Ally is the Development Manager for Felidae. She graduated from the University of Portland in 2010 with a degree in environmental science and ecology.

Ally has been interested in nature and conservation since childhood, avidly exploring the entirety of Washington state from the Olympic Peninsula to Mount Rainier to the Enchantments and Eastern Washington since she was in elementary school. Ally's interests include skiing (cross-country, skate, telemark), yoga, trail running, nature photography, and reading scientific literature about wild cat ecology and conservation.

As the Development Manager at Felidae, Ally works in the office, at events, in the field, and aids with the CAT Aware Education Program. She has been with Felidae since 2008. Email Ally at allycat@felidaefund.org.

Ryan is an intern for Felidae. He is writing his thesis on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala for a M.S. in International Nature Conservation.

Ryan grew up in the Bay Area and received a B.S. in Environmental Biology and Management from UC Davis. Since finishing his undergraduate degree he has worked in the land trust stewardship field and traveled extensively. He has returned to California to work in environmental conservation. Mountain lions intrigue him both from a scientific and conservation point of view. They are so elusive that gathering meaningful data is incredibly difficult, and landscapes/societies capable of supporting top predators have all of the other species playing their important ecological role.

Ryan’s main responsibility is to design a systematic camera trap monitoring protocol for mountain lions in the East Bay.

Bethany is an intern for Felidae, specifically for graphic design of brochures and other materials.

If asked when she was three years old, Bethany would have told you she was going to be a cat when she grew up (because her mother told her she could be anything she wanted). Soon after realizing the limitations of biology, Bethany settled on wanting to work with cats and wildlife instead of actually becoming one herself. Bethany has spent one summer working as a conservation educator at Earth Ltd. (an organization stationed at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon MA) and two summers volunteering as a primate zookeeper. She has experience working with a variety of animals ranging from cockroaches to chimpanzees and hopes that a career in wildlife awaits her in the future.

Bethany's other hobbies include painting, photography, hiking/camping, and spending precious time with her cats Simba and Ghost.

Michael is currently a software engineer at Magic Leap, Inc., and has been working at the cutting edge of interactive entertainment for three decades. As Development Director for Felidae, he is inspired by the potential for using cutting-edge technology to drive environmental awareness, and believes that recent advances in the web and mobile devices have created opportunities for bringing the conservation message to a new generation on a wider scale.

From 1990 to 2000, Michael worked in the development team at LucasArts where he helped bring dozens of leading computer and video game into existence. He subsequently worked in startups and as a consultant for a wide range of media and technology companies, including games, web, mobile and educational software. Michael holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.F.A. from Mills College. He has been on Felidae's board since 2008, contributing to the organization's strategy, fundraising and media efforts.

Entrepreneur and conservationist Zara McDonald is Founder and President of Felidae. A Bay Area native, Zara holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. She co-founded Volcano, Inc, bringing the first GPS technology to the wrists of recreating masses, and subsequently pioneered Veda Ventures, LLC an equity model targeting early stage companies in the natural product space. She works in the regenerative medicine and natural products space as Managing Director of Third i Partners, LLC, an advisory and consulting firm representing early stage ventures.

Zara came into contact with mountain lions on two separate occasions during trail runs in Marin County, and began allocating time to wildlife ecology and veterinary studies. She formed Felidae in 2006 to research and conserve wild cats as apex predators and keystone species in ecosystems throughout the world. She is an experienced field and veterinary technician and has worked extensively in all areas of felid research, tracking and monitoring animals in collaborative efforts around the world. Zara has journeyed all over the world to work on behalf of wild cat research and conservation.

George Brewster is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management in San Francisco. His practice focuses on holistic wealth management for high net worth individuals and institutional clients in the philanthropic sector. George has 35 years experience in investment and business operations.

George is a graduate of Columbia University Law School (joint JD/MBA program) and Bard College. George serves on the Board of Advisors of the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies of San Francisco State University, is a member of the Board of Directors of Marin Open Space Trust, and a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is a member emeritus of the US EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board, has served as Vice Chair of the ULI Residential Council, was a founding member of the ULI Environmental Council, a member of the advisory board of the California Environmental Remediation Fund, and a technical advisor to Habit for Humanity.

Valerie Castellana has been on the Board of FELIDAE since 2005 and is devoted to the cause of the large cat species. She is a 30-year resident of Marin County, California and has served on numerous non-profit Boards, though, FELIDAE is where her passion resides. She has been appointed to positions on the Tiburon Arts and Heritage Commission, the Mill Valley Arts Commission, and the Marin County Private Industry Council. She currently is a member of the Golden Gate Opera Guild.

Valerie is a REALTOR® in Marin County, working as a luxury-market specialist with Alain Pinel Realty, and in 2007 served as President of the Marin Association of REALTORS®. Prior to real estate, she worked in the telecommunications industry in numerous capacities, and has lived abroad in Asia on several occasions. She studied for her BA in Political Science at Hunter College in New York City and has completed graduate work at Mills College in Oakland, CA.

Jessica is originally from Concord, Massachusetts but moved to California in 1994 to attend college at the University of California, Santa Cruz. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, she moved to Marin with her husband, Tom. A lifelong cat lover, she is looking forward to being a member of the Felidae Conservation Fund Board, and helping raise funds to accomplish our important mission.

Jessica currently works as the Annual and Special Giving Director for the University of San Francisco. Previously, she was the Annual Fund Manager for the Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco. She earned a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco in 2008.

Mark McDonald makes a living defending those accused of crimes, but is equally impassioned volunteering on behalf of the legal needs of animals. Mark volunteers as a litigator for both the ALDF (Animal Legal Defense Fund) and the WWF (World Wildlife Federation), on a regular basis. He has lectured at numerous law schools on the developing subject of animal law (animal as an object versus a life).

As a Felidae board member, Mark hopes to contribute whatever skills he has acquired toward the future security of the world’s big cats. Mark lives in the Southern California mountains with his three Labradors, two parrots and a Bearded Dragon.

Tim Noel is a native San Franciscan. He is a life-long resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and currently resides in San Rafael.

Tim is Vice President and Director of Asset Management for Rawson, Blum & Leon a San Francisco based Real Estate Development Company. He is a corporate officer of the company. Mr. Noel is a graduate of Saint Ignatius high school and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of San Francisco in finance. He also holds a degree in social sciences. He holds a California real estate license and is has been active in a number of real estate associations including BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) and ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers).

Mr. Noel has traveled extensively throughout the world and participated in various environmental and related causes. He is an avid yoga practitioner as well as an active cyclist, among his many pursuits. He is also a patron of the arts in his native Bay Area.

John A. Tompkins was born and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. He is a graduate of the Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA and the University of Michigan.

From 1976 to 1993, he worked with with United Airlines in various management positions, primarily in their Chicago headquarters in Sales and Marketing.

From 1993 to now, John is the owner of Tompkins World Travel Services, located in Sausalito, CA.

Timothy Tosta, a partner at Luce Forward, is recognized as one of California’s leading land use and environmental attorneys. Tim has successfully procured land use entitlements for some of California's most complex and controversial development proposals in some of the state's most treacherous political environments.

