Our Team

Meet The Team
Our team includes ecologists, educators, rehabilitators, interns, veterinary externs, research associates, field technicians, and administrators, all with one thing in common: a commitment to avian conservation. We love birds, and we love our jobs!

Our Staff

Adrian Rouse
Adrian Rouse
Seasonal Field Research Technician

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Adrian grew up in Rochester, NY and became immersed in the world of raptors after volunteering at an education facility called Wild Wings, Inc. Shortly after obtaining a B.S. in conservation biology from SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, NY, Adrian accepted a position as the rehabilitation intern at Teton Raptor Center in May of 2017. It was at TRC where he developed many of the relationships and skills that further propelled him into raptor research, and has since performed seasonal field research positions in Florida, California, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. This will be his third season working as a field technician with TRC, and he’s excited to continue his journey with Teton Raptor Center!

Favorite Raptor: Northern Goshawk

Amanda Penn
Amanda Penn
Avian Care Technician

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Amanda grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and developed a love of wild creatures from an early age. She later graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Zoology. After college she worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Seattle, Washington where she gained valuable experience working with raptors, songbirds, and various mammals. Amanda grew up visiting the Tetons every summer with her family. In 2015, she finally moved to Teton Valley, Idaho and began working for the Animal Adoption Center (a non-profit animal rescue) in Jackson, Wyoming. She is thrilled to be a part of the Teton Raptor Center Avian Care Team and can’t wait to share her love of raptors with the world. During her free time, Amanda can be found exploring the great outdoors with her husband or cuddling on the couch with her rescue dog Josie and cat Pumpkin.

Favorite Raptor: Northern Saw-whet Owl

Amy McCarthy
Amy Brennan McCarthy
Executive Director

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Following a childhood in upstate New York and upon graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a dual major in economics and environmental studies, Amy quickly made her way to Wyoming to work at the CM Ranch in Dubois. Amy participated in the inaugural year of Teton Science Schools’ Professional Residency in Environmental Education program and earned a master’s degree in Forest Resources and Natural Resource Policy from Utah State University. These experiences left her with a substantive foundation for understanding the natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a deep appreciation for the community of Jackson Hole, a commitment to sustainability and wildness, and a thirst for ongoing discovery. Amy has mixed drinks at Dornan’s Bar in Moose, guided trips in the Tetons and Wind Rivers for Exum Mountain Guides, served as Communications and Development Director for The Murie Center, explored the world of documentary filmmaking as the associate producer of Don’t Fence Me In (a production of The Equipoise Fund), headed operations for an independent investment advisory firm and experienced a season in Antarctica as a recycling specialist. Amy now feels as if she has truly landed in the role of Teton Raptor Center’s first Executive Director, serving in this leadership position since 2010. Amy lives in Victor, Idaho with her husband Forrest and three furry family members — felines Marshall and Lhakpa and canine, Tasman, a mountain-mutt.

Favorite Raptor: Osprey

Anna Tobin
Anna Tobin
Education Coordinator

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Anna’s experience growing up in five different countries and traveling all over the world led her to develop a deep passion for the environment and wildlife. She obtained an International Affairs undergraduate degree at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. After working as an educator and wildlife keeper at four different wildlife facilities across the United States she attended Alaska Pacific University to obtain an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. During this time, she tested for her IATCB certification, a certification done in partnership with the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE), which provides formal recognition of knowledge and practice in the field of avian care and training and requires an extensive understanding of the theory, training, and practical care of avian ambassadors. She became the only Certified Professional Bird Trainer (CPBT-KA) in both Idaho and Wyoming. She is delighted to join the team at Teton Raptor Center and when she isn’t working, she is taking time to explore her new home.
 
Favorite Raptor: Peregrine Falcon

Bryan Bedrosian
Conservation Director

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Bryan has been studying raptors in Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the past two decades. He completed his master’s degree from Arkansas State University studying Common Raven ecology in Jackson Hole and Red-tailed Hawks wintering in Arkansas. Bryan has continued and expanded his management-based research with dozens of projects across Wyoming and Montana, focusing on raptors and sage-grouse. His current work involves many on-going projects on spatial ecology, habitat use, bioacoustics, genetics, and conservation planning. He enjoys tinkering with engineering projects and has developed several new wildlife traps, GPS tracking transmitters, and automated recording systems. Bryan has served as the president of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society and co-chair of the Wyoming Golden Eagle Working Group. He has aided and worked with many researchers and projects across North America and Europe and believes that collaborations are the key to successful wildlife science and conservation. Bryan lives in Jackson with his lovely bride, Emily, and is proud father of his son, Oliver, and daughter, Alice.

