Team

Interim Executive Director

Genevieve N. Waller, Esq.

Ginny Waller joined TSA in October 2022 as the part-time Interim Executive Director. Ginny is a lawyer, seasoned nonprofit executive, professional fundraiser, and published author with 17+ years of experience in nonprofit governance and operations. She has received numerous accolades for excellence in nonprofit leadership development, strategic planning, operational efficiency, change management, governance best practices, and relationship building, including the 2013 Award for Nonprofit Leadership from the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations and the 2015 Fundraising Professional of the Year from the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Midlands Chapter.

She is a member of the South Carolina Bar, Certified Fund Raising Executives International, Center for Non-Profit Excellence (Virginia), the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits (Chicago), Association of Nonprofit Specialists (New York), Together SC, and the Florida Nonprofit Alliance. She is also a professional interim executive with the Lift Connection and the Interim Executive Network.

Director of Field Conservation

Andrew Walde

Andrew Walde was an active Board Member of the TSA until 2017 when he resigned his Director’s position to become the TSA’s Chief Operating Officer.  Andrew now coordinates most of the TSA’s day-to-day business, as well as leads the field programs in India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and North America.  He was formerly a Research Biologist with Walde Research & Environmental Consulting based in Atascadero, California.  He obtained a B.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario and a M.Sc. from McGill University (1998) in Montréal, Québec, Canada.  He is on the Executive Committee of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, as well as the Turtle Conservation Fund. He also serves as the Co-Chair for the Annual Symposium on Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles.  He is an Editor on the updated Turtles in Trouble, The World’s 25+ Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles and serves as an Editor for Herpetological Conservation and Biology.  While passionate about chelonian ecology and conservation, he is interested in all aspects of natural history, having worked throughout North America on projects involving restoration ecology, avian research and impact studies; as well as numerous surveys in entomology, ornithology, and herpetology.

Director, Turtle Survival Center

Cris Hagen

In 2010 Cris Hagen became the TSA's first Director of Animal Management and is responsible for the strategic development and management oversight of captive turtle assurance colonies throughout the U.S.A. to support the conservation mission of the TSA. Cris has been an active member of the TSA since its inception. He was instrumental in the formation of the TSA's Turtle Survival Center (TSC) in South Carolina in 2013 and assembled one of the rarest collections of endangered turtle assurance colonies in the world. A true turtle connoisseur, Cris has been studying turtles of the world since he was 4 years old and has an extensive background in herpetology spanning over 35 years that includes a mixture of herpetoculture, animal collections management, biological sciences, taxonomy, field and lab research, teaching and environmental education. Cris was formerly employed (2002-2013) as a genetics and herpetology research technician at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). While at SREL he maintained dozens of turtle species and over 1000 individuals in assurance colonies. His personal and professional interests have taken him to over 25 countries on 5 continents to study natural history and he has co-authored 5 taxonomic descriptions of turtles. His life-long fascination with the Malay Archipelago has lead him to make several exploration trips to the region since 1998, resulting in natural history and conservation notes on the Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi) and Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi).

Veterinary Keeper, TSC

Carol Alvarez

Carol was born with a love for animals and has always gravitated to the "underdogs." She was given her first pet turtle at age 7 and by age 9 she was training domestic animals, followed by exotics, and then working with wildlife. She worked for Dr. Seashole as a veterinary technician, followed by clinic manager, for more than 12 years. Carol even managed the former occupant of the grounds of the current Turtle Survival Center (TSC) when it was the Cross Wildlife Center. There she cared for and rehabilitated a menagerie of animal types and species. Due to her father having a construction company, Carol had a background in construction as well, so when Cross Wildlife Center closed, she did construction and electrical work for five years. During this time she also earned certificates in medical assisting, phlebotomy, and CPR. Carol started her tenure at the TSC as an especially enthusiastic volunteer, because she truly believes in our mission. She now loves being able to use all her talents to benefit the turtles and tortoises at the TSC as the full-time Veterinary Keeper.

