Who We Are

President & Biologist, Director

Favorite Felid: Mountain Lion

Zara is a biologist, serial entrepreneur and conservationist. She is the founder and CEO of Felidae, a global conservation organization that conducts innovative research on wild felid species. 

Zara brings over 20 years of experience in the fields of biology, conservation, and entrepreneurship. She has conducted groundbreaking research on felids throughout the world, and as a National Geographic Explorer, she is committed to raising awareness around biodiversity, wild felids and the link to public health. Her dedication to excellence is evident in her organization’s consistent record of publishing rigorous applied scientific research, advancing our understanding of the natural world. 

In addition to her work in conservation, Zara has a wealth of experience in the fields of technology, biotech, healthcare, and private equity. She holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, complemented by her background as a biologist. An accomplished entrepreneur, private pilot and ultra trail runner, Zara has founded four innovative companies, introducing cutting-edge technology in health and wellness. She pioneered the world’s first wearable device offering real-time speed and distance metrics, and collaborated with the Mayo Clinic to develop consumer-focused fall detection technology. She also invests in emerging opportunities that benefit human health and environmental sustainability. Zara is a Limited Partner at Portfolia, a female venture fund investing in companies dedicated to building a better world, and a scientific advisor with the End Brain Cancer Initiative.

Zara is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader and has featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and National Geographic.

Lead Wildlife Ecologist

Alys Granados is interested in using science to inform wildlife conservation strategies in partnership with diverse groups of stakeholders. She has a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, Canada where she used camera traps to measure the impacts of logging on wildlife in Malaysian Borneo. Following her PhD, she returned to Borneo to work as Field Research Manager for the Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program. Most recently, Alys was a postdoc at the University of British Columbia where she studied multiscale effects of recreation and land use on mammals in western Canada.

Researcher

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.

Accountant

Carl is a native to the San Francisco Bay Area.  He graduated from San Jose Stat with a BS in Biology and minor in Accounting.  Besides his job as Accounting/HR Manager for an IT company, Carl also is developing his own liquidation/estate sale business.  Carl is captain of a recreational ice hockey team, enjoys road trips, photography, cooking and spending time in the outdoors on foot or bike.

Executive Admin

Favorite Felid: Clouded Leopard

Nik graduated from DePaul University with a background in Education, English, and Communications. He has worked with several businesses providing support and expertise in business development and administrative work. In his free time, he enjoys reading, being with his friends, and spending time with his cats. At Felidae, Nik ensures that everything runs efficiently.

Back Office Administrator

Veronica Rose is a Washington, DC native and huge animal lover. She graduated from Georgetown University with a Masters in Technology Management and currently helps run a small IT government contracting company as their Finance & Operations Director. She is interested in learning more about wildlife conservation and turning her passion for animals into making a difference. In her free time, she loves exploring nature, drinking a strong cup of matcha, and trying out new hobbies; the latest include archery, ice skating, and learning how to play the drums. Veronica lives with her two cats and ball python and can often be found fostering kittens in the area. 

Researcher

Dr. John Gallo is a geographer and landscape ecologist supporting conservation decision-makers, scientists, and stakeholders. He also furthers scientific frontiers by developing and sharing innovative methods for addressing challenges to conservation science and practice. He started his emphasis on connectivity conservation in 1996 as director of a regional affiliate of The Wildlands Network, and started his emphasis on programming connectivity software in 2001. He also champions community science and the importance of verifying and bolstering connectivity models with observations data, including a paper in review for evaluating fisher connectivity maps with camera traps. He is also Director of the Linkage Mapper software project.

John received Highest Honors at University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Ecology, a B.A. in Environmental Science, and a Ph.D. in Geography. He conducted post-doctoral research in South Africa then worked for The Wilderness Society, followed by Conservation Biology Institute for over a decade.

Biologist

Favorite Felid: Bobcat

Emily Fletcher holds a B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Geography from San Francisco State University. During her undergraduate studies, Emily led research projects analyzing sea level rise impacts in San Francisco and using remote sensing to track vegetation recovery after the Point Reyes Woodward Fire. She also assisted in the Disease Ecology Graduate Labs of Drs. Andrea Swei and Ravinder Sehgal, building a strong foundation in wildlife parasitology focused on avian and tick disease vectors.