Tim is a cancer survivor, a seasoned hospice volunteer, an evocative lecturer and writer, and a certified Integral Coach, guiding executives in the legal profession and the business community to live purposeful, balanced, thriving lives. He is an amateur nature photographer. He also is a very amateur musician who plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and a variety of other stringed instruments to the Laguna Honda hospice residents.

Tim is a native of Santa Cruz, a resident of San Mateo and a very frequent visitor to Crested Butte, Colorado. Tim believes that he has found the perfect balance in living his life between the California coast and Colorado Rocky Mountain environments. Tim and his wife, Nancy, have four domestic cats - Kori, Benji, Angus and Ernie.

Walter Boyce DVM, PhD, is professor and executive director of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. A wildlife veterinarian and research scientist, he has studied wild animals and their interactions with people for more than 25 years. He has published over 90 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on animals ranging from tapeworms and Africanized bees to alligators, bighorn sheep and mountain lions. He frequently consults with state, federal and international wildlife agencies, and has served on federal endangered species recovery teams.

Walter has studied pumas in southern California for over 15 years. Since 2000, he has led a study of more than 40 cougars using GPS radio collars that allow his team to evaluate the interactions between pumas, people and other wild animals like bighorn sheep. His work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and television. Since 2004, he has appeared on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer, the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CNN, and Deborah Norville on MSNBC. Stories have appeared in over 100 newspapers and he has been interviewed in Time Magazine, National Geographic Explorer, and Sports Illustrated Adventurer.

Maurice Hornocker is best known for his research on the world’s big cats. In his 40-year career, he and his colleagues have conducted pioneering research in North America on cougar, lynx, bobcat, and ocelot, on leopards in Africa and Far-Eastern Asia, jaguars in Central and South America, and tigers in Siberia. He has also done ground-breaking research on other carnivores in North America – bears, wolverines, river otters, and badgers. Dr. Hornocker has published over 100 scientific papers and many popular articles intended to communicate his scientific findings to the public. He has made several documentary films of his work and has published books on a number of his research projects. Throughout his career, he has photographed his research subjects and has utilized photographs as educational tools in the cause of conservation. His photographs of wildlife have been published throughout the world in many different publication and books. Dr. Hornocker is Director of the Selway Institute, a non-profit research and education organization he founded in 2000.

Dr. Luke Hunter serves as President of the organization Panthera, where he oversees the direction and strategy of all of the organization’s global wild cat conservation programs. Before joining Panthera, Dr. Hunter headed the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Great Cats Program and taught wildlife ecology at several universities in Australia and South Africa.

Dr. Hunter has conducted fieldwork on large cats in Africa since 1992. His Ph.D. dissertation examined the behavior and ecology of reintroduced cheetahs and lions in South Africa, and evaluated the effectiveness of reintroduction as a tool to re-establish large cat populations. Dr. Hunter’s current projects include assessing the effects of sport hunting and illegal persecution on leopards outside protected areas, developing a conservation strategy for lions across their African range, and the first intensive study of Persian leopards and the last surviving Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. Dr. Hunter has contributed to over 80 scientific papers and popular articles, and has published six books, including his latest Carnivores of the World.

David Macdonald is Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University. Professor Macdonald conceived, and implemented, the appeal which led to the foundation in 1986 of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, and the associated Senior Research Fellowship at Lady Margaret Hall; this was the first Fellowship in any British university dedicated to biological conservation, and the WildCRU became the first such research unit. Professor Macdonald’s research interests range broadly across diverse topics in wildlife conservation and management, both in the UK and around the world. Nonetheless, from his early work on red foxes, he has retained an emphasis on Carnivores in particular and mammals in general. For 25 years he was the founding Chairman of the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group. Professor Macdonald is very proud to have been the A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University, a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, an Emeritus Fellow of the IUCN’s Survival Service Commission and, in 2005, to have won the Dawkins Prize for Conservation and Animal Welfare. In 2006 he was awarded the American Society of Mammalogists' Merriam Prize for research in mammalogy, and in 2007 The Mammal Society of Great Britain's equivalent medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 2008.

As Founder and Director for the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) since 1990, Laurie Marker pioneered new ideas in cheetah conservation, and has formed cooperative alliances on behalf of the cheetah that had never before been possible. She is recognized around the world as one of the leading experts on cheetahs, both in the wild and in captivity, and began her in-situ research in Namibia, Africa in 1977 where she conducted ground breaking research on re-introduction of captive born cheetahs back into the wild. It was at this time that she learned about the conflict between livestock farmers and cheetahs. Based in Namibia since 1991, Dr. Marker has led a conservation program in rural Namibia to an unparalleled conservation model for predator conservation. Dr. Marker has contributed vital information on cheetah health, reproduction, mortality, evolution, and genetics from her biomedical work on every cheetah that passes through CCF’s hands (over 800). In 2002 she completed her PhD in Zoology at the University of Oxford and has published over 45 scientific publications. She has been a member of the World Conservation Unions (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s Cat Specialist Group since 1988. Today, Dr. Marker has assisted in developing cheetah conservation programs in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Iran and as well as supporting a field research base in Kenya. This understanding is the only way that cheetahs will survive.

Tom is currently Panthera’s Director of Snow Leopard Programs. Tom McCarthy began his professional career studying brown bear, black bear, mountain goats and caribou in Alaska in the early 1980s. A strong interest in international conservation led him to Mongolia in 1992, where he took over management of a long-term snow leopard research project under the guidance of Dr. George Schaller. The 6-year study was the basis for his Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts-Amherst) and he became the first to use satellite radio-collars on the cats. He has helped establish projects in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. His efforts have catalyzed national conservation plans for snow leopards in Mongolia and Pakistan, and he has contributed to similar efforts in Bhutan, India and Uzbekistan. Highlights of his recent work include development of genetic methods for monitoring wild snow leopard populations, and the initiation of a new generation of snow leopard research in Pakistan (2006) using state-of-the-art satellite GPS collars. Recently, Dr. McCarthy and Schaller again selected Mongolia as the site for snow leopard research and launched the first ever long-term intensive study of the endangered cats. This program, a collaborative program between Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust, will provide unprecedented scientific information necessary for effective conservation of snow leopards range wide.

Dr. Anne Orlando is our Senior Biologist in charge of the East Bay Puma Project and an advisor to Felidae projects. She earned her Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California Davis, and her B.S. in wildlife biology and international resource management from The University of Montana. Anne has spent her career studying large mammals, often in remote areas, for the purpose of conserving intact, wild ecosystems on a global scale. She has worked in some the planet's hottest and coldest environments! Most recently, she served as a supervisory biologist at US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Alaskan Arctic, leading research on caribou and climate change. She previously worked as a polar bear biologist, conducting censusing, collaring and habitat studies in Canada's Nunavut Territory, which hosts 2/3 of the world's polar bear population. During 2002-2007 she worked with California Department of Fish & Game and University of California on avian studies, and led the West Slope Puma Project in support of her dissertation: Impacts of Rural Development on Puma Ecology in California’s Sierra Nevada. During 1998-2002, Anne founded and led the Elephants of Timbuktu Research and Conservation Program, in Mali and Burkina Faso, writing a conservation plan for the last elephants in the African Sahel, and documenting the longest migration in the species. This project was featured on Animal Planet’s Wild Kingdom, and in many popular publications. Anne also worked with US Fish and Wildlife Service studying brown bears in Kodiak, Alaska, grizzly bears in northwest Montana, and seabirds and seals on Alaska’s Pribilof Islands. She conducted avian monitoring and surveys in Belize, California, Montana, and Hawaii. Anne has spent years living and working closely with indigenous people. She seeks to combine field biology with new technologies and advanced analysis methods. She is dedicated to incorporating the traditional ecological knowledge of local and native residents to ecological studies and conservation efforts.    

