Our Team
Amy Simso Dean
Favorite Bird: Turkey Vulture
Founder, Executive Director, Guide - Amy has been birding for over 30 years. She founded MYBirdClub in 2014 in a Minneapolis Public Elementary School. She also co-founded The Kestrels (an inclusive birding club for MN women) where she organizes bird-related events and field trips. Amy also volunteers with MN Ornithologists Union.
In 2010 she started volunteering for The Raptor Center’s education department - giving tours and presenting live bird programs. Now she works there part time in a variety of roles.
In 2024 she became a MN Master Naturalist.
As much as she loves birding, she really loves getting people, especially kids, excited about birds and conservation.
Lisa Keitel
Favorite Bird: Female Wood Duck
Program Leader, Guide - Lisa has been a Minnesota Master Naturalist since 2017. She is an experienced naturalist teaching school-aged students in outdoor education settings.
She volunteers with the education and birding programming for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Lisa created bird clubs for Gilda’s Club Twin Cities (a group serving cancer patients and survivors) and for neurodiverse young adults at Minnesota Independence College and Community in Richfield.
She received the Minnesota Ornithologist's Union Volunteer of the Year award in 2019. Birding with new birders of any age is her true passion.
Julie Brophy
Favorite Bird: The bird YOU see on our walk which makes you say “WOW!”
Program Leader, Guide - Julie and Amy teamed up to launch MYBirdClub in 2014. She has engaged thousands of students and teachers in learning about the seasonal migration of birds and other species in her work at with Journey North, an online education program.
A passionate local birder and Naturalist herself, Julie has also been a co-leader of bird and nature walks at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for 10+ years.
Maximillian Borge
Favorite Bird: Kookabura
Guide, Board Member - Max most recently worked as a Naturalist and Outreach Coordinator at the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center.
Since traveling to Costa Rica in high school to assist with Sea Turtle conservation, Max has been fascinated with the outdoors and the flora/ fauna that we share it with. Since graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies Max has spent most of his professional life working as a classroom educator, an environmental educator, and a Zookeeper.
MYBird Club has provided Max with the opportunity to further encourage empathy for the outdoors with the local community.
Scarlet Fitzsimmons
Favorite Bird: American Woodcock
Guide - Scarlet is an accomplished naturalist who has dedicated her career to helping people discover the wonders of nature and outdoor recreation. While earning her degree from the University of Minnesota, Scarlet worked at the Raptor Center and became interested in trying to see some wild owls. This led her to take a transformative trip to Sax-Zim Bog, where she discovered her love for birdwatching.
Through numerous outdoor adventures and roles at the Bell Museum, Como Park Zoo, and Kroening Nature Center, Scarlet has honed her bird identification skills and acquired ample experience leading diverse groups in bird walks and environmental programs.
Scarlet co-founded The Kestrels (an inclusive birding club in MN) where she leads and organizes bird walks, annual trips to Sax-Zim Bog, and other bird-themed events.
John Sammler
Favorite Bird: Black-throated Blue Warbler
Guide - John is a high school science teacher at Hopkins High School teaching environmental science courses. He has also taught in St. Paul Public Schools, the University of Minnesota, and Dunwoody College of Technology. He has also worked at The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota in the education department.
John has been passionate about animals, in particular birds, since he was a child. This passion led him to get a BS and MS in wildlife biology. He studied tundra nesting birds for his master's degree. He loves to go birdwatching at any time and appreciates the joy and groundedness it provides him in his life. He loves MYBirdClub for trying to connect youth to this same important experience of connecting with nature.
Alex Cruz
Favorite Bird: Puerto Rican Tody
Guide - As long as he can remember, Alex has been using art to convey his fascination with nature. He would travel from his bedroom by drawing maps of unknown islands with lofty mountains, rushing rivers, and the mysterious animals found there. As a teenager, his interest focused more on birds, chronicling his discoveries in nature journals packed with sketches and copious notes.
In college, he majored in biology, then went to grad school to study science illustration—but still found time to chase birds and document them in his sketchbooks. Eventually, Alex became an instructional designer where he creates illustrations and educational materials focusing on natural history and medical topics.
Alex loves sharing his love of birds and art with people of all ages—regardless of their ‘artistic ability’. He loves seeing birds come alive as a student draws them. He believes that drawing a bird is like seeing a bird for the first time—and everyone sees something different. Come draw birds with Alex in one of his workshops!