Emily’s professional experience spans local Bay Area environmental nonprofits and government agencies. Her background encompasses hands-on habitat restoration and community stewardship, water quality lab testing, mosquito surveillance following West Nile Virus detections, and analyzing ecological datasets to explore native plant-pollinator relationships.

A former Felidae volunteer, Emily now serves as a staff biologist focused on studying wildlife movement patterns to inform land management policy and advancing science communication. Outside of work, she reads, crochets, writes, and paints. Her favorite local species is the bobcat, which she first encountered while trapping mosquitoes in Oakland.

Director/Treasurer, Board of Directors

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.

Director, Board of Directors

Favorite Felid: Mountain Lion

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.

Director, Board of Directors

Favorite Felid: Leopard

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.

Director, Board of Directors

Sharon (Shari) Wilcox has dedicated the majority of her career to the study, conservation and restoration of the native wild cats that call the U.S.-Mexico borderlands home, including the ocelot, jaguar, and jaguarundi. Her work has been featured in the National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Washington Post, The Guardian,Nature and on Texas Public Radio. 

In addition to her work in the nonprofit sector, Shari is a Professor of Practice in Geography and Sustainability at The University of Texas at San Antonio.  

Shari is the co-editor of the book, Historical Animal Geographies, and has co-authored a number of scientific articles examining contemporary and historical interactions of humans and wild cats in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Her research has received support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Social Science Research Council, and the Smithsonian Institution. She received her Ph.D. in Geography from The University of Texas at Austin. 

DIRECTOR, Board of Directors

Favorite Felid: Leopard

Alyssa is an attorney and passionate Board Member of Felidae Conservation Fund. Alyssa grew up on a lake in Wisconsin and developed a special connection with the wonders and joys of wildlife, and organically felt a deep desire to care for our beautiful planet Earth and its beloved creatures. Wild cats, and leopards in particular, have always held a special place in Alyssa’s heart. 

Alyssa holds a B.A. in Radio/TV/Film and journalism, a JD with a focus on financial markets, and has specialized business training and experience. In addition to her professional work, Alyssa is a devoted charity marathoner, outdoor adventurer, and loves capturing nature through photography.

At Felidae, Alyssa is focused on strategic planning, fundraising, and public engagement in hopes of encouraging an interest in habitat preservation and wildlife protection. Alyssa’s goal is to support a legacy of love and advocate for continued conservation efforts to ensure the protection and survival of wild cats. 

Director, Board of Directors

Benjamin Hersh is a product leader with a passion for big ideas and thoughtful details. He has led pioneering work in AR and AI at Google and previously built everyday tools at Dropbox and Medium. Today he is honored to bring that creative energy to Felidae’s mission to advance scientific research and conservation efforts on a global scale. 

Director/Secretary, Board of Directors

Mike is an accomplished global business and technology executive with 30 years of experience driving technology-led advantage across diverse industries. With 30 years of experience, Mike has led digital transformations, turnarounds, cultural change efforts, operational efficiencies, acquisition integrations and cyber security programs.  He is skilled at creating committed, effective and accountable stakeholder focused teams.Most recently, Mike served as the Chief Information Officer of Legence, North America’s leading provider of energy efficiency and sustainability solutions for the built environment.  As a member of the executive leadership team, Mike was responsible for digital strategy, AI adoption, data / analytics, cyber security, and monitoring technology trends.  Prior to Legence, Mike served in leadership positions for BlackHawk Network, Peet’s Coffee, Blue Shield of California, Applied Materials, Deem, and Accenture.Mike received a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Northwestern University and currently resides in Belmont, CA.  In his personal time Mike enjoys backpacking, triathlons and most outdoor activities. 

Chairman, Board of Directors

 Richard has spent the bulk of his twenty-five-year professional career managing international conservation, climate change, and rule of law programs. That work—as an environmental lawyer, nonprofit executive, and conservation program director—has taken him from the World Bank and Global Environment Facility to the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative and the U.S. Forest Service Office of International Programs. He directed large, donor-funded programs in Uzbekistan, Morocco, Thailand, Germany, Lebanon, and the Congo Basin countries of Central Africa. Most recently and for more than twelve years, he served with the U.S. Forest Service Office of International Programs, directing initiatives in sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience across Central Asia, Central Africa, and the Middle East. As founding executive director of the Forest Service International Foundation, he helped establish and build the organization, strengthening its institutional infrastructure and governance while raising visibility and support for global conservation. Richard and his partner, Marian, are based among the redwoods in the San Francisco Bay Area, and are thrilled to have a bobcat, as well as their three children, as recurring visitors to the house. 