Howard Quigley is the Director of Western Hemisphere Programs at Panthera, focusing on jaguars and cougars. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley, his master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, and his doctorate from the University of Idaho. He worked as an assistant professor in the University of Maryland system (Frostburg State) before returning to Idaho to become President of the Hornocker Wildlife Institute at the University of Idaho. After the Hornocker Institute merged with the Wildlife Conservation Society, he directed the WCS Global Carnivore Program until 2002. His work with carnivores has included field studies of cougars in central Idaho, giant pandas in China, jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal, and Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East.


His current cougar field project, the Teton Cougar Project, in the southern Yellowstone ecosystem, focuses on predator-prey interactions, cougar population dynamics, and cougar interactions with other large carnivores. In this latter aspect of the work, he coordinates a combined effort with other scientists to examine the interactions of wolves, grizzly bears, cougars, and black bears. This information will be used to improve our understanding of carnivore “guilds” and to inform and develop long-term conservation and management plans for large carnivores. He is a member of the I.U.C.N. Cat Specialist Group and consults on a variety of carnivore issues, including jaguar recovery in the U.S., cougar-human interactions, and jaguar-rancher conflicts in Latin America.

Known as one of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation, Dr. George Schaller now serves as the Vice President of the organization, Panthera. Born in Germany in 1933, Dr. Schaller received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alaska and completed his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin. In 1956, Dr. Schaller joined other conservationists on the Murie expedition to Northeastern Alaska, which resulted in the establishment of the world’s largest wildlife preserve, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

From 1962 to 1963, he served as a Fellow within Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences before working as a Research Associate at Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Pathobiology from 1963-1966. Dr. Schaller went on to work for the New York Zoological Society as a Research Associate and Zoologist from 1966 to 1979, after which he joined the Wildlife Conservation Society as Director of Wildlife Conservation International.

The winner of several awards, including the National Book award his studies have been the basis for his scientific and popular writings including 16 books, among them The Year of the Gorilla, The Serengeti Lion, Stones of Silence, The Deer and the Tiger, and The Last Panda. Over the years, he has accrued a variety of international wildlife conservation awards, including the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, Japan’s International Cosmos Prize, the China Environmental Prize, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Geographic Society’s Adventure magazine and the North American Nature Photography Association and the Indianapolis Animal Conservation Prize.

Dr. Susan E. Townsend has been a wildlife ecologist and ecological consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 16 years. She recently completed the Wildlife Picture Index project in Mongolia for the Zoological Society of London. The Wildlife Picture Index is a metric for trends in biodiversity using camera trapping. As part of this World Bank/Nemo2 funded project, she and a team of Mongolian biologists set over 300 camera stations each season at five study areas from 2009 to 2011. As a Research Associate for the Wildlife Conservation Society – Mongolia Program, Dr. Townsend completed a study on the Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica), documenting a catastrophic decline and assisting in efforts to conserve this species in one of the last intact grassland ecosystems in the world, the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia. She and others in the WCS Mongolia Program have been working with local community herder groups and the Specially Protected Area Administration to conserve their wildlife. Additionally, she runs her own environmental consulting business, Wildlife Ecology and Consulting, in California, specializing in threatened and endangered species, particularly the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica). She completed her graduate research at the University of Colorado in Boulder on social cognition in captive wolves, including the rare Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi).

Environmental Education Programs Manager, joined Golden Gate Audubon in September 2006. He has an extensive background in bilingual instruction and in teaching children and adults in underserved communities about the environment and conservation. At KIDS for the BAY, Anthony directed a program that introduced urban youth to the local watershed and strategies for combating pollution, and helped develop curricula fostering environmental stewardship. His passionate commitment to environmental justice also derives from teaching students in other countries. Anthony holds a degree in language and education from the University of California-Santa Cruz, and recently completed his master’s degree in environmental education from California State University-East Bay.

Ellen Donald is the Executive Director for Next Generation, a non-profit organization that works with youth to develop their leadership skills and their connection to our environment primarily through garden lessons and outdoor excursions. She holds a B.A. in Conservation Education and has been immersed in the environmental education field for the last 10 years. She began her work as an Environmental Educator for Nature's Classroom, a residential outdoor education program in her home state of Ohio. After moving to California, she served as an Americorps Volunteer for two years through the Marin Conservation Corps (now Conservation Corps North Bay) working with the STRAW Project (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) and the Marin Municipal Water District in the fields of habitat restoration, volunteer management and educator. After completing her terms of service she worked for four years at Mary E. Silveira Elementary School in San Rafael as the Eco-Star Coordinator, teaching classes and managing their 3/4 acre garden, chickens, pond and parent volunteers. She has a background in permaculture and a solid commitment to teaching, sustainability and organic living and loves sharing her passion for nature with anyone who will listen.

Susan Ingersoll serves as the Educational Program Manager for the Save The Redwoods League and manages their various educational programs for California schools as well as administering their school grant program. She brings to Felidae her expertise in integrating environmental education with traditional teaching methods, to create a broader perspective in today’s youth.

Christopher Kaelin studied genetics at the University of California, Davis and Stanford University. He is currently a senior scientist at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama and a visiting scholar in the Department of Genetics at the Stanford University. His research focuses on using genetics to study the development and evolution of pigmentation patterns in cats and other mammals.

Ronald Nauer has been a K-12 science educator in Washington State for over 30 years. He graduated from Washington State University with a BS in Biology and has a Masters in Education from Leslie College. He is currently teaching secondary science at Meeker Middle School in the Kent School District. He has extensive experience in science curriculum design, including the development of lab activities. Ron is also a successful grant writer and has presented at four NSTA (National Science Teacher Association) conventions.

Juan-Carlos joined WildCare in late June as the Director of Education.

Juan Carlos took a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Oceanography in Baja California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Puebla, Mexico before coming to the Bay Area in 1994. Here his experience included working as a naturalist for the East Bay Regional Park District, as a Senior Science Instructor at Coyote Point Museum in San Mateo, as a Travel Expedition Leader for the Oceanic Society in San Francisco, and most recently, as a Public Program Manager for the California Academy of Sciences.

He has done everything from designing and delivering natural history programs for school children to managing the interpretive program of expeditions to Antarctica. Best of all, his work in these diverse areas gave Juan-Carlos experience in building management teams and developing partnerships with local community groups, two of his (many) skills that will have a huge impact on the future of WildCare.