Favorite Raptor: Golden Eagle and Great Gray Owl (one for day and one for night!)

Caroline Cohen
Rehabilitation Intern

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Caroline grew up in Baltimore Maryland and went to college at the University of Rhode Island, graduating with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology & Conservation. From a young age, Caroline always knew that she wanted to work with animals/nature for a career. She volunteered and worked different internships at animal shelters and aquariums during her high school years. During her time at URI, she deeply explored her more specific interests by working as a research technician in an entomology lab for two years. After graduation, Caroline knew that she wanted to experience other areas of ecology and applied to work at the Glen Helen Raptor Center in Yellow Springs Ohio as an intern. It was there that she realized how much she adores birds of all kinds, but specifically raptors. During her free time, Caroline loves to spend time outside, read, hang out with her pet snake Rue, watch movies, and cook for herself and her friends.

Favorite Raptor: Barn Owl

Chuck Preston
Research Associate

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Dr. Charles R. Preston is the Willis McDonald, IV Founding and Senior Curator Emeritus at the
Draper Natural History Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, in Cody, Wyoming. He
retired from the Center in 2018. He garnered international recognition for his “visionary” design and development of the Draper Museum, where he forged a groundbreaking partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to foster biodiversity conservation in Greater Yellowstone. He established the Draper Museum Raptor Experience employing live raptors in public educational programming, and he has been recognized as a “leading thinker” concerning conservation issues in Greater Yellowstone. Prior to his appointment at the Draper Museum in 1998, Dr. Preston was Chairman of the Department of Zoology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (1990 – 1998) and a tenured Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock (1982 – 1989). While at the Denver Museum, Preston’s research and public education initiatives contributed to the establishment of Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. He holds or has held adjunct appointments in the Haub School for Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming; Biology and Environmental
Science, University of Colorado (Boulder and Denver); Environmental Policy and Management,
Denver University, and Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His research on various species of raptors has spanned more than four decades. Since 2009 he has directed a
long-term monitoring/research platform on Golden Eagle nesting ecology in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin along the eastern margin of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. He continues
participation in this platform through the affiliation with Teton Raptor Center.

Connor Hartnett
Avian Care Technician

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Connor grew up in northern Vermont as a part of a dairy farming community, spending a large portion of his childhood outside and surrounded by both wildlife and domesticated farm animals. Connor’s love of wildlife and the outdoors began there and further grew when he was able to experience new environments and animals after moving to Colorado. He attended Colorado College for undergraduate school where he received a BA in History. He moved to Jackson soon after and began volunteering at TRC in raptor rehabilitation. After a year of volunteering, Connor was extremely excited to be offered the opportunity to join the TRC staff.

Favorite Raptor: Great Gray Owl and Golden Eagle

Dylan Sanborn
Avian Care Technician

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Dylan grew up in the front range of Colorado. As a kid he was always fascinated with nature, wildlife, and hiking. He holds a B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University. His love for raptors took root while volunteering at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. Dylan’s career journey led him to various He has worked for wildlife research and management programs across the United States. Notable experiences include seasonal roles at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii, Georgia DNR, and Yellowstone National Park. In Yellowstone, he also served as a year-round bird, wolf, and cougar field technician. While wildlife research and conservation has always been a cornerstone of Dylan’s career, he has found a passion for public outreach and interpretation. Motivated by this passion, he joined Teton Raptor Center, driven by their mission to conserve and protect birds of prey through education, research, and rehabilitation. He is excited to be a part of this mission and work as one of the TRC’s new avian care technicians! In his spare time he loves hiking, birding, skiing, nature photography, and watching wildlife.

Favorite Raptor: Peregrine Falcon

Hannah Leonard
Hannah Leonard
Sporting Lead-Free Program Director

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Hannah was born and raised under the Big Sky in Montana and has enjoyed outdoor pursuits her whole life. She is an avid fly fisher and hunter always looking for ways to be involved, from leading women’s fly fishing groups and participating in sustainable hunting programs. Earning a bachelor’s in marketing and a master’s in resource conservation, she has a unique perspective on outreach efforts for the benefit of conservation. Her first connection to lead-free sporting came from encountering a leaded golden eagle while hunting with a family friend in southwest Montana. This experience ignited a desire to educate others in the use of non-lead alternatives not only for the benefit of wildlife and human health but for the continuation of our hunting heritage. In addition to hunting and fishing, she enjoys tending to her ever-growing indoor jungle of plants and spending as much time outside with her best pal, Cedar, a German Shepherd-chocolate lab mix.