Director, Board of Directors

Elisa Bravo is an environmental leader with nearly two decades of experience advancing biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and community engagement across Latin America. Since beginning her career, she has held leadership roles with international NGOs including the National Audubon Society, where she served as Country Director for Colombia, and Panthera, where she managed regional programs across South America with a strong focus on jaguar conservation.Elisa has also worked with The Nature Conservancy, the Alliance for Responsible Mining and Amazon Watch, supporting Indigenous and local communities to protect ecosystems and strengthen natural resource management. Over the course of her career, she has overseen country and regional programs, secured multimillion-dollar donor support, and built strategic partnerships with governments, civil society, and the private sector.She received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia in Colombia, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with a focus on Natural Resource Management and Conservation from San Francisco State University, and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Universidad de los Andes.Guided by a lifelong commitment to wildlife and biodiversity, Elisa is especially passionate about protecting big cats and advancing community-driven conservation across Latin America.

Director, Board of Directors

Chris Draper PhD is a zoologist, animal welfare scientist, and nonprofit executive with over 25 years of experience advancing wild animal protection and compassionate conservation. He has served in senior leadership roles at major animal welfare organizations, including as CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society and as Head of Animal Welfare & Captivity at the Born Free Foundation, where he oversaw sanctuaries for elephants, big cats, and primates, alongside their research and advocacy programs.Chris earned his PhD in Animal Welfare Science from the University of Bristol and has published widely on animal welfare in zoos, ethical wildlife control, and the interface between conservation and animal welfare. He has contributed to national and international wildlife policy initiatives, including as part of the UK’s Zoos Expert Committee and Wild Animal Welfare Committee, and has delivered invited testimony and lectures around the world. He currently sits on the Accreditation Committee for the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Director, Board of Directors

Lindsay Perkin is a marketing and communications leader with more than 25 years of experience advising organizations on strategy, growth, and public-facing narrative at moments of complexity, transition, and change. She is the founder of Keyphraseology, where her work has spanned global brands and mission-driven organizations seeking long-term clarity, trust, and impact.

Her work increasingly centers on sustainability, with particular focus on ecosystem and wildlife conservation, bringing strategic perspective to governance, development, and the public communication of science through storytelling. She has supported sustainability and conservation organizations through periods of growth and transition, with an emphasis on aligning mission, stewardship, and public understanding.

Lindsay serves on the Board of Directors of Felidae Conservation Fund and is honored to contribute a systems-level perspective on marketing and communications, informed by more than 25 years of professional experience and a long-standing interest in ecological systems and conservation, with ongoing study in environment and sustainability at Royal Roads University.

Director, Board of Directors

Before retiring to devote herself to her passion for animals, Jo spent 30 years as a management consultant and financial services executive, specializing in strategy, data & analytics, and customer experience. Jo grew up in the UK and spent her professional life in the UK, Australia, and Asia before moving to the US in 2000.

Jo has served as the President of the Board of Directors for Nine Lives Foundation, a cat shelter and low-cost spay/neuter & wellness clinic, since 2021. In this role she has led strategic planning, development, and fundraising for the non-profit, overseeing the transformational growth of the organization, doubling its revenue and the number of cats and kittens helped by its programs.

She is passionate about all animals and conservation in general, but felids of all sizes hold a special place in her heart! Jo received a BA and Masters in Mathematics from the University of Oxford, England. Jo and her horticulturalist partner Herb both enjoy travel focused on observing plants, birds, animals, and especially any kind of cat in its natural habitat. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and are dedicated servants to two cats, Wampus and Bucephalus.

Director, Board of Directors

Nicole Trautsch is a nonprofit advancement leader with expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and organizational growth. A Bay Area native, she serves as Director of Advancement at WildCare, where she leads major gifts, annual giving, donor stewardship, and capital campaign fundraising in support of wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education, and advocacy. She holds an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts and was named Emerging Fundraising Leader of the Year by the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

She is passionate about wildlife conservation and particularly inspired by the critical role wild felids play in maintaining healthy ecosystems as apex predators, as well as the importance of building public understanding to help protect them. Nicole is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of Felidae Conservation Fund and support its work to protect wild cats and their habitats.

