Meet our Board of Directors
Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge Board of Directors
Rick Whitecotton
President
Committees: Ex-Officio on all committees
Rick is a retired Union official, he was also a joint facilitator for Union/Management projects at DTE Energy. A Navy veteran, he served as a Reactor Operator on a missile submarine. He earned an A.S. from John A. Logan College. He volunteers in the gift shop, the pollinator habitat project, and several interpretive programs. He was certified as a Master Gardener in both Michigan and Illinois and a Master Naturalist in Illinois. He is also active in many other native plant and stewardship projects in the larger Southern Illinois Community.
Ruie Whitecotton
Secretary
Committees: Membership, Merchandise, Pollinator, Chair Marketing and Media
Ruie Whitecotton graduated with an Associates in Science Degree from John A. Logan College
majoring in Music Education and Business, also studying at Southern Illinois University
Carbondale and Free Will Baptist College, Nashville, TN. Held several clerical positions and
taught Music classes and Typing. Married to Rick Whitecotton for 45 years, they have 3 grown
children and a son-in-law. She was certified a Master Naturalist and a Master Gardener in
Illinois. She has enjoyed working on the Pollinator Project and volunteering at the Visitor’s
Center and Woodland Gift Shop for several years, and has volunteered over 1000 hours for the
Refuge. She is responsible for distributing and creating the Friends Newsletter, the Monthly
Board Minutes, and Membership notification.
Jill Adams
First Vice-President
Committees: Finance and Planning, By-Laws, Nominating
Jill Adams retired having previously worked at Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of
Law. Earned the title JD from the University of New Mexico and MAT degree in English from
the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has been certified as a Master Naturalist in
Illinois.
Jim Osborn
Second Vice-President
Committees: Finance and Planning, Chair Photography and Merchandise
Jim Osborn was born in Cleveland, OH and lived in 7 different States before graduating High
School. Attended Illinois Wesleyan University majoring in Speech Communication and earned a
masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Illinois State University. He worked as
a therapist for 3 years, then dived into health care management. In 1998, he took a job with
the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago as Director for rehabilitation Services with Southern
Illinois Healthcare, retiring from that position in 2017. Before retiring, he began volunteering in
the Visitor’s Center and with the Woodland Gift Shop and joined the Friends Board. Having a
passion for photography, he helped create the Crab Orchard Photography Group. He is the
Manager of our Friends Woodland Gift Shop. Married to his college sweetheart, Mary Jo for 49
years, they have both found a role with the Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge; also on the Board
is his brother Randy. A lover of the natural world, he feels blessed to live in an area as
beautiful and as wild as Southern Illinois.
Committees: Merchandise*, Finance and Planning, Photography
Mary Jo Osborn
Treasurer
Committees: Merchandise, Finance and Planning
Mary Jo grew up in Des Plaines, IL attending Illinois Wesleyan University where she majored in
Biology and met her future husband of 49 years, Jim Osborn. They have 3 outstanding sons, 3
beautiful and capable daughters-in-law, and 11 amazing and talented grandchildren. She
taught Biology at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, IL and later taught a variety of
Sciences, mostly Chemistry, while teaching at Carterville, she earned her Masters Degree at
SIUC. Her happy place, (other than with the grandkids), is the coast of Maine. She and Jim
enjoy traveling, eating at a variety of restaurants, and being with their large family.
Colleen Bogard
Committees: Education
Colleen Bogard is a Lifetime Member of Friends Of Crab Orchard Refuge, having been a member
since the group was formed. Past generations of her family once owned and farmed land that
is now part of the Refuge. She volunteered for many years at the Woodland Gift Shop, and
many other programs with a particular focus on youth outdoor education.
Patrick Malone
Committee: Wetland
Patrick Malone was born and raised in Southern Illinois all around the Crab Orchard Refuge. His
passion is anything to do with the outdoors. Patrick enjoys hunting and fishing along with
spending time with his family.
Don Mullison
Committees: Chair of Wetland, Photography, By-Laws, Nominating
Don Mullison moved to Southern Illinois in 1989 and has enjoyed birding, biking, and hiking in
Southern Illinois ever since. Before going into semi-retirement in 2014, he worked at SIU’s
Counseling Center as a staff Psychologist. He fully retired from SIUC in 2017. Don has been a
birdwatcher for well over 50 years now, and since his retirement he has more seriously pursued
his interest in wildlife photography. He pursues birding and photography throughout the
Southern Illinois region. He is a frequent Facebook poster at the Friends of Crab Orchard and
Photography Website and the Southern Illinois Birding Group Website. Photography is a hobby
he shares with his wife Miriam. They have been responsible for the Crab Orchard Photography
Contest for a number of years.
Randy Osborn
Committees: Chair Membership
Randy Osborn recently retired after over 30 years working in outdoor education, residential
camp programs, therapeutic recreation, and youth services. He was the first Executive of the
Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale from 2004-20017, and for 10 years directed summer camp
programs for people with special needs, including Touch of Nature’s Camp Little Giant. Randy
has a lifelong love of the outdoors and is an avid birdwatcher, hiker, bike rider, and kayaker.
He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Carbondale Breakfast groups, and former board
member of Keep Carbondale Beautiful. In 2021, he celebrated 60 years of Frisbee play by
competing in numerous local, regional, and national disc gold tournaments and leagues.
Janie Pettigrew
Merchandise Committee
Janie Pettigrew was born and raised in Marion, IL. She, and her husband B. J. Pettigrew, were business owners for over 25 years. They ran P & J Builders and Tangles Hair Salon. Raising 4 children through the Marion School System. All of her family are avid nature lovers as well as outdoor sportsmen. Janie has volunteered for Crab Orchard for 2 1/2 years at Devil’s Kitchen and Crab Orchard Campground. She has volunteered at the Visitor’s Center for 1 1/2 years. She is currently the Volunteer Manager for the Refuge and has done an excellent job in that role. She was named Volunteer of the Year this year at the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event held by the Refuge.
Kathy Belletire
Pollinator Habitat Project Team, Finance and Planning, Marketing and Media.
Kathy is a nature artist, an art educator, and gardener. She joined the Friend’s of Crab Orchard Refuge in 2017 and volunteers with the Pollinator Project team. She became a U. of I. Extension Master Naturalist in 2018 and enjoys giving educational programs and classes. Kathy records butterfly species on the Refuge as a member of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, and is part of the Bluebird Nest Box volunteers.