Joe Stewart is a science teacher at Redwood High School and has taught in the public schools since 1992. He is a Mentor Teacher and runs the Redwood Ecology Garden and the school's annual Sustainability Festival. For the sake of his family, the pumas, and all life on earth, Joe is passionate about identifying practices that promote long-term human coexistence with our ecosystems.

Joe Stewart
stewart@redwood.org

Redwood High School
Larkspur, CA
415 945 3600 x6211
http://www.redwood.org/stewart

Jeanne Wirka is the Resident Biologist at the Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), a 535 nature preserve located near Glen Ellen in Sonoma County’s Valley of the Moon. She is also Co-director of Education for ACR’s award-winning education program that serves over 6200 elementary school students in Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Napa and Alameda Counties every year. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1987 and a M.S. in Ecology from U.C. Davis in 1997. She saw her first puma, at the Bouverie Preserve, on January 4, 2011.

Steven Bobzien is a graduate of U.C. Santa Barbara. He has been a Wildlife Ecologist for over 25 years with vast experience working in California, Amazonia and the Galapagos Islands. For the last fifteen years Steven has worked for the East Bay Regional Park District focusing on the conservation and recovery of endangered and threatened species. Steven currently serves on several scientific and technical advisory committees, notably the California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project and the Eastern Alameda County Conservation Plan. He is professionally interested in carnivores, predator prey relationships, movements and dispersal, and population viability, especially in altered landscapes. Throughout his career at the Park District, Steven has been investigating human-puma interactions, predation risks, and he has developed the Park District’s protocol for mountain lion incidents and encounters.

Groundwork Films is run by Michael Fasman, a San Francisco based producer and director. Michael has 28 years of experience in film and video production. He worked in Hollywood for nine years on a wide variety of projects including network TV, films, music videos, commericals and cable TV. He has won multiple national awards.

In San Francisco since 1988 Michael works on documentaries and corporate video. Over the last two years he has been to Afghanistan and Pakistan documenting aid work for Relief International.

His full length documentary is "Last Chance For The Pacific Salmon", a one hour environmental education program about declining wild salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest. The video was his thesis for a Masters of Science Degree in Natural Resources Interpretation. It can be ordered from Chip Taylor Productions.

Camilla H. Fox is a wildlife advocate, consultant, writer, and speaker with over 20 years of experience working on behalf of animals and the environment in the United States and internationally. A recognized expert and leader in her field, she has worked for several nonprofit organizations including the Fur-Bearer Defenders, Rainforest Action Network, and most recently the Animal Protection Institute (API) where she served as both Director of Wildlife Programs and National Campaign Director for 10 years. Camilla has spearheaded national and international campaigns aimed at reducing trapping cruelty and lethal predator control, protecting native carnivores, and fostering humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts. Prior to working for API she served as the Executive Director of the Fur-Bearer Defenders where she became known for her work on trapping and furbearer protection.

Camilla holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies with a focus in Wildlife Conservation, Policy, and Ecology from Prescott College and a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University where she graduated magna cum laude in 1991. She has served as an appointed member on the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture's National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee and currently serves on several national and local coalitions and advisory boards.

SUZANNE HARLE is the Founder/Executive Director of Green Planet Films, a nonprofit distributor of nature and environmental films. Their mission is promoting environmental education through film. In addition her organization's work, Suzanne is also the Associate Producer of the U.S. Public Television series called, "Natural Heroes." The series features independently produced films and videos with a common theme: real people making a positive difference for our environment. "Natural Heroes" films have won six Emmy awards, and airs on PBS affiliate stations across the United States.

Ms Harle has 20 years experience as a media, promotions, and design consultant spanning a wide range of skills from web design and analytics to graphic design and writing, to photography and video editing, to internet marketing strategies and promotions. She is a recipient of the Gaia Award for the Environmental from the Women in Film and Television Showcase.

Brian Jansen was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite the fact that his family did not spend time in the outdoors, Brian has been interested in the wilds since early childhood. His early days were restricted to reading about mountain men and pretending his bicycle was his horse and lizards were deer. He attended the University of Arizona for his Bachelors degree in Wildlife Science. Brian went on to study desert bighorn sheep ecology on several projects, including his Master’s degree. Brian was later hired to learn to capture desert mountain lions for a U of AZ research project, where he learned to effectively use foot-snares. Brian completed his Ph.D. at South Dakota State Univeristy in 2011, where he studied the influences of hunting, disease, and housing density on the population ecology of mountain lions in the Black Hills. Brian has captured over 350 mountain lions in 7 western states and 3 Latin American countries. Presently, Brian assists 3 different research groups in the desert Southwest in mountain lion research and capturing, with foot-snares and bare-ground hound dogs.

Brian has been working with Felidae Conservation Fund and their partners on felid research projects around the world, since 2007, where he assists and guides felid captures and field research processes.

Bonnie Monte has been an editor and writer in the Bay Area for 20+ years. She was a senior editor at Parenting magazine for nine years, managing editor of Rebecca’s Garden, and editorial director of Smith & Hawken. She edits books for Sunset, and writes on the topics of green living, home and garden, and animals for a variety of magazines and websites.

After twenty years as an investigative television correspondent specializing in wildlife, policy, health and environmental issues, I joined the NY based Wildlife Conservation Society as head of Conservation Communications. Working with the international field programs and both broadcast and print media, we developed new initiatives that led to greater collaboration between field conservation and the broadcast community. In 2001, I became executive director of the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, Montana which then evolved into the International Wildlife Media Center, a year round organization and parent of the International Wildlife Film Festival and Montana CINE International Film Festival. My personal philosophy is that media is one of the most powerful tools we have for impacting and enhancing global conservation efforts.

Jeff Sikich was raised in northwest Indiana where his appreciation and passion for the outdoors began early in life during local fishing trips with his grandfather. He is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Environmental Science and Management.

Throughout his career Jeff has captured and handled over 16 carnivore species for wildlife research. His work specializes in research capture techniques for various large carnivores. He has worked on several research projects in the United States, as well as studies focused on tigers in Sumatra, jaguars and puma in the Peruvian Amazon, and leopards in South Africa.

Jeff is currently a biologist with the National Park Service researching the impacts of urbanization and habitat fragmentation on mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California. He has captured and radio-collared hundreds of large carnivores for various research projects, and has advised and trained many professionals on the safe capture and handling of wildlife.

Boone Smith was raised on a cattle ranch in southeast Idaho, where his father and grandfather helped him develop an understanding and love of the outdoors.

He left ranching to work as a river guide on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in central Idaho for several years while attending Brigham Young University and Utah State University.

After completing his B.S. from Utah State University (Fisheries and Wildlife) he began work for the Hornocker Wildlife Institute in 2002, as a field technician/houndsman on the Teton Cougar Project (TCP) where he studied predator prey relationships and completed work towards his MS. He currenty consults with a variety of organizations for safe and efficient capture techniques on a variety of big cat species (cougar, jaguar, snow leopard, etc.).

