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.
2026 is an 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 2027 through 9 January 2030.
In accordance with the IBA Bylaws, the President appointed a Nominations Committee earlier this year to oversee the process. The committee—comprising Jerry Belant (United States), Viviana Albarracín Dávalos (Bolivia), and Andrea Corradini (Italy)—worked diligently to identify experienced and qualified candidates for the open positions: Vice President – Eurasia, Secretary, and 3 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, 2 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 2026. New members must have joined by 1 September 2026 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 2026. Please review the IBA bylaws for detailed information.
Croatia
I was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1950 and I work with bears since 1981, what means 45 years. After graduation in veterinary medicine in 1975, I specialized in ecology 1977 (master’s degree) and in wildlife parasitology (PhD in 1979). All my life I worked at the Biology Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where I was primarily teaching Zoology and Ecology. In 1979/80 I was on a Fulbright grant in Wild Animal Disease Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Since 1981 I am conducting a brown bear study in Croatia, which in 1996 expanded to the “Study of large carnivores in Croatia” (bear, wolf and lynx). It included radio-telemetry and various aspects of morphological, physiological, nutritional and genetic studies. I lead projects supported by National Geographic Society, International Bear Association, Euronatur, Bernd Thies Foundation, U.S. – Croatian science technology program, LIFE Wolf, LIFE COEX, GEF KEC, DinaRis, HUNT, LIFE DINALP BEAR, POLONEZ BearHealth. So far Djuro Huber has published 184 scientific papers, 112 professional papers, and over 200 abstracts of conference presentations. Professional activities include: IUCN Species Survival Commission Bear Specialist Group (co-chair BSG for Europe), International Bear Association (member since 1981, past Council member and Vice-president), Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe and Wildlife Disease Association. I am currently the professor emeritus at the Veterinary Faculty in Zagreb.
My lifetime devotion to IBA now I want to wrap up with another Eurasian VP position. The capacity and expertise in bear research and management on these two continents grew considerably in the past decades and I wish to support that trend.
Poland
I began my work with bears in 2002, initially focusing on the physiological and behavioural effects of stress, then expanding into ecology and conservation. I joined IBA at my first bear conference in Monterey in 2007, and it has been a major part of my professional life ever since. In 2009, I joined the Bear Specialist Group. Then also co-organised workshops on captive bears, helped with student presentations at the 2013 conference in Utah (and have continued this work ever since), joined the Recent Bear Literature section’s fantastic girls’ team for International Bear News at the end of 2013, and joined Ursus as an Associate Editor in 2017. I currently serve as vice-president for Eurasia. Over these years, IBA has given me much more than opportunities to contribute to bear research and conservation. It has brought wonderful colleagues, lasting friendships, and countless stories that we keep sharing whenever we meet. I would love to continue being part of this community and, if elected, take on a new role as Secretary. I would do my best to ensure that even our most enthusiastic discussions and occasional bear-sized digressions make it into the minutes! I believe IBA’s strength lies in bringing together people with different experiences and perspectives and helping them work towards shared goals. After so many years with IBA, I would be happy to keep contributing to its work and future, and to help ensure we remember not only what we decided, but also what we promised to do about it!
Canada
I serve as a Senior Wildlife Biologist with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, where I apply conservation physiology, wildlife health, and population monitoring approaches to improve our understanding and management of bear populations on shared landscapes. My connection with IBA began as a member in 2015 and grew as I presented at my first IBA conference in 2016. Since then, I have remained actively involved through IBA conference presentations, publishing and reviewing manuscripts for Ursus, and serving as a correspondent for Recent Bear Literature (IBN). I have also contributed to conferences themselves, as an abstract reviewer, session moderator, and organizing committee member. Beyond IBA, I am a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group’s North American Bears Expert Team. These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for the collaborative and international nature of the bear research and management community.
I am honored to be considered for a position on Council and view this as an opportunity to give back to a community that has played such an important role in my professional development. If elected, I hope to contribute strong project management, communication, and organizational skills, while helping bridge academic research and applied wildlife management. I am interested in fostering collaboration among researchers and practitioners, supporting students and early-career professionals, and promoting science-based bear conservation and management. The mentorship, collaboration, and friendships I have gained through IBA have been invaluable, and I welcome the opportunity to help support the organization’s continued growth and success.
Peru
I am a Peruvian biologist with over ten years of experience in Andean bear research and conservation. I completed my Master’s degree in Tropical Ecology and Conservation at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, in August 2025. Since 2022, I have been a member of the Andean Bear Expert Team of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group.
My connection with the IBA began in 2016, when I was still a student and presented a poster at the conference in Anchorage, Alaska. Being surrounded by people who shared my passion for bears gave me a sense of belonging and strengthened my commitment to bear research and conservation.
Since 2017, I have worked with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance–Peru, coordinating Andean bear research in collaboration with local communities and government agencies. More recently, my research has focused on developing a non-invasive method to estimate bear body size and condition using camera-trap images, contributing practical tools for studying bears in the wild.
