WILDLIFE CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Supervisor
Alejandra (Alex) (she/her) was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the border of Texas. Along with her family, Alex immigrated to Brownsville, Texas at a young age and was raised in between the Mexican-American border. The rich fauna of South Texas played a crucial role in her passion for wildlife. Alex began her docent training at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville in 2009. Alex participated in outreach events and also assisted keepers with husbandry duties. She completed her Bachelor's in Biology at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley in 2013 and began working in the Russel Aquarium inside Gladys Porter Zoo where she took care of a collection of fish native to the Gulf of Mexico, elasmobranchs, and a small reptile collection. Alex later transferred to the carnivore and gorilla department of Gladys Porter Zoo, where she took care of different species of bears, large cats, wild dogs, and primates. After a couple of years, she began transitioning into the animal health department clinic where she trained as a wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary assistant/technician under the direction of the senior veterinarian. As part of her training and duties, Alex was part of the marine mammal stranding team and natural disaster response team, and coordinated training for oil-spill certifications and training. Alex helped establish a Certified Veterinarian Assistant (CVA) program with the local high school; the program included hands-on workshops and online lessons focusing on zoo and wildlife medicine and helped Alex realize the importance of mentoring and teaching in this field. She obtained her Masters in Biology in the fall of 2020, where she focused her thesis on the Vitamin D serology of captive African Tree Pangolins (Manis tricuspis). Alex received a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) certification from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and a CVA certificate from the Texas Veterinary Board in 2020. She completed a veterinarian technician program in spring 2023 shortly before starting at the Wildlife Center. Alex enjoys spending time with her pets, especially her dogs, as well as taking photographs. Alex enjoys working with the diverse fauna of Virginia and continuing to teach and mentor students interested in wildlife rehabilitation.
Alison (she/her) was raised in northern Virginia, where she grew a fascination with wildlife from an early age. She knew she wanted to pursue a career helping animals and the environment, inspiring her to study conservation biology at George Mason University. While earning her undergraduate degree, Alison participated in an internship with a small songbird rehabilitation center, and this experience solidified her passion for working hands-on with animals. She also spent a year at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, VA learning from conservation professionals and participating in endangered species behavior research. Once out of college, she professionally pursued zoo animal wellness and behavior. Alison eventually discovered a passion for connecting people with their local wildlife and ecosystems, leading her to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. In her free time, Alison loves to cook, play video games, hike, swim, and spend time with her cat.
Amanda (she/her) first became involved with the Wildlife Center of Virginia when she attended Bridgewater College - first as a volunteer, then as an animal care preceptorship (extern) student in 2000. After graduating with a degree in biology in 2001, Amanda joined the staff as the weekend receptionist and part-time rehabilitator. Over the years, Amanda has held several different positions at the Wildlife Center, including wildlife rehabilitator, outreach coordinator, director of outreach, and, currently, the senior vice president. In this position, Amanda oversees the day-to-day activities and operations at the Center, as well as overall communications, including the Center's ever-changing website, Critter Cams and moderated discussion, email newsletters, and social media. She also orchestrates the annual Call of the Wild conference and helps care for and train the Center's team of education ambassadors. Amanda loves the dynamic nature of the ever-changing activities going on at a wildlife hospital and sharing the Wildlife Center's mission and stories with others. In her free time, she serves as the volunteer program chair for the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association's annual symposium, and hangs out with her two dogs.
Amber (she/her) grew up in central Virginia and has had a fondness since a young age for the outdoors and all things nature-related. She spent much of her childhood adventuring in the woods during family camping vacations in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After earning her degree in biology with a focus in environmental science, she began working as an environmental educator at a nature center in central Virginia. It was during this experience that her interest in wildlife and outdoor education really grew. Soon after relocating to Waynesboro, she joined the Wildlife Center staff as the office administrator. In her free time, Amber enjoys hiking with her husband and two pups, as well as gardening and beekeeping.
