FESTIVAL COMMITTEE
Joanie Millward, Chair
Joanie has had a lifelong passion for wildlife. After moving to Colonial Beach in 2017 and having the opportunity to sit in her backyard and watch an osprey pair build their nest, raise and fledge their young, that passion came into focus When the opportunity came to be a part of the osprey festival committee in 2021, she was all in. She is also an advisor to the Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival.
She and her husband, Barry, continue to learn about the wildlife that surrounds them and in particular the osprey. She is retired and enjoys what she refers to as “living in the best place in the world, Colonial Beach”.
Jenny Grimes
Painter and fiber artist Jenny Grimes has been a part-time Colonial Beacher for 10 years. She, husband, and corgi are hoping to make CB their permanent home soon (once they figure out the whole downsizing thing).
Jenny is currently Treasurer of George Mason Friends, Inc., a friends of the library non-profit in Annandale, Virginia and is serving on the Board of Colonial Beach Greenspace as Membership Director. Now retired, in her past life Jenny was a systems consultant and project manager in the energy industry.
Cindy Ligon
Cindy Ligon retired to Colonial Beach in 2021 from Nashville, TN following a wonderful 40 year career as a Child Development Specialist.. She and her husband fell in love with this quirky river town and CB's seasonal residents, the majestic Osprey!
Because Cindy's passions include connecting children and families with nature in an authentic and meaningful way, she is delighted to be a part of the family friendly Virginia Osprey Festival.
Pam Narney
Pam Narney is an educator, naturalist, and Osprey lover. Pam’s love of Ospreys was one of the inspirations for the Colonial Beach Osprey Festival. Through her presentations at festivals and blogs on The Colonial Beach Osprey Festival website, she has shared and spread that interest and love with many others.
Although not a trained scientist or ornithologist, she is an academic with a Ph.D., a teacher, and a certified Virginia Master Naturalist with a curious mind. She has been observing Osprey for over 20 years.
It was love at first sight when she and her husband John bought a weekend house in Colonial Beach from which they could observe all kinds of Osprey activity. Later when they settled permanently in nearby Placid Bay, they built an Osprey nesting platform right off their pier and have hosted an Osprey family ever since.
The two main sources Pam uses for her blogs and presentations are Alan F. Poole’s 1989 scientific study “Ospreys: A Natural and Unnatural History” and David Gessner’s lyrical and inspiring “Return of the Osprey.”
Jessica Ruthenberg
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Advisor
Jessica Ruthenberg is a Watchable Wildlife Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, where she has worked for over eight years promoting and providing opportunities for wildlife viewing and fostering public appreciation for wildlife and habitat.
She coordinates the statewide Virginia Bird & Wildlife Trail and has worked with several partners to plan many Virginia birding and wildlife viewing festivals over the years, amongst numerous other projects, including co-authoring the Virginia Wildlife Viewing Plan. She is a Board Member of the Virginia Society of Ornithology and Chapter Advisor for the Virginia Master Naturalists Tidewater Chapter.
Prior to her work in Virginia, Jessica worked for six years with a variety of conservation-focused organizations in the non-profit, academic, and government sectors (working everywhere from Los Angeles to Texas to Michigan to DC), during which much of her work revolved around the conservation of birds and wildlife habitat, as well as working as an environmental educator to engage diverse urban audiences in wildlife viewing and nature.
Jessica holds a M.S. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Michigan where she specialized in Conservation Biology and Environmental Behavior, Education and Communication. Originally from Michigan, she loves birding, hiking, and camping and now resides in Norfolk with her family.