Elections are a vital part of how the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) ensures transparent, democratic, and representative leadership. Every three years, members have the opportunity to shape the direction of the organization by electing officers and council members who guide IBA’s work in research, conservation, and community engagement.
In accordance with the IBA bylaws, a Nominations Committee is appointed to oversee the process of identifying and presenting candidates for open positions. The committee’s work includes preparing a slate of candidates, opening a formal nomination period for members, and ensuring that the election process is fair and inclusive. Following the Committee’s nominations, current IBA members have an opportunity to nominate other members or self nominate.
Election cycles alternate with open positions for President, Vice President Americas, Treasurer and 2 Council seats followed by an election for Vice President Eurasia, Secretary and 3 Council seats. Each elected position serves a three-year term, beginning on 10 January of the following year. For example, positions elected in the 2020 election cycle served terms running from 10 January 2021 through 09 January 2024.
2025 is an important election year for the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA). Members will be voting to fill leadership positions for the upcoming Council term, which will run from 10 January 2026 through 9 January 2029.
In accordance with the IBA Bylaws, the President appointed a Nominations Committee earlier this year to oversee the process. The committee—comprising Agnieszka Sergiel (Poland), Gordon Stenhouse (Canada), and Frank T. van Manen (USA)—worked diligently to identify experienced and qualified candidates for the open positions: President, Vice President – Americas, Treasurer, and two Council seats. This process requires both time and a deep understanding of Council’s responsibilities, as well as careful consideration of eligible members who can best serve the association.
In addition to the candidates put forward by the Nominations Committee, three additional candidates were nominated during the open member nomination period. The complete candidate list is provided below.
To participate in the election, your IBA membership must be current at the time of balloting and meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Article II, Section 2 of the Bylaws. If your membership has lapsed for three or more years, it must be renewed by 15 September 2025. New members must have joined by 1 September 2025 in order to be eligible to vote. You can check your membership status or renew by logging into the IBA Membership Portal.
Voting will take place online. Ballots will be open in mid November and will close on 15 December 2025. Please review the IBA bylaws for detailed information.
Canada
I am an emeritus research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources having studied black bears and polar bears in Ontario until I retired in 2016. I joined IBA shortly after becoming involved in a long-term study of black bears in Ontario’s boreal forest in 1989. IBA’s mission to advance the scientific understanding and conservation of the eight bear species has been close to my heart ever since. I have served IBA in a variety of ways in the past – on Council I served two terms as a Council member (2011-2013, 2014-2016 ), and one term as VP Americas (2017-2019). I was head of the planning committee for the 20th IBA Conference held in Ottawa in 2011, and following that conference became a member of IBA’s Conference Advisory Committee, a role I maintain to now. Beginning in 2016 for the Anchorage conference, I was asked to chair IBA’s Travel Grants Committee and have continued in that role since then. I’ve been one of the AEs for Ursus under four editors and have published several articles in Ursus. Elsewhere, I’ve been a member of IUCN’s Polar Bear Specialist Group for 25 years.
I was a Council member when in 2018, under the leadership of former Presidents Karen Noyce and Andreas Zedrosser, Council developed a transition strategy to move IBA forward from a largely volunteer-driven organization to one with professional staff, all to increase IBA’s impact on conservation of bears. I’ve watched from the sidelines as parts of that strategy were implemented, some very successfully (Director of Operations and Programs), some less successfully (Executive Director) but IBA has made important advances in moving towards becoming a professionally-run organization, including its new enhanced website and a vibrant social media presence. As President, I would work to ensure IBA continues to develop in this way, and would work to help ensure IBA is serving the needs of its many members around the world.
United States of America
I am a wildlife ecologist broadly trained, with my first opportunity to work with bears as an undergraduate student, participating in American black bear den checks and summer radio-tracking in northern Wisconsin, USA. Fast forward to present, I am the Boone and Crockett Chair of Wildlife Conservation at Michigan State University, USA. Though my research has diversified taxonomically and geographically over my career, becoming rather global, bear research and management has remained integral. I have been an IBA member for quite some time, and beyond attending conferences my involvement has centered on the journal Ursus, where I served as an Associate Editor since 2005 and Editor-in-Chief (EiC) during 2012–2017. While EiC I also served as an Ex-Officio member of IBA Council and Chair of the Publications Committee.