Director/Secretary, Emeritus Directors

Favorite Felid: Lion

Jay is an executive with the Hackett Group. Hackett is a leader in business advisory, business benchmarking and business transformation consulting services, including strategy and operations, working capital management, and globalization advice. Before joining Hackett Jay served as a senior executive with several consulting firms (Accenture, PwC, Diamond) helping them build global practices.

Jay is a native Californian growing up in Southern California. He decided to venture east for college, graduating from Yale University with a degree in Economics. Jay has traveled the world, spending a lot of time outdoors in various habitats ranging from the plateaus of Uganda to the rolling, grassy plains of Wyoming. He now lives with his wife, 3 dogs now and horse in Franklin, Tennessee a few miles south of Nashville.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Tom 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.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Jahan has been a professional management consultant for more than three decades. He is currently managing principal of CA Advisors. Previously he was at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Applied Decision Analysis, and Management Science Group. Before his advisory career, he worked at American Airlines and United Airlines.

Jahan has served on the faculty of the School of Business and Management at Notre Dame de Namur University, and also on the faculty of the Department of Aviation at San Jose State University. Jahan holds a masters in management science and engineering from Stanford University, as well as a masters in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California, and bachelor degrees in civil engineering and electrical engineering from the University of Illinois.

He has a passion for preserving the wildlife habitat as an important component of environmental sustainability. Through valued and targeted initiatives, Jahan believes impactful contributions can be made to protect the fragile nature ecosystem that needs to be shared with the wildlife.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Favorite Felid: Margay

Kevin B. Clark, Ph.D. is SAB Co-Chairperson at Cures Within Reach, NSF XSEDE Campus and Domain Champion in Biomedicine, Member of IEEE Biometrics and Nanotechnology Councils, Affiliate at NASA, Peace Innovation Institute Founding Member at Stanford University and The Hague, and SME at MIT and UPenn. His academic pedigree includes eight Nobel laureates. He helped pioneer neurotech-driven targeted neuroplasticity training and smart quantum biomolecular logic and memory systems in cell biology and for theragnostic medicine and other purposes.

Kevin demonstrates a history of creating local to global (urban and rural) science, 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. Together, his competencies as a peer-respected scientist, technologist, educator, community liaison, business leader and advisor, and lifelong steward of wildlife and natural wetlands and other habitats helps him serve the Felidae Conservation Fund and its Board of Directors in various significant ways. The Fund’s goals for research and K12 environmental education especially complement some of Kevin’s 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 and educational partnerships, special STEAM curricular programs, advanced (neuroscience-based) instructional, assessment and human behavior design methods, research data and technology standards, and public engagement. Some of this work is exemplified in Kevin’s service as an Advisor to the UN Green Fins Environmental Programme, the NSF-funded National Ecological Observatory Network, and the Max Planck-Yale Center for Biodiversity Movement and Global Change. 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.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Favorite Felid: Leopard

Imran Khan is a researcher, analyst and Finance professional with over 16 years of experience. He has won various international honors over the years and enjoys using his skills to contribute to the growth and development around the world. Imran holds a Masters in Commerce and is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

He loves hiking and is passionate about nature and its preservation because the future of his generations depends directly on it. He is honored to serve on Felidae’s board of directors.

Director, Emeritus Directors

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.

Director, Emeritus Directors

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.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Soon after graduating from Duke University with an MBA, Kia moved to Silicon Valley to help consumer companies rapidly scale by acquiring the right talent. Most recently as Head of Recruiting for SolarCity (now Tesla), she helped grow the company from 700 to 15,000 employees across the US and Mexico and built an award winning Recruiting Team 150 people strong.

Now retired from the private sector, Kia is able to pursue her life-long interest in conservation. Kia and her husband Brad live in Redwood City with their domestic lions ( three orange tabby cats) and are avid hikers and adventure travelers.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Shelley Alger. serial entrepreneur, also investor, wildlife photographer and advocate. Formerly a Fine Art Photographer, her photography hopes to connect those who rarely if ever interact with wildlife discover an emotional connection and caring for our fellow earthmates. She seeks to make a positive contribution to preserve wild spaces and reverse the trends that are devastating our natural world. She is really looking forward to being on the Felidae Board.

Shelley immerses herself in nascent trends and technologies that promise a more healthy, holistic and sustainable world. She’s passionate about building profitable, socially impactful companies, empowering female founders, fostering balanced, mutually honoring gender dynamics, great teams, leadership, new technologies, advocating for Nature and wildlife, regenerative food systems, integrated health, photography and art, world travel, cultural anthropology, language, dance and neuroscience.

