AOK Staff

On January 1, 2021, Audubon of Kansas welcomed a new Executive Director: Jackie Augustine, Ph.D. Longtime Executive Director Ron Klataske, who has been the face of AOK for two decades, retired at the end of 2020. 

Augustine, a former Associate Professor of Biology at the Ohio State University—Lima, has deep Kansas roots. She completed her doctorate at Kansas State University, studying greater prairie-chickens for her dissertation. Her husband is from Salina, and even after moving to Ohio they always hoped to return someday to the Sunflower State.

“I am excited to return to Kansas because when I am in a prairie, I feel more connected to nature than anywhere else,” Augustine told Prairie Wings, the magazine of AOK. “Kansas has so much wildlife to inspire us: male Prairie-Chickens dancing to catch a female’s eye, cranes migrating overhead by the hundreds, flocks of Swainson’s Hawks swirling around the smoke of a dying prairie fire looking for an easy meal, the first call in the spring of an Upland Sandpiper or Common Poorwill, and the list goes on.”

Augustine has an ambitious plan for the future of AOK. She wants to expand the number of Audubon chapters in Kansas, grow AOK’s environmental education and outreach initiatives, and develop an active Advocacy Team engaged in communicating with legislators and attending public hearings to advance environmental policy and law.

Ellen joined the Audubon of Kansas team in December of 2023 and looks forward to amplifying AOK's efforts to expand wildlife sanctuaries and educational opportunities in the central Great Plains. She also serves as a Lecturer in Wichita State University’s Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs and as a board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Heartland Chapter. Prior to these appointments, she served as the Director of Development at the Great Plains Nature Center, Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute at Morehead State University, and Youth Orchestra Manager for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. 

"As a lifelong flutist, I've performed so many flute pieces that are inspired by birdsong or feature soaring melodies that imitate flight. For me, birding has become a great outlet for active listening, musical inspiration, photography, and the exploration of nature. I love discovering new birds (and their sounds!) in a way that helps me connect with both musicians and people who grew up in the rugged outdoors. It brings my two professional worlds together. In my new role at AOK, I hope to serve as an ambassador for both the seasoned birders among us and those of you who are newer to birding. Let's explore the outdoors with expert guides at our side and make a difference for wildlife conservation together!"

As the fifth generation to be raised on a family farm near the Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska, Amy has a passion for prairie conservation. Before joining AOK, she has been the Park Superintendent at Smith Falls State Park and the Executive Director at the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site where she managed operations and habitat restoration while making sure visitors had a great experience.  She also coordinated book and journal publications as the Associate Editor for the South Dakota Historical Society Press and the Nebraskaland magazine, and organized cultural educational programs for Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska - Lincoln.  Throughout her career in conservation, she has accomplished numerous conservation goals including natural and cultural resource protection, prairie and forest habitat management, prescribed burning, invasive species removal, trail development, property and equipment maintenance, and staff and volunteer coordination.