Jessica Lewis
Education Intern

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Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management and Conservation from Cal Poly Humboldt. Following an Education internship at the Raptor Education Group Inc. in Wisconsin, her passion for raptor education grew, driven by the profound and meaningful interactions with the local community. It was rewarding to be able to interact with an array of individuals and ignite their enthusiasm for conservation. She feels honored and privileged to be part of the education team at TRC, where she can continue fostering enthusiasm for raptors and conservation.

Favorite Raptor: Turkey Vulture

Jessie Walters
Jessie Walters
Program & Volunteer Coordinator

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While growing up in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, Jessie would explore the outdoors at any given chance. Her love of birds began at the tender age of three, when she was introduced to penguins. She moved out west to pursue a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Jessie’s first exposure to the Tetons came in 2011 when she landed a job with a scenic float company. Since then, she has worked for the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a few wildlife tour operators. Jessie began volunteering with Teton Raptor Center in April 2015 and hasn’t looked back.

Favorite Raptor: Peregrine Falcon

Josh Layfield
Josh Layfield
Graduate Research Associate

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Josh grew up in the Great Appalachian Valley of Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee where he found his passion for birds working as a field technician on a project investigating the effects of cattle grazing strategies in native warm season grass pastures on nesting songbirds. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Wildlife and Fisheries science in 2016, Josh has worked for the United States Forest Service as a ranger technician and type II Wildland Fighter on the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, and as a Reservoir Operations Manager for a water supplier in western Massachusetts. In 2020, Josh’s dream of working with birds began to take form when he was accepted to the graduate program at the University of Wyoming in the department of Zoology and Physiology. His graduate research with the Teton Raptor Center will evaluate factors influencing the habitat selection and space use of migratory golden eagles wintering in Wyoming. During his spare time, Josh is all about being outdoors birding or wading the waters of the North Platte River. Josh lives in Casper, Wyoming with his wife Riley and their two pups, Pippin and Myotis.

Favorite Raptor(s): Northern Goshawk and Golden Eagle

Katherine Gura
Research Associate

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Katherine is interested in behavioral ecology and the effects of environmental change on wildlife. She earned her Ph.D. through the University of Wyoming’s Program in Ecology. For her graduate research, she studied the mechanisms underlying variation in habitat selection, movement ecology, and demographics of Great Gray Owls in northwestern Wyoming. Specifically, she used GPS location data to quantify breeding and winter habitat requirements for this state-sensitive species. She also evaluated how snow conditions and prey availability influence Great Gray Owl winter movements and reproductive performance. She considers herself extremely lucky to have spent the past ten years researching this elusive, understudied forest raptor, and she recently authored a book on the Great Gray Owl, Phantom of the North, which is available at TRC’s gift shop! Prior to attending the University of Wyoming, Katherine worked as a field biologist at Teton Raptor Center and has conducted avian research in Wyoming for 14 years. She received a B.A. from Middlebury College, and she originally hails from North Carolina. During her free time, Katherine enjoys trail-running with her bird dogs.

Favorite Raptor: American Kestrel

Kimberly Andrae
Development Associate

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Kimberly grew up running barefoot in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and could always be found exploring outside. During her college years, she volunteered at a nature center where she assisted in taking care of a great horned owl and other wildlife. She graduated from California State University Sacramento with a degree in Anthropology and started working for the US Forest Service as an archeologist in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Subsequently, she owned and operated a successful bakery and gourmet shop with her husband. In her free time, she could always be found hiking and backpacking in the Eastern Sierras. After twenty years, they decided to balance work and life by spending more time outdoors and with wildlife. She spent three summers and a winter in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park helping educate visitors about the park and wildlife.

Favorite Raptor: Great Horned Owl

Meghan Warren
Meghan Warren
Avian Care Director

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Meghan grew up in Sedona, Arizona, but spent every summer in Pinedale, WY where her parents and grandfather ran Skinner Brothers Wilderness School. There she spent the summers camping, riding horses, fishing, and hiking. Growing up in two incredibly beautiful places gave Meghan a lifelong interest in conservation. She started at TRC as a volunteer in 2010, then completed TRC’s internship in 2011 before being hired on as a full-time staff member. Meghan now directs all avian care at Teton Raptor Center. Meghan graduated from Willamette University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and took a year away from TRC to complete her master’s in Conservation Medicine at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2019.