Shelley is a Marin native, a graduate of UCLA and Dominican University, and has traveled to ~80 countries photographing wildlife, indigenous and traditional cultures.

Director, Emeritus Directors

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.

DIRECTOR, Emeritus Directors

Eric Peltzer, a seasoned engineer in the computer chip industry, possesses a strong passion for wildlife conservation. Growing up in the Bay Area, he developed a love for outdoor activities like cycling and mountain biking, which allowed him to witness firsthand the impact of California's growing population on the region's wildlife. Eric has spent much of his career supporting non-profit organizations, providing strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational development expertise. During his time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Suriname, he gained valuable insights into the consequences of human activities on ecosystems. This experience underscored the importance of careful studies and stewardship in fostering sustainable systems where vital wildlife can coexist with human populations.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Alen Amini is a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). A former Fulbright scholar, he previously served as a high school math teacher and vice principal in Southeast Arkansas through Teach For America. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Dartmouth College.

Director, Emeritus Directors

Allison is a certified nonprofit manager with a decade of experience leveraging her skills in program management, partnerships, and fundraising to help food systems and public health nonprofits expand their reach. Currently, she works at Petaluma Bounty, a farm-based community food security project, where she leads Petaluma’s gleaning program to recover food at risk of going to waste and help everyone in Sonoma County access fresh, farm-direct produce. She loves spending time outdoors harvesting food, jogging, and spotting local wildlife. 

The most rewarding part of her role at Felidae is working with teammates who share her reverence for nature and her commitment to forging sustainable systems that allow human communities to be more caring neighbors to the plants and animals we live alongside. In addition to her love for the natural world, Allison also has a passion for language. She earned a master's in Applied Linguistics from the University of San Francisco after studying Spanish Language and Literature at Brown University, so when she is not doing community work, you’ll find her reading at home with her domestic felid, studying Spanish and Mandarin with friends, or listening to audiobooks on long walks through the trees.

Chairman of the Board, Emeritus Directors

Cheryl McCormick, Ph.D., is the CEO of the Athens Area Humane Society, one of Georgia’s first animal welfare organizations and the first in Athens to serve companion animals in need of rescue, shelter, and protection.

Cheryl has served as Executive Director of California-based organizations, including AIM Youth Mental Health (Interim, Carmel), Lindsay Wildlife Experience (Walnut Creek), YWCA Monterey County (Salinas), and the American Cetacean Society (San Pedro). She also served as Director of Conservation at the Santa Lucia Conservancy (Carmel).

Dr. McCormick received a BA in Environmental Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, her MA in Geography (GIS & Remote Sensing) from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia. She also received an appointment as Visiting Researcher/Scholar in 2017 at UGA’s Center for Geospatial Research.

Cheryl received a Certificate in Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential in March 2024. She is a co-author of Identification and Biology of Nonnative Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas (Second Edition, 2008) and has published numerous literature reviews, statewide invasive species management plans, and research articles. In her personal time, she enjoys long-distance trail running, yoga, and visiting public gardens.

Field Intern

I found myself at Felidae through my desire to be involved in wildlife conservation. When I was in high school I read a book called Into The Wild, which drew my interest to the natural world. I also have an interest in ecology and how the world is interrelated. My other interests include lacrosse, traveling, and hiking.

Wildlife Biologist Intern

Jenny is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology. She is eager to continue her education in and research on wildlife ecology with a focus on endangered carnivores. This past year she was a Gray wolf cluster searcher in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with the Middleton Lab, where she assessed seasonal patterns of wolf predation in order to better understand the reasons for carnivore-livestock conflict. She is excited to research the apex predators of the area in which she grew up as well as how human modifications are affecting them. She hopes her future research will have applied conservation outcomes and will help turn human-wildlife ‘conflict’ into ‘coexistence.’

Jenny is currently based in South Lake Tahoe and enjoys hiking, climbing, running, and water coloring!

Wildlife Biologist

Favorite Felid: Cheetah

Katie is a recent graduate from Reed College where she obtained a degree in biochemistry. After graduating, she discovered her interests lie more with wildlife biology and ecology and has been working seasonal field jobs to gain experience.

Her goal is to become an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and research the effects of human activity on wildlife.

Favorite wild cat species: "Tough call, but I'll go with cheetah!"