Finance Director

Amanda Beth

Amanda Beth joined Turtle Survival Alliance as Finance Director in December 2022. Amanda previously worked as an Accounting Analyst for the Medical University of South Carolina where she oversaw accounts payable and receivable, monthly reconciliation, budgeting, payroll, and internal audit processes. Before that, Amanda was a Bookkeeper with Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where she owned an art gallery for eight years and single-handedly operated its frame shop before moving to Charleston. Amanda holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Texas A & M University. Over the last twenty-five years of her career, Amanda has spent eighteen of those in a finance role. She has earned numerous certificates in the areas of accounting and non-profit financial management. When she’s not at work, Amanda performs stand-up comedy around Charleston and sings as a soprano in a choir.

Assistant Curator, TSC

Clinton Doak

Clinton Doak, has been interested in reptiles and amphibians for the majority of his life. Growing up in rural Michigan, his passion for herpetofauna started at an early age where he could be found in swamps and ponds looking for turtles. After receiving a Bachelor's of Science degree in Zoology at Northern Michigan University, he relocated to Arkansas to begin a career in zookeeping. Initially a keeper in the Education Department at the Little Rock Zoo, Clinton's primary interest in herpetology drove him towards a more reptile-focused career. Clinton's work as a professional herpetologist began with a swing keeper position in the Reptile Department at the Little Rock Zoo, which would soon graduate to a full-time position in the Fort Worth Zoo's world-class herpetarium, The Museum of Living Art (MOLA). While working in MOLA, he worked with some of the most endangered reptiles in the world, including a variety of Asian species such as Indian Gharial, Painted Terrapin, Pan's Box turtle, Southern River Terrapin, and Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle.

Education Coordinator

Jordan Gray

Jordan joined the TSA in February 2017 as the new Communications Coordinator. A native of Virginia, he has lived in numerous American states and abroad, all of which have provided various opportunities for him cultivate his passion for chelonians. Involvement with conservation and wildlife research began early for Jordan as he would regularly accompany his father into the woods to perform field research. While studying at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, Jordan cofounded the Terrapin Educational Research Program of Savannah (T.E.R.P.S). After graduation, he relocated to become an animal care and outreach technician for the Houston Zoo. There he began working with the Turtle Survival Alliance through the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group. Ultimately, Jordan hopes to utilize his passion for educational outreach to foster an appreciation for turtles and tortoises as well as promote stewardship of their habitats.

Digital Content & Community Coordinator

David Hedrick

David has been looking under rocks since he could walk and has spent as much time in the water as out. He grew up and still lives in the biodiverse Southern Appalachian region of East Tennessee. During his seventeen years in zoo herpetology in Nashville and Chattanooga, he cared for and grew a collection of a broad range of species, also working with Hellbender Salamanders in zoos and in the field. Conservation social media began as a volunteer effort building accounts for Caribbean Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (CaribPARC) and Hellbender Conservation in the American South. For several years David grew the social media presence of the International Iguana Foundation and began doing the same for the TSA in 2015. He is the point person for TSA’s popular Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® events and partnerships, maintains the Turtle Survival Alliance website, and has been part of the team that brings the Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles to the world on virtual platforms. David also serves on the TSA’s Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee.

Development Coordinator

Chelsea Rinn

Chelsea, a Virginia native, moved to Charleston to join the TSA as Development Coordinator in March 2021. Her longtime love of animals began when she was a child as her parents, in an effort to keep her summers constructive, enrolled her in a variety of animal-centric day camps. Later, after completing her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, she advocated for homeless pets as the Development Assistant at the Roanoke Valley SPCA in Roanoke, VA. There, she found her calling in nonprofit development and a passion for working with animals. She completed a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership Studies from the University of Lynchburg, while working at Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee. Her tenure at Zoo Knoxville further cultivated a love for conserving wildlife and wild places. Chelsea loves to be active and do anything outdoors. When she’s not outside, she enjoys reading, watching baseball and spending time with her family.