Click their names to learn more about them
Michael has spent the last 38 years working in the Financial Services industry in various finance roles. As his full-time career winds down he's looking forward to leveraging his lifelong interest in conservation and animal welfare and is pleased to assume his role as the new Treasurer of HOBAS on July 2020.
Melissa Sinka is a designer with a passion for conservation and the environment. She spends her free time on the beaches of Long Island and in the mountains of Upstate, NY, observing and volunteering for wildlife. She plans to attend graduate school for sustainability studies and is working towards living a 100% zero waste life style. Melissa joined the HOBAS Board of Directors this July 2020 as our Recording Secretary to give back to her local bird and human communities alike.
recently welcomed two future conservationists to the family-twin boys, born in October 2016.
Sonia Garrido is the Field Trip Chair and Publicity Co-Chair for Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon. She became involved in the organization in 2014 after attending a beach cleanup and connecting with the mission of the organization and join the Board of Directors in 2015. Having been passionate about wildlife and the environment from a young age, she studied Environmental Policy at the University of Kansas, where she became interested in sustainable development.
She worked in Peru at CAPIS Nonprofit where she developed environmental projects dedicated to increasing the financial means of less privileged populations as well as addressing environmental concerns. She currently works in the Communications department at Stony Brook University and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Stony Brook University and a Certificate in Public Relations from New York University.
In her spare time, Sonia loves reading, watching foreign films, traveling to far away lands and playing with her adorable dog Roxy (aka Poopsie).
Coby Klein is an ecologist and adjunct professor at Baruch College. For the past 18 years, Coby has been a birder, bird bander, bird researcher, and general all around bird enthusiast. Coby leads popular field trips for HOBAS and was the coordinator of a bird survey project at Underhill Preserve. He lives in Huntington with his wife, Nomi, and three children, Eliana, Ezra, & Eitan. Look for Coby early in the morning at Makamah Preserve or wandering the Pine Barrens and in the evening in his kitchen making dinner.
Simone DaRos grew up on Long Island and was fortunate enough to spend her summers in Montauk. Being surrounded by the unspoiled East End of Long Island helped to nurture her deep love of nature. Simone grew up with many unusual pets, in a family who loved all animals, great and small. She joined the board in 2006 and now holds the role of Vice President. A first grade teacher in the Huntington School District for over 20 years, Simone enjoys traveling, birding, hawk watching, wildlife rehabilitation and exploring habitats on nature walks and hikes.
After running her non-profit solid waste reduction organization for 20 years, Julie Sullivan presently sits on Huntington’s Conservation Board, restoring Carpenter Farm Park’s meadows to native plants. She also runs her blog, Go Native LI, which is focused around restoring native plant biodiversity. Following a HOBAS donation of 40 native shrubs, Julie became involved with Audubon's Plants for Birds, and happily anticipates serving on HOBAS' Board of Directors as the Conservation Chair beginning July 2020.