Wildlife Biologist Technician

Favorite Felid: Tiger

Cailan graduated from UC Davis with a degree in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology. During college she worked on projects with waterfowl, birds of prey, and small carnivores. After college she interned at the Oakland Zoo with their lions, tigers, camels, currasows, and cuckoos.

Her love of animals and wildlife started early and she continues to pursue opportunities to work with a variety of species. She is especially interested in human-wildlife conflict and the relationships humans have with wildlife in this ever changing world.

She is very fond of tigers from her time at the Oakland Zoo, and they have become her favorite wild cat.

Community Program Coordinator

Office Manager Joanne offers a calm, grounded presence.

Joanne has extensive experience as a Hospice Chaplain with graduation education in Transpersonal Psychology and Theology. She has been a student of yoga and meditation for years and is an passionate dog lover.

Joanne has a keen interest in wildlife conservation and habitat protection. Joanne's dream is to be a part of the creation of a wildlife corridor.

Accountant

Anower graduated in Accounting and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Accounting Information System (AIS) from Jagannath University in Dhaka. He is also studying at The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB).

He has experience of working as a bookkeeper at various locally-owned companies for 7 years. Recently, he has started his own bookkeeping service providing business. As he is a passionate environmentalist and believes in making a sustainable lifestyle so, he likes to spend his spare time helping non-profits.

In his free-time, Anower enjoys traveling, hiking and sight-seeing. Till now, he has been discovering his own beautiful country, Bangladesh. In the future, he wishes to see at least 100 countries around the globe.

He believes that it’s important to understand approach to global wildlife research, education and stewardship programs to ensure a future with healthy native wild felid populations and global biodiversity.

 That's why he is passionate about working with communities to create peaceful co-existence with wild felids and safeguarding biodiversity for healthy ecosystems.

Intern

Delilah is a recent graduate from Santa Clara University where she earned her B.S. in environmental science. Throughout her years in college, Delilah interned for the Oakland Zoo as a primate zookeeper, researched human-elephant conflict in Kenya, and researched orphan tree kangaroo behavior in Australia. She hopes to earn her master's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology or wildlife science, and her goal is to work for Fish and Wildlife or the National Parks Department as a behavioral ecologist and wildlife manager. 

Accountant

As a corporate accountant experienced in non-profit, legal, and e-commerce fields, Victoria brings her expertise to Felidae. Victoria is responsible for contributing to the overall efficient operation of the department, managing reconciliations and payment operations as well as other projects.In her prior role, Victoria led the financial aspects of PCS Wireless' subsidiaries, establishing internal policies and procedures, managing day-to-day financial operations, analyzing financial data, and supporting audits.Victoria holds degrees in Accounting and Liberal Arts: Business and CIS Emphasis. She volunteers for a few non-profit organizations, providing accounting and financial services as well as administrative support. Her volunteer cause areas include Women, People with disabilities, and the Environment.

One Health Ecologist

Bonnie Gulas-Wroblewski is interested in applying One Health solutions to human-wildlife conflict. She received a BS in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University, while researching at the American Museum of Natural History.

She later completed a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University, studying skunk disease ecology within a One Health framework at the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. Bonnie has been a wildlife rehabilitator for 19 years and is a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator via the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. 

Intern

Favorite Felid: Bobcat

Eliza Low, a student at Menlo School, is passionate about conservation biology. She’s interning with the Bay Area Puma Project to gain hands-on field research experience and to learn more about careers in conservation. Eliza is particularly excited to learn how the organization uses remote cameras and artificial intelligence to efficiently collect and analyze data to gain valuable insights into the behavior of the elusive puma.

GIS Analyst

Emma is a GIS analyst and freshwater researcher with a passion for habitat suitability modeling. During the day she works on freshwater mapping and modeling projects, and on animal nutrition research for aquaculture closer to her home in Milwaukee, WI. In her free time she can be found at her local makerspace, hiking along a river, or working on fun mapping projects for conservation groups like Felidae!

Wildlife Biologist

Favorite Felid: Ocelot

Ben is a recent graduate from Washington State University with a BS in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science. After graduating, he has worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife placing baited camera stations across Northern California. Ben is interested in wildlife genetics and maintaining wildlife corridors to preserve genetic diversity. Eventually, Ben would like to become a Wildlife Refuge Manager and be able to maintain a protected ecosystem from the soils to the skies.