Steve Torres has been studying wildlife in California and Arizona since 1980. He holds master’s degrees in wildlife ecology and biostatistics from the University of Arizona and the UCLA, respectively. From 1992 to 2002, Steve coordinated the statewide research and management programs for bighorn sheep and mountain lions for the California Department of Fish and Game. Steve continues to be active in mountain lion and bighorn sheep research and his interest focuses on modeling habitat suitability, using applied science to establish long-term species and habitat management plans, and understanding the factors influencing mountain lion and human conflicts. In 2002, Steve was invited to join a team of nationally recognized cougar scientists to develop and publish "Cougar Management Guidelines" to help wildlife agencies establish a framework for managing cougars in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These guidelines were published in 2005. To address the growing interest and questions surrounding mountain lions, he published a book in 1997 entitled “Mountain Lion Alert”, re-published as “Lion Sense”.

Steve currently is the Supervisor of the Departments Wildlife Investigations Laboratory (WIL).

Doug is a Staff Environmental Scientist, specializing in large mammals. He has worked with large mammals for 34 years and has been employed by the Department of Fish and Game for 27 years.

Doug is currently the statewide coordinator for policy and management of mountain lions in California. In this position he is responsible for policy development related to public safety, depredation, and regulations related to mountain lions and other large mammals. He develops agreements with researchers, non-profit organizations and local, state and federal agencies to further our knowledge of these animals and put that knowledge to work for the benefit of mountain lions. Doug facilitates communication of this information to the public.

Winston Vickers, DVM, MPVM is a wildlife veterinarian with 30 years experience in veterinary medicine. His practice experience has included a wide range of species, including domestic animals, zoo animals, and wildlife.

For the last 5 years his focus has been research on mountain lions and the endangered Channel Island fox in southern California. He has been involved with more than 30 mountain lion captures over that period.

He has additional experience with restraint, immobilization, and veterinary care of multiple other wildlife species including other carnivores and birds.

He is an associate veterinarian with the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, and is the staff veterinarian for the Institute for Wildlife Studies, a non-profit wildlife research organization based in Arcata, California.

Ben Young is an award winning film maker specialising in documentaries about remote peoples. He has directed and produced films for National Geographic and Discovery Channel in Africa and South America.

After editing many ‘observational’ style documentaries, Ben became interested in developing a more collaborative and participatory style of film making, and produced the multi-award winning 'Shooting with Mursi' with a member of the Mursi tribe in South Western Ehtiopia (Winner best documentary - National Geographic All Roads Film Festival 2010 , UNESCO SPECIAL AWARD -Millenium Film Festival, Brussels 2011).


In June 2011 Ben spoke at the European Parliament on 'The Role of Documentary Film in Development'.
One of Ben's current projects is as an editor for 'Lord of the Green Mountains' a film about the critically endangered Arabian Leopard in Oman, and throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

May 2, 1970 - November 2, 2007

Wildlife biologist Eric York died on Friday November 2nd, 2007 at his residence in the Grand Canyon after becoming ill on Oct. 30 and calling in sick for a couple of days. Eric never missed work. Colleagues became concerned and checked on him the next morning. They found him unresponsive. Tests were positive for the pneumonic plague.

Eric was a unique individual who could work well with different personalities and in different cultures. His connection to wildlife and his unassuming manner were rare gifts and pleasures to witness. His endless knowledge caught anyone off guard because of his quiet nature. He showed a caring and thoughtfulness toward others that his rugged nature sometimes disguised from those who did not know him well. His work ethic was unmatched and his field capabilities were extremely special.

Eric was often referred to as analogous to the animals he studied, in that he moved within their world so naturally. He pushed all of his limits to navigate impossible, and at times, risky terrain that required long field hours, with a firm dedication to answering some difficult conservation questions.

Whether it's video games, board games, or card games. Jesse is passionate about games and helping ideas come to life. After nearly two decades of working in Information Systems and database programming, Jesse returned to school to pursue his passion of gaming and art. He graduated with national honors as an Alpha Beta Kappa with a Bachelors of Science in Game Art and Design. Jesse also has minor degrees in Information Systems and Computer Science.

Jennifer is the Education Program Director for Felidae. She grew-up in Washington State where she spent her free time hiking, camping, and kayaking. After finishing high school, she spent a couple of years working on field studies with songbirds and prairie dogs, before moving to Alaska where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology in 2007. While in Alaska, she worked in a wildlife nutrition lab focused mainly on caribou and musk ox.

Since moving to the Bay Area, Jennifer started working as a Keeper at the San Francisco Zoo, and volunteering with Felidae and a local wildlife rehabilitation center. As she got her degree in wildlife biology to work in carnivore conservation, she is very excited for the opportunity to work as part of the Felidae organization. During her free time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, camping, nature photography, and ice carving (when the opportunity presents itself).

David C. Stoner is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Quinney College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. David received his BA from the Department of Geography at UC Berkeley, and holds graduate degrees from USU, where he investigated the effects of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and exploitation on cougar behavior and population dynamics. His current work is focused on ungulate migration patterns and habitat use in response to plant phenology, snowpack dynamics, and predation risk. He has worked for the US Forest Service, UC Santa Cruz's Predatory Bird Research Group as well as the USGS Biological Resources Division, Humboldt State University and the California Department of Fish and Game. His interests are in the application of landscape and behavioral ecology to the conservation of mammals and birds.

Victoria Bogdan consults on foundation fundraising, grant writing, and fundraising planning with environmental nonprofits in the Bay Area. Among her recent clients include Yosemite Conservancy, Pepperwood Foundation, Fair Trade USA, and Earth Day Quebec. Previously she worked with The Nature Conservancy, where hiking with botanists, biologists, and conservationists strengthened her love of the environment and working on its behalf. She lives in Oakland and can’t wait to hike again in the rainforest.

Carson McMurray is GIS Technician for Felidae focusing on modeling the habitat and wildlife corridors of mountain lions in the Bay Area. He graduated for Colorado College in 2012 with a degree in Environmental Science specializing in GIS.

Whether is hiking, fishing or canoeing Carson interests have also brought him to the outdoors. Having lived all over the continental US he has explored a variety of different environments discovering many outdoor activities. His most recent adventures have led him to paddle 1,000 miles of the Colorado River and explore Fiordland in New Zealand in search of trout. Although he enjoys outdoor activities of all sorts, fishing remains his true love.

His hobbies led to focus his computer and mapping skills on environmental issues and he has never looked back. Carson started working for Felidae in July 2013.

Reginald Barrett is a Professor of Wildlife Management at the University of California at Berkeley. His research has encompassed three general areas: the response of terrestrial vertebrates to forest management practices; the ecology and management of introduced species, especially feral livestock; and the study of economically or politically important wildlife, including pumas, coyotes, wolverines, spotted owls, deer and tule elk.

He has contributed to the development of the California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System and has served on the California Interagency Wildlife Task Group from 1980-2000. Results of his work are now being used by the forest industry and state resource agencies in implementing sustainable practices. His areas of specialty include land use planning, landscape ecology, conservation biology and population ecology, especially as they relate to predicting responses of wildlife to human activities on forest and rangelands.

