Heather Barrett
Heather Barrett is Deputy Director for the BFREE Field Station and Privately Protected Area located in southern Belize. She received an M.A. from the University of Florida and worked in the nonprofit sector prior to joining the BFREE team. As one of BFREE’s primary administrators since 2011, Heather has been deeply involved with the TSA […]
Becca Cozad
Becca received her Masters from the University of Georgia for investigating health and disease in translocated gopher tortoises. She is currently a research biologist at Nokuse Plantation, a private conservation preserve in the Florida panhandle, where she primarily works with translocated gopher tortoises and restoring longleaf pine habitat. Becca is also heavily involved with and holds […]
Josh Dale
Josh Dale is a finance professional based in New York City. After a short stint in management consulting, he started his banking career in 2007, working both as a lender and financial advisor across multiple sectors and regions. For nearly a decade now, he has been focused exclusively on financing renewable energy projects. While most […]
Andy Daneault
Andy Daneault has a long-standing interest with reptiles and amphibians and has worked with them professionally in zoologically managed settings for over 20 years. Andy is currently Animal Operations Manager/Curator of Ectotherms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom where he focuses his efforts on managing the living collection, staff, and conservation initiatives. He also serves as a […]
Bill Dennler
Bill began his 33 year zoo career as a Keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1972 and then moved to the Toledo Zoo in 1975 as the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians. He became the Zoo’s Executive Director in 1981 – a position he held until retiring in late 2005 and now is the Director […]
Colleen Diles
Colleen Diles brings more than 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance, financial oversight, and risk management; skills she now applies to advancing meaningful causes. As President of Diles Consulting and former Risk Monitoring Director at FINRA, she has guided organizations through complex challenges with integrity and clarity. Colleen also serves as Director and Voting […]
Michael Fouraker
The Fort Worth Zoo’s Executive Director, Michael Fouraker, has been with the Zoo since 1993 and brings over 50 years of experience in animal care, conservation, and zoo management. He has focused his career on building partnerships that support global conservation initiatives. Michael’s field experience includes work in Africa, India, South America, North America, and […]
Alexandra S. Garcia
Alexandra S. Garcia is an independent non-profit consultant focused strategic planning, organizational management, and program implementation and assessment. She offers her clients advice and guidance rooted in her more than 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles at World Central Kitchen, the International League of Conservation Photographers, and the Fabretto Children’s Foundation. Alex’s current […]
Mike Gibbons
Mike Gibbons has spent a lifetime around turtles, albeit in a volunteer capacity. He began helping on his father’s turtle studies as a small child, and has continued to this day taking part in numerous amphibian and reptile volunteer initiatives. In his professional world, he is Director of Development for Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary. He […]
Kim Gray
Kim Gray is the Senior Curator of Birds & Ectotherms at the Dallas Zoo, providing strategic leadership for avian and ectothermic animal programs, conservation initiatives, and assurance populations. She has more than 30 years of experience working in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)–accredited institutions and previously held senior curatorial roles with San Diego Zoo […]
Melanie Gregory
A Tennessee native, Melanie Gregory studied Wildlife and Fisheries Science and Zoology at the University of Tennessee and was a founding member of the Tennessee Herpetological Society before joining Zoo Knoxville as a keeper in the Department of Herpetology. There, under the mentorship of respected herpetologist Bern Tryon, she spent the 1990s caring for the […]
Holly Hewitt
Holly has an extensive background in the nonprofit world. With a background in veterinary technology and large animal science, she has travelled and worked in Tanzania and northern Thailand on welfare programs for working equines and spent time on Zanzibar Island as well as Sri Lanka monitoring rabies control programs for working/owned/roaming dogs. Recent work […]