Favorite Raptor: Swainson’s Hawk

Olivia Cano
Conservation Intern

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Olivia was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Her father was in the United States Air Force, so she had the privilege of living in several different states. Olivia always knew she wanted to work with animals in some capacity and started her conservation journey by volunteering in sea turtle education and completing a mammal animal care internship with the San Antonio Zoo. She discovered her love of birds during a college Ornithology course, where she later became the instructional assistant. She graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University in 2023. Olivia has since worked with songbirds and, recently, game birds at Tall Timbers Research Station. Olivia is now looking forward to working in raptor conservation and furthering her skills in outreach and education, as well as animal care and rehabilitation. During her free time, Olivia loves to watch movies, crochet, birdwatch, and cuddle with her cat Bean.

Favorite Raptor: Osprey

Dr. Salene Freeman (DVM)
Veterinarian

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Salene developed an appreciation and passion for wildlife at a young age growing up near Everglades National Park in southwest Florida. She began volunteering with Teton Raptor center in 2017 and quickly found a passion for avian rehabilitation, conservation, research, and medicine. Salene joined TRC staff from 2018-2019 as an avian care technician and decided to apply for veterinary school. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Oregon State University in 2023. She focused on wildlife and avian anesthesia, medicine, and orthopedic surgery. Outside of the hospital, you may find her hiking, mountain biking, or skiing with her husband, Ryan or dog, Mia.

Favorite Raptor: Turkey Vulture

Sarah Ramirez
Sarah Ramirez
Graduate Research Associate

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Sarah Ramirez grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California. She attended the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon, where she quickly discovered her love for the outdoors and passion for birds. Sarah graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and has since moved across the country participating on a variety of projects, such as studying crow funeral behavior in Washington, monitoring endangered shorebird species in Rhode Island, ensuring California Condor survival in central California, and to the eventual raptor work she does today for Teton Raptor Center. Originally with interests in both rehabilitation and research, she spent a year with TRC in the rehabilitation clinic. While her interests in rehabilitation remain, she found field work was a better fit for her and switched over to TRC’s research team.

Favorite Raptor: American Kestrel

Selena Humphreys
Selena Humphreys
Operations Director

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With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Selena is passionate about bringing people closer to nature and creating systems to allow nonprofits to deliver their missions effectively.

A childhood in Maine spent hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, and running from black flies instilled in Selena a love of the outdoors and a tolerance for extreme winters. She relocated to Jackson in 2005 and found the low humidity, powder skiing, proximity to incredible landscapes, and the community irresistible. In the region, she has worked as a bird bander, server, veterinary assistant, and naturalist. Before joining the TRC, she spent 9 years at Teton Science Schools as field education faculty and registration director.
Her educational background includes a bachelor’s in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut, a master’s in science education from the University of Washington, and a graduate residency at Islandwood.

Selena lives in Victor, Idaho with her husband, daughter, two dogs and a cat, spending as much time on the Teton and South Fork rivers and in the mountains as possible. She loves birding, baking, gardening, and telling terrible jokes.

Favorite Raptor: Barred Owl

Skyler Bol
Research Intern

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Skyler spent most of his childhood exploring the West and running around the mountains of Northern Colorado where he grew up. An early appreciation of the outdoors and wildlife led Skyler to Undergraduate Degrees in Biology and Wildlife Management from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. While in school Skyler’s recreational interest in bird watching turned into a passion for avian research and conservation ecology. Skyler first entered the world of raptor biology when he worked at a fall migration hawk count in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana for Raptorview Research Institute. Since then he has dedicated his career to raptor research working for the Peregrine Fund in Puerto Rico and for Hawkwatch International at migration sites in Washington and Nevada. Outside of work Skyler is an avid climber and kayaker who can likely be found high up in the Tetons or paddling down the Snake River.

Favorite Raptor: Swallow-tailed Kite

Sheena Patel
Sheena Patel
Associate Avian Care Director

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Sheena has worked with both captive and wild raptors since 2015 in wildlife rehabilitation, field research, and education positions before joining the team at Teton Raptor Center in 2017. She received her bachelor’s in Biology in 2015 from Longwood University and her master’s in Wildlife Conservation & Biology from the University of Maine in 2021. Working with birds has taken her all over the country to different wildlife rehabilitation centers before she eventually landed here in Wyoming at Teton Raptor Center. Sheena is thrilled to be a part of the organization and to be able to specialize in raptor and corvid rehabilitation in Jackson Hole.