When first contacted about this nomination, I was both surprised and humbled. However, if elected I would be honored to serve IBA as Vice-President Americas. I have long appreciated the openness, collegiality, and outright kindness of IBA members and am committed to our shared goal to advance scientific understanding and global conservation of the world’s bear species. I consider the diversity and talents of IBA members as our greatest strength and if elected, I will commit to furthering our welcoming and inclusive group, while emphasizing science-based bear conservation and management across the Americas.
Profiles: Michigan State University; ResearchGate; Google Scholar.
Canada
My 21-year career has been driven by a passion for wildlife conservation, particularly human-bear coexistence. I’ve had the privilege of working with government agencies, communities, and industries across North America, developing and delivering wildlife conflict reduction programs. This work includes founding Bear Safety & More Inc in 2012, a consulting firm that provides training and expertise to various sectors. Through this work, I’ve trained thousands of individuals in bear safety and collaborated with leading companies to create robust safety protocols, policies and bear hazard assessments. I’m also deeply proud of my role in spearheading the WildSmart program in the Canadian Rockies, which has become a model for human-wildlife safety initiatives in North America.
Serving on the volunteer organizing committee for last year’s IBA conference in Edmonton deepened my commitment to our shared mission. That experience reinforced my conviction that my hands-on field experience, combined with my ability to connect with diverse stakeholders—from researchers to community leaders—makes me a strong candidate for Vice President. I am eager to help bridge the gap between crucial scientific understanding and its practical, on-the-ground application.
I envision the IBA as a global leader in advancing bear science and effectively communicating it to the public and policymakers. I am committed to supporting our dedicated staff, diversifying our funding to strengthen our grants program, and helping to implement the organization’s goals to support the next generation of bear professionals. Together, we can ensure a sustainable future for bears and the people who live alongside them.
United States of America
I have been studying bears for the past 33 years and have been fortunate to conduct research involving the three North American bear species (polar, black, brown) and the Indian sloth bear. I began my involvement with brown bears at Katmai National Park as a research biologist then moved to Anchorage and worked there with all three North American species, the main focus of the work being human-bear conflicts and their resolution. Polar Bears International have provided both opportunity and funding for work with that species. The National Park Service has funded work with both black and brown bears in Alaska. I moved to Utah in 2006 and have been a professor of wildlife and wildland conservation at Brigham Young University, both educating students and continuing bear research. Working with Wildlife SOS – India, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with their scientists to address sloth bear issues in India. I’d be honored to serve as the treasurer and to help the IBA fulfill its mission to ensure all bear species can thrive and coexist with humans by fostering research, disseminating scientific knowledge through publications and conferences, providing grants for conservation efforts, and offering professional advice on bear management.
Italy
An ecologist by training, I have been fascinated by large carnivore conservation since my undergraduate years. My interest in bears began about ten years ago in Romania, where as a young trainee I witnessed coexistence between people and carnivores in the Carpathians — a life-changing experience. I later returned to Italy to pursue a PhD on the recovering Trentino brown bear population, examining how human disturbance affects bear ecology, movement, and behaviour. Over time, my research expanded into a comparative approach, contrasting the recovering Alpine population with long-established populations in the Romanian Carpathians and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, integrating behavioural ecology, population dynamics and physiological responses to inform conservation and policy. I routinely collaborate across academia, government and NGOs, co-designing research with managers, building capacity, and mentoring students (some are active IBA members). I have been an IBA member since 2018 (Ljubljana was my first conference, and I have not missed one since) and have formed lasting collaborations and friendships across continents and disciplines, which continue to enrich both my research and personal growth. IBA is a benchmark for bear conservation and management, and its strength lies in its community, inclusivity, and trust. If elected to Council, I will build on IBA’s strengths to expand equitable access to opportunities across regions and career stages, deepen links between science and management, and foster cross-regional knowledge exchange by leveraging my international experience and ongoing comparative projects. Above all, I want to help strengthen the sense of community and trust that makes IBA unique, while ensuring this network continues to advance bear conservation worldwide — and give back to the organization that has supported my own growth as a researcher.
