildlife Resource Management Supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department based in Bismarck. He started with the Department in 2006 as a summer seasonal while attending college. He currently oversees 9 counties and the management of about 33k acres of Wildlife Management Areas that the Department owns or leases. He grew up on a farm and ranch by Warwick, North Dakota and received his BS from the University of North Dakota. When he is not working, he is typically out enjoying North Dakota’s natural resources whether it is fishing with his wife and three daughters, chasing mule deer with a bow and arrow, or following his chocolate lab looking for pheasants.
Heather Husband, Executive Board
Heather found her dream job with the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust as the Meadowlark Initiative Coordinator in 2022, connecting people to programs for grassland and wetland restoration and enhancement. Previous to this she spent about 35 years with a wide variety of NGO, federal, state, and tribal agencies across Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Ducks Unlimited, Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, and the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. Her experience includes wetland and grassland restoration, waterfowl, migratory bird, and T&E species research, wildland firefighting, water quality/watershed monitoring and nonpoint source pollution management, backcountry wilderness safety/maintenance, and conservation partnership development. She has a B.S. in Biology (Wildlife) from Montana State University and an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from North Dakota State University. Originally from Kalamazoo, MI, Heather has called North Dakota home for 27 years and feels most at home on the open prairie in a brisk North Dakota “breeze”.
Torre Hovick, Executive Board
Torre currently serves as an association professor of rangeland wildlife ecology at North Dakota State University. He received his BS at the University of Northern Iowa in biology, MS at Iowa State in wildlife ecology, and PhD at Oklahoma State University in wildlife ecology. Torre joined NDSU in 2014 and during his time there his research program has primarily focused on managing wildlife populations in working rangelands. Both his MS and PhD research focused on the influence of restored disturbance regimes (interacting fire and grazing) on native grassland bird communities. Torre’s interests are focused on maximizing production and conservation in working landscapes and promoting ecosystem services to all North Dakotans. He believes The Wildlife Society is a great avenue to improve our future natural resource leaders and to help promote the importance of wildlife to the state of North Dakota. When not doing research, Torre enjoys taking photos of wildlife and spending time outdoors with his two daughters. As both a researcher and recreationalist in the state of North Dakota, it is my goal to increase and improve outreach and education opportunities about our natural resources with the goal of improving conservation of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to North Dakotans.