Professor Barrett's research programs use a wide range of techniques including direct observation, live trapping, and automated detection systems. Radio-telemetry is used for in-depth studies of behavior and habitat preference, and GIS systems are used to analyze data and create models for assessing management alternatives.

Susan has spent the better part of the last 35 years involved with community activities, politics, volunteer work and philanthropy, both locally and globally. Her primary focus has been in the area of women's issues, particularly reproductive rights, but she has been involved with various educational institutions and other community organizations.

A fundrasier as well as donor, she has held leadership positions with many philanthropic organizations. Some of her current affiliations include Pitzer College and Mother Jones magazine.

With her husband and four children she established a family foundation. The Libra Foundation, whose mission is to support organizations which promote human rights.

Dr. Tom McMurray is President and CEO of Marine Ventures Foundation. Since founding Marine Ventures in 2000, he has been involved in a wide range of conservation projects in the US, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas and Western Australia. Tom is one of the founding directors of The Ocean Foundation and on the Technical Advisory board for Lighthawk. In his previous life, Tom was a Managing Director at Sequoia Capital where much of the inspiration for leveraging cutting edge technology to attempt to modernize the conservation movement was born. Finally he received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University.

Dr. Ron is the president of H. T. Harvey & Associates, a principal in our wildlife division, and responsible for the overall technical direction of the company. Ron is a wildlife ecologist whose training and research emphasized population and community ecology, particularly the relationships of wildlife to their habitats. While he has worked extensively in a wide range of habitats across the western United States, much of Ron's professional experience has focused on the nearshore habitats of San Francisco Bay, including marshes and mudflats, and the myriad associated wildlife species. Ron has supervised more than 2500 projects over a period of 25 years, covering a variety of ecological issues and geographic areas. He maintains an active role in projects, particularly those dealing with wetlands and endangered species.

Michelle is looking forward to being on the Felidae board. As a wildlife artist, Michelle primarily focuses on Puma concolor and the multifaceted world that has encircled it - its life in zoos, the pet trade, in the wild, those that are hunted, and human infringement into their territory. Her passion for this umbrella species led Michelle to spend 2 winters in Montana, with professional trackers, tracking these majestic creatures and shooting them, with her camera. This process led to a greater understanding of hunting, their vulnerability, and habitat loss.

Michelle has been a Marin resident for 44 years, and has served on several non-profit boards both here and in Sonoma County. Originally from Austria, Michelle has lived in many states across the country. Michelle graduated from UC Berkeley and was an interior designer for many years.

Mitch joined the FELIDAE Board in 2014 and has been keenly interested in protecting ecosystems and apex predators throughout his adult life. Mitch is a 20-year Menlo Park resident and has served on Menlo Park’s Environmental Quality Commission since 2008. He is a founding member and one of the leaders of Menlo Park’s two most significant climate action initiatives: the Green Ribbon Citizens’ Committee (2007-2012) and MenloSpark (current). Mitch also serves on the Board of Congregation Etz Chayim in Palo Alto, CA and plays a leadership in a long-time men’s community in the South Bay.

Mitch serves as consulting chief financial officer for an array of growing companies in the $2M-$20M range with a special passion for businesses whose products and services enhance environmental sustainability. He works closely with key stakeholders and occasionally serves as a Board member. Prior to his 16-year consulting practice Mitch was CFO for a San Francisco-based regional computer sales and service company and later for an outdoor travel book publisher.

Mitch earned his B.A. and M.A. in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

I am excited to be working with BAPP because I have had a fascination with large cats all my life. When I received my bachelors degree from Stillman College, I did a lot of work in the laboratory. I prefer to be out in the field and needed more experience in the field. So, I decided to go back to school to get my Masters at Cal State East Bay in Conservation Ecology with Dr. Erica Wildy. After contacting BAPP about research opportunities, I was very excited to get a reply from the owner of the organization, Zara McDonald. My adviser and I met with Zara and talked about all of the research that BAPP was currently working on and where I could be useful. Zara and everyone that I have met with BAPP has been very kind and accepting to include my research interests and I into the organization. I look forward to getting more experience in the field while working with top predators like the Puma and Bobcat. I feel that the work I will do with BAPP will train me in the work I hope to one day accomplish, which is conservation work, especially with top predators.

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Richard quickly developed a life-long passion for the outdoors and the species that inhabit them as he explored the lush hills on the family farm at the encouragement of his parents and grandmother.

A 2012 graduate of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, Richard has followed his passions across the USA and beyond: he visited Belize as part of a marine biology study abroad program and South Africa as an intern on a great white shark study. He cut his teeth in the world of wildlife biology at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, where he spent a glorious summer at 9,000 ft studying the relationships between predator and prey, and their trophic implications.

Richard first got involved with large cats as a field technician on an ongoing puma study in New Mexico run by his college advisor. After graduating in 2012, Richard continued on the project, gaining invaluable field experience and assisting on a number of puma captures before joining the Felidae team in June, 2014.

Being from Nashville, it should come as no surprise that Richard has an intense appreciation for music, and is often spotted listening to some of his favorite tunes. Movies, camping, hiking, reading, and having a good time with good friends are amongst his favorite pastimes. 

My name is Robbie Waugh, I’m 20 years of age and currently undertaking my masters degree in Zoology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. As my 4th year of study, I am thrilled to be carrying out my work placement here with the Felidae Conservation Fund. From a young age I have had a strong enthusiasm for wildlife and nature, with early memories of exploring rockpools for small creatures at my grandparents holiday home!

After starting University I became a keen member of the exploration society, a student run society which carries out conservation and research expeditions all over the world. This allowed me to develop my passion for conservation whilst taking part in expeditions to Trinidad and Peru. In Trinidad I carried out turtle conservation work through involvement in educational talks, beach clean-ups and tagging. After playing an important role in the success of the previous years expedition, I was selected to lead an expedition to the Peruvian Amazon - an absolute dream! This trip took me to the depths of the jungle, where we studied the effects of human disturbance on the biodiversity within the area. I saw a number of weird and wonderful creatures I had only previously seen on nature shows, including a variety of venomous snakes and a Puma! This work ignited a great interest in the potential of conservation work, and I am hugely enthusiastic about carrying out my Masters thesis here with Felidae Fund!

While I’m not out on adventures looking for animals, my hobbies include playing football (soccer for the Americans), surfing, hill walking, and socialising with friends. I am also a keen musician, playing drums and guitar in a band which regularly gigs around Glasgow!

Gabriel, originally from Brazil, 20 years old, is a Junior year of an Information Systems major. He is a Game Development intern at Felidae. Gabriel got introduced to the digital media field when he was 14, as co-founder of a web design business, working as UX/UI designer and web developer. In the year of 2012, Gabriel, his partner, and a third investor founded a startup in São Paulo - Brazil, where he led the development team and designed the UX/UI of the company's systems.

Gabriel finds fascinating the multidisciplinarity into the educational software development area, which he believes to be key for innovating in the way we teach, learn and share knowledge in many different ways, so he has joined Felidae's tech team aiming to help them in the challenge of using technology to drive environmental awareness.