Unite States of America
My career has centered on human–carnivore coexistence in North America, Africa, and Asia. My Ph.D. focused on large carnivore conservation and management, and I have published over 20 peer-reviewed studies on the topic. Having lived and worked in 13 countries, I bring a global perspective and an appreciation for multi-faceted approaches to bear biology.
I have served as the Statewide Black Bear Coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) since 2024, where I lead the Black Bear Program. I published the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California in 2025, the state’s first black bear plan in 27 years. I am implementing new monitoring and regulatory actions focused on black bears, including an integrated population model that combines harvest, camera trap, and local density data to inform management. I am also working to bring the Western Black Bear Workshop to California in 2026 for the first time to strengthen collaboration among agency black bear programs across western North America. California has the world’s densest black bear populations, alongside 40 million people, making it an ideal “laboratory” for bear biology and ensuring there is never a dull moment in my work!
I have been an IBA member since 2023 and am eager to serve as Councilor to collaborate with fellow bear biologists, foster evidence-based coexistence, and encourage the cross-pollination of ideas. My vision for the IBA emphasizes stronger international collaboration, supporting the use of science to inform policy, and advancing creative, modernized solutions to conserve, study, and better understand the world’s eight bear species.
Webpage: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Black-Bear
Germany
Bears have fascinated me since childhood and guided my professional path. For the past ten years, I have dedicated my career to the Foundation for Bears – Wildlife and Species Protection in Germany, first as project manager and, for the last six years, as Director. Our foundation operates two sanctuaries where we rescue bears from poor conditions and provide them with natural habitats – places where they can once again live as bears.
In addition, I have been actively engaged in brown bear management across Europe. Our work includes advising, cooperating, and finding practical solutions for coexistence between people and bears in countries such as Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia, and Ukraine. I am convinced that only through collaboration and compromise with all stakeholders we can secure a lasting future for bears in Europe.
My first IBA conference was in Ljubljana 2018, and since then, I have felt a strong bond with this community. Each conference feels like coming home – sharing knowledge, experiences, and inspiration that strengthen our daily work and improve the lives of bears.
Serving on the IBA Council would be an honour. I am eager to contribute my experience and passion in addressing human–bear conflicts, one of the most pressing issues for coexistence in Europe. At the same time, I bring a special focus on bears in captivity, their welfare, and species-appropriate care. With your support, I will dedicate my energy to ensuring that all bears – wild and captive – have a better future.
Estonia
I work as a researcher at the University of Tartu, Estonia. Over the past 25 years, I have studied various aspects of brown bear biology, such as diet, denning site selection, and population genetics, to ongoing human-related studies on bear damage to bees and human attitudes toward bears. I attended my first bear conference in 2007 in Mexico, and became a member of IBA in 2011. I received several IBA travel grants during my student years. I highly appreciate the always constructive and science-based, yet warm atmosphere that prevails at IBA.
If elected, I will do my best to bring forward the excellent and effective work of the IBA despite the current very turbulent times. I believe that close cooperation and knowledge exchange among IBA members, as well as the involvement of young members, is essential to ensure that scientific data reaches society and politics, and that achievements in bear conservation are preserved and promoted.
United States of America
Thank you for the opportunity to run for IBA Council, an organization I am proud to have joined in 1999. Over the years, I have supported IBA’s mission by attending multiple conferences in Europe and North America, serving on a conference policy subcommittee, reviewing abstracts, contributing to International Bear News, and publishing in and reviewing for Ursus. I am eager to serve on Council and contribute in new ways at a time when science and evidence-based decision-making face unprecedented challenges globally.
My MSc and PhD at the University of Montana focused on developing tools to assess and monitor bear populations and advancing understanding of the drivers of population performance. Since 2017, I have been a Certified Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society and an Associate Editor at the Journal of Wildlife Management, primarily handling bear-related publications. While much of my career has focused on population ecology and monitoring, I have also worked on human–wildlife conflicts, bear diet and stress, outreach, and education. Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students has been perhaps the most rewarding aspects of my career, and I consider it a vital responsibility for our future. My professional path has included roles with state and federal agencies, nonprofits, academia, and consulting. Across all settings, I have strongly advocated for collaboration among all stakeholders.
