Cole Fleming

Cole has been fascinated by animals and the natural world since he was a child. He joined the TSA in 2024 and is proud to be part of a unique collection of talented people who have made it their mission to save these amazing creatures from extinction. As an esteemed member of the maintenance team he embraces […]

Jordan Gray

Jordan joined Turtle Survival Alliance in February 2017. A native of Virginia, he has lived in numerous American states and abroad, all of which have provided various opportunities for him to cultivate his passion for Chelonians. Involvement with conservation and wildlife research began early for Jordan as he would regularly accompany his father into the […]

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 […]

Rachael Harff

Rachael Harff first joined Turtle Survival Alliance in 2021 as a Chelonian Keeper at the Turtle Survival Center (TSC). She later returned to the TSC team in April 2024 as a Chelonian Keeper II. Rachael’s lifelong passion for animals began early. She recalls helping turtles cross roads as a child and eventually earned a Bachelor […]

Isabel Hernandez

Isabel Hernandez is the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO, with a focus on assisting the Turtle Survival Alliance Board of Directors. New to the organization in 2024, Isabel brings over 30 years of experience in administrative roles, primarily in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors with a strong background in project management, event planning, […]

Ratri Lertluksamipun

Ratri Lertluksamipun joined the Turtle Survival Alliance in April 2023. With more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit administration, donor relations, and fundraising, Ratri has advanced missions for organizations in higher education, the arts, and healthcare industries. She was previously the Senior Alumni & Constituency Relations Officer for the University of Southern California’s School […]

Makayla Peppin-Sherwood

Makayla Peppin-Sherwood has always been passionate about the natural world. From a young age, she could always be found playing in the mud, fishing with her dad, catching garter snakes, or stargazing. This passion led her to pursue a Bachelor’s in Physics with a concentration in Astronomy from the University of Central Florida, which she […]

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 […]

Jo Rooney

Jo has had a love for turtles ever since she was little, and that love only grew when she started working with reptiles. She got her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020, and from there, she completed internships in Texas before settling for several years in the Florida panhandle, […]

Carly Sprott

Carly joined the Turtle Survival Center team as a Chelonian Keeper in March 2025. Born and raised in the midlands of South Carolina, she has always enjoyed exploring nature and learning to identify local wildlife. Carly has a passion for helping protect endangered species and a special interest in turtles, having had the chance to observe many Eastern […]

Nita Yawn

Nita joined the Turtle Survival Alliance team in January of 2023, after working with and being surrounded by animals her entire life. From working with horses in her native Kentucky, to managing an extensive apiary here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, her passion for conservation and environmentalism has been at the core of her […]