DFC President 2010 to 2013
Membership Secretary 2005-2009
Heidi Blasius served two terms (2010-2013) as the Council’s first woman president. During her presidency, Heidi worked with family members of the late W. L. Minckley to establish the W. L. Minckley Conservation Award to honor her former graduate professor. The award recognizes individuals or organizations whose work has significantly influenced the conservation of desert aquatic ecosystems and/or the native organisms dependent on them. Heidi focused much of her time as President on outreach and education, which resulted in the establishment of a networking session for DFC student members during the annual meeting. Heidi also worked with local elementary schools during the annual meetings to increase awareness of the plight of desert fishes and their habitats. As part of her outreach and education emphasis, a Desert Fishes Facebook page was created to further spread the mission of the Council and to engage members and non-members alike with updates on desert species, work projects, and annual meetings.