Ashlee (she/.her) grew up in the small town of Grottoes, Virginia and now resides in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She graduated from Bridgewater College with a degree in Environmental Science in May 2021 and was able to establish her career in development and fundraising at the Center in January 2022. Ever since she was a young girl, Ashlee had a soft spot in her heart for all animals. As she got older, that passion for animals turned into a shared passion for conservation. Her first time learning about the Wildlife Center was during a program done at her elementary school and she will never forget the impact that program had on the way she views caring for wildlife. Before coming to the Wildlife Center, Ashlee followed the Center's work and even obtained a certification through the Wildlife Care Academy in 2017. In her free time, Ashlee enjoys traveling, attending concerts, tending to her houseplants, reading, and baking.
Chris (he/him) was raised in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to the Shenandoah Valley with his family in 2017. He has enjoyed a career in Development and Institutional Advancement since 2004, and a majority of those years were spent in Independent School Advancement, leading annual fund and capital campaigns. Chris first visited the Wildlife Center in 2018 while bringing a group of students to visit and tour. Chris holds a B.A. in Communication and a Master of School Administration from East Carolina University. He and his wife Anne, a nurse at Augusta Health, have two boys and live in Staunton with their Carolina Dog, Jilly.
Connor (he/him) grew up in Southwest Florida, where he spent most of his childhood outdoors, exploring nature parks and preserves. From a young age, he knew he wanted to pursue a career working with wildlife. During college, he started volunteering at a local zoo and quickly moved into a zookeeper position in the carnivore department. Connor dedicated his time at the zoo to teaching the public about the animals he worked with and ways to support conservation efforts in the wild. After five years in the zoo field, Connor decided he wanted a more direct role in helping local, native wildlife. In September 2020, he joined the Wildlife Center as part of the front-desk team, where he helped the public resolve wildlife issues and coordinated the intake and release of the patients. After a year at the front desk, Connor transitioned to his current role as the Center's outreach coordinator. He enjoys working with the Center's team of animal ambassadors and presenting programs to share their stories and the stories of thousands of other animals that come through the Center's doors. When not at work, Connor likes to spend his free time reading, swimming, and exploring hiking trails with his dog.
Dr. Emma Winstead (she/her) was born in Virginia, but raised in Venezuela, Egypt, Germany, and Greece. Always fascinated by science and hoping to contribute to conservation, she received her B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia. While there, she was lucky to learn from the Wildlife Center of Virginia as a rehabilitation preceptor and then volunteer. She received her DVM in 2019 from Tufts University where she divided her time between wildlife and domestic species. Following graduation, she completed a rotating internship at an equine hospital and went on to spend the bulk of the pandemic working with cats and dogs in a private practice in Virginia Beach. Dr. Emma returned to wildlife medicine last fall, working at a pinniped rehabilitation facility in California. She is grateful to be back at the Wildlife Center of Virginia as one of the 2023-2024 veterinary interns. Outside of veterinary medicine, she maintains a love for the ocean, hiking, horses, and her new dog!
Job Titles:
- Director of Veterinary Services
Dr. Karra (she/her) grew up on the west coast of Canada, near the city of Vancouver. She completed her Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island. During this time, she started working as a staff wildlife rehabilitator at a large wildlife rehabilitation center. Here, Dr. Karra fell in love with wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife medicine. Following her undergraduate degree, Dr. Karra moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to attend the Western College of Veterinary Medicine with the goal of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. During this time, she continued to dedicate herself to working with wildlife. After receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, she did a one-year small-animal rotating internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and then joined the team at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. In her time at the Wildlife Center, she has held the position of veterinary intern, senior veterinary intern, research fellow, and is currently the director of veterinary services. Dr. Karra loves teaching interns, veterinary students, and wildlife rehabilitators from all over the world about wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife medicine. She enjoys all aspects of her job but is particularly fond of treating all things tiny. You will often find her creating micro-bandages and miniature splits for her littlest patients. Her professional goals are centered around advancing the profession of wildlife rehabilitation and learning as much as we can from the patients who come through our doors. Dr. Karra spends her free time with her ever-changing menagerie of pets and her partner, Dr. Patrick, who is also a veterinarian.
Job Titles:
- President
- Chief Executive Officer, President, Vice President, and Director
- Founder, CEO & President of Build 4 Impact, Inc
For the past 35+ years, Dr. Meg Gammage-Tucker (she/.her) has worked in nonprofit management, organizational leadership, and philanthropy. Meg's particular expertise is in board development and management, strategy, systems, and campaign planning implementation, research, evaluation, and organizational management, along with maximizing the growth of human resource, operational, and financial potential.