He is fascinated about IT, but that becomes passion when he has the opportunity to apply it into educational or accessibility tools. Areas in which he has been involved with include: volunteer undergraduate research at University of São Paulo, Brazil (class of 2016), University of Delaware (exchange student, 2014), and UC Berkeley (Summer intern, 2014).

Adam joined the Felidae Conservation Fund in August 2014. Originally from Australia, Adam’s passion for the natural world began at a very young age with his interest in invertebrates and reptiles. As a teen Adam spent much of his time in wilderness areas camping, fishing, four-wheel driving and photographing wildlife.

Adam has been working with both captive wildlife and wildlife in the field for a total of 14 years. Much of this time has been in the area of animal behaviour by studying, training and rehabilitating a variety of wildlife species ranging from small birds and reptiles through to big cats in Africa.

After working as a zookeeper for 9 years and at just 25 years of age, Adam became an assistant manager of the Life Sciences Department at the largest native wildlife sanctuary in Australia. Since then he has worked with scent detection dogs for biosecurity programs, developed state legislation for wildlife rehabilitation and worked as a Senior Zoology Officer for the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission in Australia.

Adam has recently moved to the US after marrying an American and as well as studying his Honours degree in Environmental Sciences, is the Education Program Manager for Felidae.

Joshua Asel is the Founder and Director of Wild Expectations Wildlife Conservation. He is the Head Photographer at Bodega Marine Lab, UC Davis. Joshua's main priority is to further biological research, education and public interest through photographic documentation. He is also an instructor, teaching classes on how to ID birds of prey in real time with West County Hawk Watch and how to track large carnivores with LandPaths and Felidae Conservation Fund.

After discovering a mountain lion in his backyard, Joshua started self-teaching himself tracking and realized an affinity for wild cat species. Then one day in June of 2012, he picked up a camera for the love of wildlife, dropped out of college the day after and started to become heavily involved with wildlife conservation. He gained invaluable experience in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation and became involved in response training one captive mountain lion to facilitate health checks. He also works with a wide array of NGO's photographing threatened and endangered species and documenting evidence of climate change in Bay Area ecosystems. Joshua's primary interests lay in terrestrial and aquatic apex predators, birds of prey and endangered species.

Ian comes to Felidae from northern New England after years of working in wildlife research and environmental education. He completed his undergraduate study in Wildlife Ecology and Master’s Degree in Environmental Education, both at the University of New Hampshire. He has worked with a number of species including bobcat, black bears, moose, and marten. His professional interests include large carnivore ecology, wildlife/human conflict mitigation, and wildlife-based silviculture. Beyond wildlife conservation he enjoys wilderness medicine, mountaineering, and backpacking.

Kim Geisler joined Felidae as a Volunteer in 2014. Kim lives in beautiful Marin County, California, near our Felidae Headquarters, just north of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Kim was an Environmental Geologist who specialized in investigation and cleanup of toxic sites for an engineering company in San Francisco. Her career was cut short after 15 years by a severe back injury: she is unable for the rigors of a full-time geologist position, but is now doing the light, part-time duties of our volunteer Director of Administration.

Kim’s passion for wild cats began on a geology field trip in Utah in 1981, where she and her group had the rare privilege of seeing a Puma climbing a rocky roadcut on a deserted highway. The amazed geologists and students estimated the Puma’s length at 8 to 9 feet, and its diagonal jump at 15 feet (vertical and horizontal combined. As the encounter was completely unexpected, (unfortunately) no one had their camera ready! Kim has wanted to serve these wonderful animals ever since, and has found the perfect fit for her passion, abilities, and skills at Felidae.

Liliana is a veterinarian from Chile, recently graduated from the Master of Science in Environmental Conservation from University of Wisconsin Madison. She has professional experience working in wildlife toxicology, behavioral ecology, and human-wildlife conflict in Chile. She has worked monitoring puma (Puma concolor) population in rural and protected areas of Central Chile. She has also conducted interviews to livestock owners in order to assess livestock depredation and attitudes toward pumas.

As a biologist and veterinarian, Liliana aims to apply the training gained through her graduate studies, while working alongside the professionals who work at Felidae Conservation Fund. Through the participation in The Bay Area Puma Project, she expects to increase her knowledge about a complex environmental issue like Human-Wildlife conflict, specifically as it relates to interactions between pumas and people in urbanized areas.

Her interests include wildlife handling, and chemical immobilization, GPS tracking, depredation risk assessment and mitigation strategies, GIS for carnivores’ conservation planning, and conservation in fragmented landscapes.

Tyrel is the Education Program Manager for Felidae. He graduated from Humboldt State University in 2013 with a degree in Zoology and minor in Wildlife Conservation.

His childhood love of animals has never been outgrown. He has worked with a variety of species around the globe including: monkeys, parrots, and sea turtles in Guatemala, gibbons in Thailand, Grauer's gorillas in the Congo, bats in Malawi, and most recently, Grevy's zebras and lions in Kenya. He has also volunteered with local organizations such as Sulphur Creek Nature Center and the Oakland Zoo.

As the Education Program Manager at Felidae, Tyrel aims to share his knowledge in conservation with pupils of all ages. It is his goal to instill an appreciation of biodiversity and coexistence through engaging outreach programs.

Sonny S. Bleicher is the research and development manager at for Felidae. He completed postdoctoral research with the University of Sydney studying implications of drought and bush fires on marsupial population and foraging dynamics of carnivorous marsupials integrated into a spatial analysis that studied the habitat selection implications of feral cats and invasive foxes. He completed his Ph.D. in 2014 from the University of Illinois at Chicago focusing on the mechanisms of biological invasions. His MSc from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel (2012) studied how changing climate conditions in desert environments may change the predator prey interactions between Allenby’s gerbils and their predators. He graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009. Sonny is interested in how predators impact habitat selection in prey species, particularly species considered as pests by humans. He hopes to develop ways to change human perception of predators in our environment: from a risk, to a beneficial economic asset in our midst.

Jason has a broad history in business operations analysis in the private and public sectors. Jason currently works in global supply chain operations for the ecommerce company Backcountry. Prior to Backcountry Jason served on President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign in a data analytics and operations management capacity. Jason holds B.S. degrees in political science and economics from the University of Utah and a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University.

Jason believes that improving operations with new management systems and novel technologies is vital for creating sustainable environments where every form of life can thrive. Jason believes that new technologies and “big data” analytics can create new avenues and novel approaches to conservation efforts across the globe. As a member of the Board of Directors, Jason employees novel technologies and performance management systems to scale operations for achieving maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Jason strives to optimize Felidae Conservation Fund's educational outreach programs, volunteer management, and conservation programs in the field.

Vivek Ladsariya manages investments in the US and Southeast Asia for Fenox across sectors including digital health, big data, IT, IoT, and marketplaces. He works alongside entrepreneurs in product development, enterprise partnership, M&A exit, and entering international markets such as the US, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and India.

Prior to his role at Fenox, Vivek was a serial entrepreneur having started and led two companies – a game rental company and an advisory business to early stage investors. He developed significant experience building product and companies and continues to use the expertise to support entrepreneurs.

Vivek holds an MBA from Yale University and a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering.