These experiences have strengthened my commitment to collaborative research and to connecting science with conservation needs. As a member of the IBA Council, I would support opportunities for students and early-career professionals, encourage exchanges among bear researchers and practitioners, and help strengthen participation from Latin America. I would bring field research experience from Peru and a commitment to learning from colleagues working with bears around the world.
Estonia
Having grown up in a core bear area, my first encounters with bears occurred at a young age, sparking a lasting respect and interest in these animals. I am a researcher at the University of Tartu with over 25 years of experience in the study and conservation of brown bears. My work covers various aspects of bear biology, ranging from diet and hibernation ecology to population genetics, as well as applied issues concerning human-carnivore coexistence. Beyond academic research, my role as a beekeeper in bear country allows for hands-on, field-level engagement; I advise fellow beekeepers on damage prevention, bringing a deeply practical and personal perspective to the subject of human-bear coexistence. Furthermore, I have served as an expert in legal cases related to bear conservation and management. I am also a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group.
My connection with the IBA began at the 2007 conference in Mexico, and I officially joined the organization in 2011. Through IBA travel grants, I was able, even as a student, to experience the organization’s invaluable support, welcoming atmosphere, and high scientific standards. Today, I still find this unique combination of scientific rigor and warm community deeply inspiring and essential.
I believe that the IBA’s primary strength and responsibility lie in remaining the cornerstone of science-based bear conservation and management. It is important to commit to upholding scientific integrity in policy discussions, fostering practical connections between researchers and local communities, and ensuring that the IBA remains an accessible and supportive network for both early-career and experienced professionals worldwide.
Colombia
I am a biologist working on Andean bear spatial ecology, telemetry, population dynamics and human-bear interactions since 2009. As a Fulbright PhD fellow at the University of Arizona, I dedicated my research to Andean bears and became the first researcher to capture and GPS-collar an Andean bear in a national protected area in Colombia, publishing information previously unavailable. As coordinator of the Andean Bear Conservation Program at WCS Colombia, I helped develop South America’s first protocols for Andean-bear-friendly coffee production and led the Andean bear monitoring program in Colombia. Today I support Andean bear conservation initiatives in Colombia and Ecuador and continue my research on telemetry and human-bear interactions, working to build local capacity among students and rural communities.
I have been IBA member since 2017 and serve Ursus as a reviewer and now Associate Editor. I attended IBA conferences in Quito (2017) and Pescasseroli, and the Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop in Gatlinburg (2018). These experiences showed me the value of collaboration across regions and career stages.
I would be honored to serve on Council to turn that collaboration into concrete action. If elected, I will work to create an active channel among IBA working groups to support Andean bear management in South America, facilitate collaboration opportunities for researchers in the Global South, and build spaces that bridge students and senior bear researchers.
I will bring a field-based perspective from a megadiverse, resource-limited country and a firm commitment to making IBA welcoming, collaborative and equitable for all our members.
I founded Wild Solutions Consulting LLC last year after serving 10 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Program. As an independent consultant, I have worked on a variety of projects, including bear-smart community initiatives in western Montana, habitat and dietary analyses, private land conservation for grizzly bears and other wildlife, and GIS analysis.
My work with brown and black bears began in graduate school with Dr. Charlie Robbins at the Washington State University Bear Center. I was fortunate to combine captive and field research in nutritional ecology research, completing my MSc research in Alaska and my PhD research in Yellowstone National Park. My subsequent work with the USFWS expanded my experience in wildlife policy, management, and implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
I became an IBA member in 2004, when I attended my first conference in San Diego as a student presenter. Since then, IBA conferences have provided invaluable opportunities to learn from colleagues, share knowledge, and build lifelong friendships. Serving as IBA treasurer from 2017 to 2020 was especially rewarding, allowing me to contribute to discussions about IBA’s future, strengthening its conservation capacity, and engaging the next generation of bear biologists.
I believe my diverse experience in research, policy, and management, along with my history of collaboration with federal, state, and tribal agencies and non-governmental organizations, would bring a valuable perspective to the IBA Council. I would welcome the opportunity to support IBA’s mission and membership.
Ecuador
I´m an ecologist and started working with andean bears since 2009, after I saw them for the first time. Today, I have studied different populations along the country, mainly in the western cloud forests and eastern highlands of the province of Pichincha and in the Cordillera del Cóndor in the province of Zamora south of Ecuador.
My studies are focused on understanding population dynamics in human dominated landscapes, and the creation of connectivity corridors to enhance bear conservation. The studies had generated scientific information related to: population density, genetics, conflict mitigation and education.
I have been part of IBA since 2012, and have participated in almost all conferences since then. I was responsible for bringing the 25th conference to Quito, for the first time in South America, it was an unbelievable experience.
I am currently member of the Bear Specialist Group, Human Bear Conflict Expert Team, Andean Bear Expert Team and Executive Council Member. My professional position is: Project “Vanishing Treasures” Technical Coordinator. CONDESAN-Ecuador
These last two years as a council member, has been a time full of learning moments and experiences shared with wonderful and passionate bear biologists, moments that include very deep discussions about bear conservation around the world, and always looking for the best decisions and ways of managing bears and our association. I will be very happy to have the chance to continue representing andean bears and contribute with my passion for bears at the IBA executive council.