Meg has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Anthropology from Illinois State University and a Master of Science in Museum Studies, a Master of Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in Political Science, Nonprofit Management, and Museum Studies from Texas Tech University.
Meg has worked as a chief executive officer, president, vice president, and director of - and consultant for - educational, cultural, and zoological institutions throughout her career. She has worked in archaeology in the American Midwest and Southwest and in philanthropy, membership, marketing, and management of museums of art, natural history, and culture in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Texas.
While serving as President & CEO of The Rhino Trust, she raised more than $3 million to fund rhino (and related human service support) conservation in Africa and Asia and was responsible for its merger with the International Rhino Foundation, thus reducing administrative cost and enhancing donor efficiency for both organizations.
Most recently, Meg served as CEO of the National Eagle Center, bringing a stalled capital development project to a successful conclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic to create a multi-channel, multi-facility regional campus on the Mississippi River.
Meg serves as the Founder, CEO & President of Build 4 Impact, Inc., a nonprofit consulting, management, and exhibition development firm, and also continues her 30+ year career as a faculty member of The Fund Raising School and adjunct faculty member of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy of Indiana University,teaching both in-class and online courses. She has served as a member and chair of a variety of local, national, and international nonprofit boards and committees. She currently serves as a member of the Government Relations Committee at the Zoological Association of America; the Legislative and Fundraising Committees of the Minneapolis Sound Museum; and is a board member of PASA International and GLOBIO, Inc. , two organizations that are working diligently to care for and impact the conservation of primates and apes in Africa and around the world.
Meg joined the staff of the Wildlife Center of Virginia as President in June 2024.
Dr. Natalie Zimmerman (she/her) was born in Canadian Lakes, Michigan, and grew up always knowing that she wanted to be a zoo/wildlife veterinarian. She completed her Bachelor of Science at The University of Michigan in 2017. During her undergraduate studies, Dr. Natalie spent her summers involved with research and care of captive wildlife/zoo species; spending three months as a research assistant at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo one year, then completing a three-month keeper internship at an exotic cat sanctuary in Tampa, Florida the following year. Dr. Natalie obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at The University of Illinois. While at U of I for her veterinary studies, she spent one summer working with the Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory as a member of the "Turtle Team" collecting data for research with Eastern Box Turtles and spent three years as a student volunteer & team leader at the Wildlife Medical Clinic. In her time with Wildlife Medical Clinic, she helped to care for a wide variety of wildlife species and shared her enthusiasm for wildlife medicine with younger team members and volunteers. She has participated in externships with Brookfield Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. After graduating as a veterinarian, Dr. Natalie completed a small animal rotating internship at an emergency and specialty hospital in Akron, OH, then signed on for an additional year as an emergency medicine associate veterinarian at the same hospital. She is very excited to return to wildlife medicine as one of the Center's 2024-2025 veterinary interns! Although Dr. Natalie loves a wide variety of taxa, some of her favorite species to work with include Woodland Box Turtles, Virginia Opossums, Barred Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls, and American Kestrels. Outside of work, Dr. Natalie enjoys photography, camping, hiking, board games, and movies.
Job Titles:
- Veterinary Research Fellow
Dr. Olivia (she/her) grew up in Culpeper, Virginia, and always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. She completed her Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Mary Washington in 2016, then earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. During her veterinary education, Dr. Olivia completed externships with several wildlife rehabilitation centers in the U.S. including the California Wildlife Center, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, Tristate Bird Rescue and Research Inc., the Marine Mammal Center, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia, as well as ARCAS in Guatemala. Her experiences with wildlife as a student solidified her love of the field of wildlife rehabilitation medicine and for all of our wild creatures. After receiving her DVM, Dr. Olivia spent two years working as a shelter veterinarian in Wisconsin before moving back to Virginia. Dr. Olivia loves treating all of our native wildlife but is particularly fond of songbirds, bats, and snakes. She also has a new-found love of working with Virginia opossums. She is excited to continue her role at the Center as the research fellow. Dr. Olivia enjoys hiking, birdwatching, painting with her partner Ryan and spending time with all of her beloved pets. The parts of her job she loves the most are learning new techniques and creative solutions to care for our patients and performing surgical procedures, especially for opossums.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- President Emeritus
- National Leader
Since the late 1970s, Ed Clark (he/him) has been a national leader in the field of conservation. His involvement has ranged from wilderness designation and public land management to pesticide regulation and endangered species protection. Raised in Flint Hill, Virginia, Ed received a B.A. in history and political science from Bridgewater College. He did graduate work in education at James Madison University and University of Virginia. His professional training includes environmental mediation, organization management, and strategic planning.