Favorite Raptor: Barred Owl

Step Wilson
Research Associate

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Step Wilson began working with raptors as a volunteer bander at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in 1995. After seven autumns, he moved to Colorado and worked alongside Sigrid Ueblacker at Birds of Prey Foundation and monitored raptor breeding, migration, and wintering sites throughout the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes. He has studied raptors through counting and banding efforts in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Israel, and South Africa. He has been collaborating with our research team for the past 13 years on a variety of raptor and raven projects. Step’s main interests are raptor conservation and public education.

Favorite Raptor: Red-tailed Hawk

Our Board

Teton Raptor Center operates under a Board of Directors and with the guidance of an Advisory Council. Our fantastic members donate their time, experience, talents, and generosity toward the continued growth and success of our mission to advance raptor conservation through education, research, and rehabilitation.

Our board members bring experience from many different professions, offer diverse perspectives, and share our commitment to raptors. You will frequently find board members fixing a shelf, blowing snow from the walkways, or just stopping by to ask, “how can I help?”

Aleathia Hoster Brown
Aleathia Hoster Brown
Director

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Aleathia Hoster Brown is the COO for FenixVerify. She is a mentor for Womentum and is a board member of the YPO Personal Investing Network and YPO Hunting & Fishing Conservation Network, as well as serving as Spouse Officer for the YPO Jackson Hole Chapter. She graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Political Science and has been coming to the valley since she was a child. She now lives in Jackson with her husband, and they love the outdoors.

Favorite raptor: Elf Owl

Bill Egan
Bill Egan
Director

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Bill Egan retired from his health care career at Johnson & Johnson and Warburg-Pincus. He has been involved in numerous non-profits, including two in Jackson where he serves as Chairman—Brain Chemistry Labs and the Trout Unlimited Advisory Board. Following his graduation from Trinity College, Bill served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Central America prior to getting his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He first came to Jackson 30 years ago on a fly-fishing vacation. Since then Jackson has become the epicenter for his entire family that numbers 27 including 14 grandchildren.

Favorite raptor: Osprey

David Hoster
Emeritus

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David retired as the President and CEO of EastGroup Properties and remains involved as the Chairman of the Board. Based in Jackson,
MS, EastGroup is a NYSE real estate investment trust focused on industrial properties in the major sunbelt markets. David’s prior community service includes the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson (MS), the Board of Trustees of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and fundraising for a variety of schools. He is a graduate of Princeton University with honors and received his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He was also an officer in the U. S. Army with service in Vietnam. David and his wife Missy have visited Jackson for over 40 years and have had a home in the valley for many years. They especially enjoy hiking and cross-country skiing.

Favorite Raptor: Great Horned Owl

Eddie Opler
Eddie Opler
Vice-Chair

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Eddie Opler is the Chairman and CEO of World’s Finest Chocolate. He represents the third generation in his family to lead the company since its founding in 1939. And, he is the second generation within his family to serve on Teton Raptor Center’s board of directors. Eddie’s father, Ed Opler, was a member of TRC’s founding board, serving from 2008-2014. Eddie is a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Middlebury College, and The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Eddie and his wife Sarah have four children and they split their time between Wilson, Wyoming and Chicago.

Gerry & Miriam Scully
Directors

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Gerry and Miriam Scully are from Morristown, NJ and have been part-time residents of Teton Village and now Wilson, WY (John Dodge) for the past 12 years. Gerry and Miriam both graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Gerry has a professional background in both Finance and IT, and is currently a private investor focused on emerging technology. Gerry currently serves on the Board of the Harding Land Trust as VP of Stewardship, in Harding Township, NJ and is a past Board member of the Morristown-Beard School. Miriam’s professional background is in corporate event planning. They are long-time supporters of both NJ and WY non-profits focused on the environment, wildlife and open space preservation. The Scullys enjoy skiing, fly-fishing, hiking and exploring the Tetons, often with their three kids, Ashleigh, Jackson and Kelsey.

Favorite Raptor:

Hadyn Peery
Hadyn Peery
Director

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Hadyn is a financial advisor and partner at SINGLETON PEERY Financial. A Virginia native drawn to the Tetons after graduation from N.C. State University for – who can believe it – the skiing. Jackson Hole is also where Hadyn was first introduced to raptors by the acclaimed Roger Smith while working at 3 Creek Ranch Golf Club in 2006. Hadyn likes to think these may have been the early origins of Roger’s idea to create the Teton Raptor Center. Hadyn is proud to now be a part of such a remarkable origination. Hadyn lives in Jackson with his wife and two children.

