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, […]

Heather Lambert

Heather joined Turtle Survival Alliance in October of 2023. She has more than 20 years of accounting experience with over 16 focused on nonprofits covering a variety of sectors from early childhood education to the Deaf community and extending to international programs. Originally from Cincinnati, OH she relocated to Tampa to satisfy her love of the sun, beach […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]