Since the late 1970s, Ed Clark has been a national leader in the field of conservation. His involvement has ranged from wilderness designation and public land management to pesticide regulation and endangered species protection. Raised in Flint Hill, Virginia, Ed received a B.A. in history and political science from Bridgewater College. He did graduate work in education at James Madison University and University of Virginia. His professional training includes environmental mediation, organization management, and strategic planning.
In 1979, Ed became the first executive director of the Conservation Council of Virginia Foundation, the environmental advocacy and education organization known today as the Virginia Conservation Network. In 1980, he co-founded and became assistant director of the Environmental Task Force in Washington, DC, a national grassroots support network. In 1982, he returned to the Shenandoah Valley and began his work as a leadership trainer and organizational consultant for national conservation and non-profit groups, including Trout Unlimited, the Sierra Club, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society International, the Appalachian Trail Conference, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and many others. In November of 1982, Ed co-founded The Wildlife Center of Virginia.
Throughout his career, Ed has been active in public service. He has been appointed by three Virginia Governors to various boards and commissions, including the Virginia Council on the Environment (the state environmental policy board), the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (one of the nation's largest government land trusts), the Virginia Environmental Education Commission, and the Governor's Commission on Natural Resource Funding.
Ed has also served on boards and advisory councils of more than twenty regional, national, and international conservation organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation (Eastern Vice Chair), International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (President), Philippe Cousteau Foundation (Founding Secretary), and Southern Environmental Law Center (President's Council). He is currently a member of the board of directors of Fundacion Ecolombia, a wildlife conservation organization based in Medellin, Colombia.
Ed is a well-known and widely recognized television personality. From 2019-2022, he was the host of UNTAMED, the Wildlife Center's television series that aired on PBS affiliates nationwide. Previously, Ed was the host of two award-winning series, Wildlife Emergency, which aired worldwide on Animal Planet, and Virginia Outdoors on Virginia Public Television. Ed has appeared in several films and documentaries and has been a frequent guest on network television programs such as CNN's Larry King Live, NBC's TODAY, FOX News, CBS Saturday Morning, and C-SPAN's Washington Journal.
Liz (she/her) was born and raised in Carmel, Indiana, in a large suburb of Indianapolis. She graduated early from Purdue University in 2018 with a B.S. in interdisciplinary agriculture with minors in wildlife science and natural resources/environmental science. Liz's love of wildlife started while she was in college when she began volunteering and later interning at Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Westfield, Indiana. During her time there, the director of the center began teaching and providing her with a base knowledge and tools to pursue a career as a wildlife rehabilitator. After graduating, Liz took a six-month position at the Miami Seaquarium, where she worked closely with the staff to take care of and monitor resident and rehabilitating manatees and sea turtles. From there, she became a fellow at C.R.O.W (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) in Sanibel, Florida for six months working with all native Florida species. After moving from Florida, Liz completed a season at the Indianapolis Zoo as a macaw trainer to assist with training and running the free-flight shows. Liz also worked as a veterinary technician before joining the Wildlife Center as a wildlife rehabilitator in the fall of 2021. Liz's hobbies include drawing, painting, watching new shows with her husband, and hanging out with her bird, Green Bean. Liz enjoys working with young mammals and all birds (especially waterfowl) and is excited to have the opportunity to work with a wider variety of native mammals.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Veterinary Technician Intern
Erin (she/her) was born and raised on the Great Lake of Erie in Erie, Pennsylvania. She spent her childhood going on barefoot nature walks, climbing trees, watching Steve Irwin's Crocodile Hunter series, and helping with her mom's pet care business, which all contributed to her love for all wild creatures. Through her mom's business, she had the opportunity to help care for a great variety of animals including dogs, cats, horses, frogs, turtles, and even a sugar glider. These experiences made her realize that working to help animals is what she was meant to do with her life. By the time she graduated from vet tech school, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in wildlife and conservation. She has lived in and traveled to Ohio, Vermont, Colorado, and now Virginia with her gray cat and best friend named Tigger. She is very passionate about working with wildlife and making a positive impact on the animal and human lives around her. In her free time, she loves to bird watch, listen to indie music, paint, antique, and watch documentaries.