Ray Dodd received his B.S. in Ecology and Natural Resources from Rutgers in 2009 and his M.S. in Biology from East Stroudsburg University in 2012, where he studied the dietary overlap of coyotes and foxes. Ray most recently worked for USDA Wildlife Services as a biological technician primarily focusing on goose damage and wildlife management in New Jersey parks. Ray has worked for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as a Natural Resource Specialist conducting big game surveys and captures, disease sampling, and data analysis. Prior to Oregon Fish and Wildlife, he worked for the National Park Service, where he surveyed fawns and coyotes, as well as, other wildlife within the park. Prior to completing his Master’s degree, Ray worked for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Minnesota Wolf Project and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife’s Bear Project where he conducted surveys, captures, and field sampling.

Kevin B. Clark, Ph.D. is CPO and Director of The Franklin Foundation for Innovation, and NSF XSEDE Campus Champion. His academic pedigree includes seven Nobel laureates and additional distinguished scientists.

Together, Kevin’s competencies as a peer-respected STEAM professional and educator, community liaison, business leader and advisor, and lifelong steward of natural wetlands and other habitats helps him serve the Felidae Conservation Fund and its Board of Directors in various significant ways. He also has been instrumental in creating both local and national (urban and rural) community outreach, educational, and business programs that improve diversity, personalized instruction, and discovery culture in STEAM fields of study across human lifespan and educational levels. The Fund’s goals for K12 environmental education especially complement some of his past and current work in collaboration with professional societies, corporate technology giants, world-class tertiary academic/research institutions, nonprofit organizations, and local public school districts to establish forward-thinking scientific/educational partnerships, special STEAM curricular programs, advanced (neuroscience-based) instructional and assessment methods, and public outreach. Kevin is committed to applying all areas of his expertise to further the Fund’s mission in apex predator conservation and natural ecosystem health and diversity.

Michael is a Financial Advisor at Scarbrough Financial Group, with offices in the North and East Bay. He enjoys helping people develop successful strategies to manage their money, bringing over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. Starting out on the trading floors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he has a breadth of knowledge and experience – working in the areas of Financial Operations, Trading, and Risk Management.

Michael received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has continued to pursue knowledge and personal experience through extensive travel. He has a passion for the outdoors and is an active trail runner, leading to his interest in wildlife and environmental conservation. Michael’s role on the Board is to provide energy and expertise in initiating and growing partnerships with the community in order to further the organization’s mission toward global co-existence with wild cat species and improving the state of their ecosystems.

My name is Aedan and I was drawn to Felidae by my passion for predators and mountain lions. Growing up outdoors in Colorado inspired me to work with these magnificent animals that are so often misrepresented. This summer I am working with the camera traps in the field and also helping with data entry.

Hi, I'm Paula. I am here from Campos, Brazil as a research intern for the summer. I am very excited to have this opportunity to intern at Felidae. I enjoy the field of conservation and I hope to work in this field in the future.

Geno is a Field Biologist Technician for the Bay Area Puma Project. Geno is currently finishing a MS degree in Biology at Sonoma State University where he is investigating the physiological response to environmental stress in marine mammals, specifically sea lions. Geno is originally from Chicago where he earned his BA in field biology from Knox College in 2008 and then later lived in Alaska, which allowed him to work in a variety of zoological institutions and gain experience with many species, such as marsupials, birds, hoofstock, seals, otters, bears and big cats. Geno has also worked on several collaborative international research projects leading field captures with sea lions and fur seals in both Chile and Mexico.

As a Bay Area transplant, Geno has a fondness for the diverse ecosystems in California and a passion for conservation studies with the apex predators that live in them. He is thrilled to be working on a project that will protect local pumas and their ecosystems. Geno’s interests and hobbies usually involve the outdoors, such as hiking, biking and camping all over the Bay Area and beyond, traveling, photography and reading scientific literature. Email Geno at gderango@felidaefund.org.

Courtney is a central California native with a bachelors in animal biology from UC Davis and a PhD from the University of South Florida. She is generally interested in examining the role of host and environmental variation in animal health. For her graduate degree, she primarily investigated the ecological interactions between a recently invaded songbird, its native competitors, and their shared parasites in Kenya. After completing graduate school, she worked for two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria in South Africa where she studied infection incidence and immunity in wild African buffalo inside a wildlife preserve and domestic cattle that live near the preserve boundaries. Findings from this study are being used to develop an effective disease control program that considers aspects of individual physiological risk factors. Email Courtney at courtneycoon@felidaefund.org.

Ms. Osberg, now retired, worked for 25 years in financial technology development and management. The bulk of her career was spent at Wells Fargo Bank where she became Executive Vice President in charge of the newly created Online Financial Services Division. She was responsible for charting the bank’s internet course and growing the online business. After leaving Wells Fargo, Ms. Osberg was Chief Operating Officer for 724 Solutions, Inc. in Toronto, Canada, and has held various consulting positions for insurance, banking, and technology companies. She also served on the Board of Directors of The Sequoia Fund for 11 years, holding the position of Chairperson from 2013 until retirement. She holds a BA degree from Dickinson College. Ms. Osberg is a two-time world bridge champion and an avid wildlife photographer/videographer.

Roger G. Merrill, is a business consultant through NewBridge Consulting Group in San Francisco and Atlanta. He has more than 20 years of experience with global strategic partnering strategies in high technology. In addition, Roger has over 20 years of strategy consulting and start up experience with high-technology and energy and natural resource companies worldwide. He was a principal in a Silicon Valley-based consulting firm that specialized in product market strategies, major channel partner development and mergers and acquisition. He provided due diligence advice for venture capital clients in well over 100 new and turnaround opportunities across a broad range of industry segments. His work required extensive global travel and he has been in all 50 US states.

Roger has had a life-long interest in mountain lions starting with a family heritage of Montana cattle ranching and outdoor activities throughout the Western US. Over the last several years he has been researching, collecting evidence and cataloging purported mountain lion activities in the northern San Francisco Bay Area (Napa and Solano County). He has seen four mountain lions in the wild.

Roger has a BS degree (Geology) from the University of Northern Colorado, a MS (Engineering) from Stanford University and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ginger is a seasoned executive in the conservation, technology, youth and community development fields. Applying many years of experience and learning to social impact throughout her career and particularly since 1995, She recognizes the importance of preserving all life on the planet through awareness building, data collection and analysis and action. Ginger spent five years working with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya to build their presence in the USA. Lewa offered a unique opportunity to bring development to conservation strategies and conservation to development strategies in rural Kenya – and Ginger helped to catalyze the impact of this small and highly effective organization. An animal lover with a call to the plight of the African elephant and the many endangered species of eastern Africa, she recognized Lewa’s deep understanding of the critical connection between man and nature. Conservation is, after all, a human “problem”, in the words of her Lewa colleagues.

Her previous areas of expertise include: digital payment systems, consumer mobile and Internet, strategy, leadership development, team-building, international expansion, program management, marketing, financial services, entrepreneurism and emerging market development.

Ginger is thrilled to work with Felidae to advance the organization’s data-driven approach to wild cat – and ecosystem – conservation.