These diverse experiences have reinforced my commitment to science and evidence-based management. Serving on Council would allow me to help IBA strengthen its leadership in science-driven conservation and support the next generation of bear biologists.
www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-stetz-phd-508b4851
https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/js-faculty-profile
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=oE6Iy2sAAAAJ
Romania
I began working on bear conservation in 2006 and since 2012 I have increasingly being interested on bear ecology research in the Romanian Carpathians. My work can be fitted at science–policy–practice interface, and my interest was to collaborate with managers and local communities to design and implement practical projects. I’m an IBA member since 2014. My first engagement with the community was at the 2010 IBA conference in Georgia, where I saw the bear specialist network energy. Since then, with the support of IBA I learn new methods, stay current with bear science, and connect with colleagues. Many bear researchers and practitioners, work in difficult conditions shaped by local politics changes, limited resources, and uneven institutional support. I want to be part of the effort of our community to narrow these gaps. Reinforcing the bridge between research and management, making practitioner voices stronger, and improving access to research tools and peer support should be instruments for all of us. I see IBA as a capacity-builder that: supports regional networks, is mentoring for early- and mid-career professionals, offers practical toolkits for policy engagement, seeds collaborations through small grants and advisory teams.
Web: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mihai-Pop-8?ev=hdr_xprf
Spain/Poland
My fascination with bears started during my PhD research on scavengers in Białowieża Forest (Poland), when I literally dreamt of seeing a bear at a carcass I was observing. In 2019, that dream became reality: a bear reappeared in Białowieża Forest, on both the Polish and Belarusian sides, 140 years after being extirpated. Unfortunately, the border wall built in 2022 along the Polish border and much of the eastern European frontier has since halted the potential for recolonization.
Since 2005, as a researcher at the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences, I have promoted bear research in Poland, built a committed bear research team, and disseminated knowledge through a dedicated website. I coordinated the Management Plan for brown bears in Poland, help developing the monitoring program and led and/or contributed to over a dozen research projects. One of these, the BearConnect project, has evolved into an initiative connecting bear researchers to share, integrate, and mobilize data, enabling answers to large-scale questions to support bear conservation.
I have been an IBA member for over a decade and Associate Editor of Ursus since 2017, and am also a member of the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group and the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe. With challenging times ahead, I believe IBA must strengthen its role in policy and conservation. I am particularly concerned about human-bear conflicts linked to artificial feeding and poor waste management. As a Council member, I aim to promote research on bears’ ecological roles, foster science-based advocacy, and advance proactive conservation.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_Myf0AEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Spain
My lifelong connection with bears began in the early 1980s, when I joined some brown bear projects in the Apennines (Central Italy). But at that time, such a charismatic species was almost unattainable for a young researcher in Italy. Later, after moving to Spain and becoming a tenured scientist at the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), I decided to relocate to Asturias, in northwestern Spain, to establish a research group dedicated to a long-term study of the small, isolated, and endangered brown bear population of the Cantabrian Mountains. There, I founded the Cantabrian Brown Bear and Otter Research Group (CBORG, www.cantabrianbrownbear.org), bringing together CSIC and León University researchers, along with master’s students and pre- and postdoctoral fellows. One of my greatest commitments is training young researchers, and I do my best to support the development of their careers. Working with bears, and with carnivores in general, can be a complex task, as conflicts among people often overshadow human–wildlife conflicts. For this reason, alongside my passion for carnivore ecology and behaviour, I always emphasise to my students the importance of intellectual honesty and scientific integrity. This perspective is also reflected in the book I recently edited, Bears of the World (Cambridge University Press, 2021), a collaborative effort involving nearly 200 authors, which illustrates how much I value teamwork and collective knowledge. In addition, I have developed a research-, conservation-, and outreach-oriented Twitter/X account with >2,800 followers (https://twitter.com/CantabrianBear). I also enjoy editorial and organizational work: I currently serve as a Senior Editor for Animal Conservation, as Associate Editor for Ursus, and as a member of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group. I would be truly enthusiastic about contributing further to the IBA by serving as a Councillor, and I am honoured to have been nominated for this position.