Jenn (she/her) is from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Her love for animals started early in life, and she pursued her dream by obtaining a B.A. in biology from Seton Hall University in 2020, followed by a Veterinary Technology degree from Bergen Community College in 2022. During her college years, Jenn volunteered as a docent at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, shadowed her local veterinarian, and completed two student externships at small-animal emergency practices, gaining valuable experience in the field. Jenn also loves to travel and learn about new cultures, and in 2018, Jenn traveled to Oudtshoorn, South Africa, to volunteer at Cango Wildlife Ranch, where she assisted in medical treatments, feedings, and animal enrichment. Her travels continued in the Fall of 2019, when she sailed on Semester at Sea, studying the conservation of marine megafauna, tropical ecology and evolution, and global environmental systems - observing the species she was learning about firsthand in the Strait of Gibraltar, the Galapagos Islands, and the rainforests of Ghana and Costa Rica. In her free time, Jenn likes photography, getting overly competitive at trivia nights, and face-timing with her family, friends, and dog, Olive, back in NJ. For Jenn, the best part of working with wildlife is being challenged to think outside the box and put her creativity to good use. She is so excited to be a part of the WCV staff!
Job Titles:
- Licensed Veterinary Technician Supervisor
Jess (she/her) is originally from Baldwinsville, New York, a small suburb outside Syracuse. She graduated in 2015 from Unity College, with a B.S. in Captive Wildlife Care and Education and a minor in Zoology. After graduating from Unity, she completed a six- month fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation for Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) in Sanibel, FL, which solidified her love of wildlife and veterinary medicine. After completing her fellowship at C.R.O.W., Jess went back to school to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Upon graduation from GCC, Jess joined the WCV team and completed the diagnostic LVT internship during the 2018-2019 season. Jess was subsequently hired as one of the full- time LVT staff in July of 2019, and is now the LVT supervisor, which is one of three full- time LVT positions. Jess loves working with all wildlife, but is especially fond of Barred owls. Jess and her husband, Anthony live in Staunton with their two dogs, Bonnie and Penny, and three cats: Shirley, Bob, and Helen. In her spare time, she enjoys making pottery, gardening, and spending time with all of her beloved pets.
Jonah (he/him) spent the formative years of his life living in a variety of locations throughout the American East Coast. He spent the first years of his life in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he spent his teenage years. As a young adult, he spent time attending school in Williamsburg, VA and Middletown, CT where he received a BA in Psychology. After college, he spent three years living and working in the Catskills Mountains of New York State, where he taught environmental education at Frost Valley YMCA. During that time, Jonah facilitated outdoor experiences for New York City and Suburban New Jersey youths while also teaching them about the native wildlife of the East Coast. He also helped co-manage a very small education raptor center that was part of the Frost Valley Environmental Education Center. He later moved to Charlottesville and was hired to work at the front desk of the Wildlife Center of Virginia. He loves birds (particularly owls) and enjoys advocating for animals and answering wildlife questions for the public. When not at work, Jonah likes to spend time birding, reading comic books, watching good movies, and eating tacos.
Kavya Parsa (they/she) is a wildlife rehabilitator originally from Des Moines, Iowa. Kavya has worked with wildlife in Iowa, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. Before becoming a career wildlife rehabilitator, Kavya was a licensed attorney in the state of Iowa. She fell in love with wildlife rehabilitation while working with Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary and WCV during law school at the University of Virginia. In her free time, Kavya enjoys rock climbing, reading, and spending time with her blind dog Lua and one-eyed cat Rikash.
Kelly (she/her) volunteered at the Wildlife Center when the new facility first opened in Waynesboro in 1995 and became a permanent staff member with the development team in December 2001. During her time at the Center, Kelly has had the opportunity to support and enrich the essential relationships with the Center's supporters through open house tours, environmental education programs, Gala organization, animal releases, and the personal acknowledgment of contributions. Kelly received a B.S. in forestry and wildlife from Virginia Tech in 1998 with a focus on environmental education and human dimensions related to wildlife and natural resource management. Kelly enjoys spending time with her family and pets as well as traveling, reading, kayaking, and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Special Projects Coordinator
Kristen (she/her) began at the Wildlife Center in 2008 as front-desk coordinator, responding to wildlife inquiries and admitting patients. In 2009, she became the special projects coordinator as a part of the development team. Kristen is largely responsible for planning the Center's annual Gala & Benefit, assists with grant applications and fundraising, plus any other "special projects" that arise. Kristen holds a degree in biology from James Madison University. She enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Advancement
Larry (he/him) was born in Buffalo, New York and spent his high school and college years living with his family in the Finger Lakes region of central New York - where winters were spent shoveling snow and skating on ice, and summers were divided between performing in theater around the region and boating on the lake with his friends. He moved to Charlottesville in the 1980s to study English at the University of Virginia. After graduate school, he worked for 20 years as a freelance consultant for a wide array of local, national, and international clients. He wore a lot of hats, working at times as a technical writer, a corporate governance analyst, a broker of charter yacht vacations, a branding and communications consultant for corporations and non-profits, a journalist, and a documentary filmmaker. Prior to coming to the Wildlife Center, he served for five years as Director of Communications and Foundation Relations at the Virginia Institute of Autism. His work at the Wildlife Center involves helping to drive strategic initiatives and opening up access to new audiences and new supporters. Larry and family have enjoyed camping in national parks, including an epic, three-week, 5700-mile road trip to Badlands, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons.
Job Titles:
- Outreach Communications Coordinator
Lauren (she/her) grew up in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. She began her journey in environmentally focused work by conducting environmental science research in shoreline restoration and soil science at UNC Chapel Hill. Through this experience, she saw the significance of the gap between the consensus among the scientific community and the general public regarding the importance of addressing the climate crisis and environmental destruction on multiple levels. She turned to video production and communications work as a way to bridge this gap and as a creative outlet to share educational messages and stories that touch people's hearts, encouraging them to make meaningful and sustainable changes. She learned to create videos in the field under the mentorship of Nizhoni Films, a production company based in the Diné Nation. In her free time, she loves to garden, create art, and meander through the forest with friends. Her favorite animal is the Virginia opossum.
Lilly (she/her) was born and raised in a small town in central Virginia. As a child, she would spend hours capturing and identifying insects in her backyard or checking out every animal-based book in her local library. While this passion had dwindled as life continued on, it was reignited in Lilly's senior year of high school when she completed a capstone project on the role emotions play in wildlife education. She learned about the important emotional connections that wildlife educators facilitate between their students and the environment and how these connections lead to environmentally friendly behaviors. During this project, Lilly completed a short internship at a Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Nelson County. Lilly fell in love with the world of wildlife rehabilitation, medicine, and education, and eventually found her way to the front-desk coordinator position at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. In 2023, Lilly moved to the "other side" of the building and took a seasonal position in the hospital. In her free time, Lilly enjoys hiking, reading, upcycling, and playing with her two ferrets, Oliver and Frankie.
Mathew (he/him) grew up on a farm in Fredericksburg, Virginia alongside goats, chickens, ducks, bunnies, rats, and a skink. From a young age, he always loved wildlife and spent much of his childhood looking for insects, snakes, frogs, lizards, and whatever other animals he could find. After working in the maintenance and construction field for more than ten years in many different capacities, from historic restoration to working on aircraft, he's thrilled to now combine his maintenance skills with his passion for wildlife as the Center's maintenance technician. In his free time, Mathew enjoys building furniture, woodworking, and crafting. Mathew enjoys using his skills to keep things running smoothly and improve the care of the animals that come through the Center's doors.
Mac (she/her) was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, where she grew up camping and spending time outdoors. She earned her BS in natural resource conservation from the University of Florida in 2017 and has since worked in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation across the southeast. Mac particularly enjoyed a year spent in south Florida working on several field research projects, including a project tracking and capturing invasive Burmese pythons and Argentine Tegus in the Florida Everglades; this is where her love for reptiles began! Mac moved to Philadelphia in 2019 to work as a veterinary technician with companion animals, but she quickly realized her true passion was working with wildlife. This led her to move to Virginia for a seasonal position with Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, just across the mountain from the Wildlife Center. She was thrilled to join WCV's permanent rehabilitation staff in the fall of 2021. Although Mac loves working with many kinds of wildlife, she is particularly fond of striped skunks, raptors, and snakes. Outside of her work at WCV, Mac enjoys bar trivia or playing board games with her friends, and spending time with her partner and pets.
Michael (he/him) is a native of Norfolk, Virginia, and has lived in Charlottesville since 2015. After spending most of the last decade traveling the country as a touring musician, Michael discovered his passion for animal welfare while working at a local domestic shelter. He is excited to continue learning about the natural history and behavior of wild animals through his experiences at the Wildlife Center and while exploring the beauty of central Virginia. He and his wife Madie enjoy hiking around the area with their two adopted dogs and frequenting Shenandoah National Park several times a year. Michael is a snake enthusiast and loves observing and identifying them for his friends and neighbors. He hopes to use his knowledge and appreciation of snakes to help educate his community about the important benefits they provide to our ecosystem.
Paige (she/her) grew up in Staunton, Virginia, and from a young age brought injured wildlife to the Center with her family. Paige graduated from James Madison University in May 2023 with her B.S. in biology, where she earned "Best Thesis" across the university for her honors thesis, which focused on creating a species distribution map for an endemic species of salamander, the Shenandoah Mountain Salamander. After graduating, Paige completed a wildlife rehabilitation externship at the Center where her favorite tasks included helping raise White-tailed Deer fawns and other species of orphaned wildlife. She was then hired on to work at the front desk, where her tasks include arranging transport for the intake and release of patients, answering wildlife questions, and intaking new patients. When not at work, Paige likes to spend time outside birding and walking around the park, reading, and spending time with her cat Jody.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Veterinary Technician
Rachel (she/her) grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. Her love of all creatures and the outdoors led her to attend the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She graduated with a B.S. in conservation biology. After graduating, she moved to Lexington, Virginia with her family. Rachel then went back to school to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology through Blue Ridge Community College. While in vet tech school, she started volunteering at the Wildlife Center, first with the rehab department, and then with the treatment team. After graduating from vet tech school, Rachel spent some time in small-animal medicine but realized that her passion is for wildlife and conservation. This led her back to the Wildlife Center for a 12-week externship during the summer of 2021 and to the Vet Tech Internship in 2021-2022. While she does not have one favorite animal, she is especially fond of reptiles and amphibians. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, baking, and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her dog Tilly.
A native of Colorado, Randy (he/him) has spent more than four decades in nonprofit leadership and program management. He spent nearly 20 years in Washington, D.C. at Common Cause, the national citizens' lobbying group, including more than a decade as vice president, leading its fundraising and communications programs. Randy was deputy director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, directed communications and development for Montpelier [the home of James and Dolley Madison in Orange County, Virginia], and served as director of major and planned giving for WMRA, the National Public Radio station for Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley. Randy joined the Wildlife Center staff in October 2005 as vice president, helping with fundraising, budgeting, and public relations. Now the Center's Senior Advisor, Randy works with the management team to try to keep the trains on the track. He and his wife Jackie Howell, a writer, massage therapist, and yoga instructor, live in an old farmhouse run by their cats.
Tamela (she/her) grew up in nearby Crozet, Virginia, enjoying all the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer. She spends her free time gardening, kayaking, cooking, camping, and foraging wild mushrooms. Tamela has settled down in downtown Staunton, Virginia, and joined the Wildlife Center staff as the operation assistant in April 2023. Tamela volunteers at local animal shelters and events for local nonprofits, she enjoys making a difference and being part of the community.