Favorite Raptor: Peregrine Falcon

Leslye Hardie
Leslye Hardie
Chair

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Leslye is a graduate of University of Alabama in accounting and marketing and had a career in commercial real estate. She currently serves on the board of Womentum, a nonprofit that strives to empower and connect women as leaders in their community. Leslye is a long-serving volunteer with the Jackson Cupboard and a great supporter of Wyoming Public Radio. Leslye and her family have been friends and fans of TRC for two decades, stretching back to encounters with Owly the Great Horned Owl at the Wilson Elementary School to outings with TRC’s Founder Roger Smith. Leslye states, “We are so grateful to have this amazing asset in our community.”

Favorite Raptor: Great Gray Owl

Lisa Friesecke
Lisa Friesecke
Secretary

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Lisa started her love for the valley back in 1990 when she and her husband Are made Jackson Hole their second home from Florida. While in Florida, Lisa worked as an educator for special needs children and then on to quality control in Are’s company for 12 yrs. While raising their son Kai, she contributed to the Ft. Lauderdale community on various boards including the Charity Guild of Ft. Lauderadale, the Seafarer’s House, Inc, and the LYC Sailing Foundation. When she is not chairing sailing regattas or working on race committees her love is in the mountains enjoying all the activities that go along with it. Having worked at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve in Grand Teton NP for seven years both as a ranger and a volunteer, she is thrilled to be able to come and help at the Raptor Center. “The last eight years have been such an incredible learning experience at TRC, working with such a great team and I look forward to many more.”

Favorite Raptor: Osprey

Mark Aronowitz
Mark Aronowitz
Director

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Mark grew up in New York, attended college in Southwest Ohio and moved to Wyoming in 2000 to work at the Teton Science Schools. After several years of teaching and guiding with TSS, Mark studied environmental and natural resources law earning his degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2005. After graduating, Mark moved back to Wyoming joining the Spence Law Firm in Jackson, Wyoming. In 2008, Mark was promoted to serve as the Executive Director of the public interest, not for profit law firm Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming (L.A.W.), a position he has held ever since. Mark lives south of Jackson with his wife Ryland, daughter Atten (10, named for Sir David Attenborough), and son Raylan (7), all passionate naturalists of varied abilities.

Phoebe Coburn
Phoebe Coburn
Director

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Phoebe’s appreciation for the natural world developed during her childhood in Wilson, Wyoming and Kathmandu, Nepal. At age 10, Phoebe’s foray into conservation began with a project directed by Roger Smith to install signs on Fall Creek Road encouraging drivers to slow down to avoid hitting owls. Phoebe holds undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Geography from the University of Denver and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado. Her Master’s capstone work focused on project evaluation and community outreach. Phoebe currently works as the Communications Specialist for Teton Conservation District. She’s honored to join Teton Raptor Center’s Board of Directors and appreciates the opportunity to support raptor conservation.

Favorite Raptor: Great Horned Owl

Porgy McClelland
Porgy McClelland
Emeritus

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Porgy moved to Jackson Hole in 1975 after graduating from the University of Vermont and growing up in the Adirondacks of New York State. He has been a building contractor since 1980 with a current interest in working on renewable energy projects. Backcountry skiing, hiking and hunting continue to fuel his love for the natural world, and he is keenly appreciative of the opportunities to support birds of prey and their habitat through his role on Teton Raptor Center’s Board of Directors.

Favorite Raptor: Rough-legged Hawk

Rich Bloom
Rich Bloom
Treasurer

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Rich’s commitment to the environment began early on, when he received a BS in Renewable Natural Resources from University of California at Davis, followed by an MA in Experiential Environmental Education from the University of Northern Colorado. He also holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. During a 30-year field career, Rich taught at Yosemite Institute, Keystone Science School, Outward Bound, National Outdoor leadership School (NOLS), and Mountain Journeys (an eco-travel company he co-owned with his wife) throughout the western United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, India, Chile, Argentina, Tibet and Nepal. During his 40 years living in Jackson Hole, Rich also served as Teton Science Schools’ Education Director (1980-1987) and Associate Executive Director/CFO (1996-2006), during which time he managed $40M in land and capital projects. He currently also serves on the board of the Melody Ranch Improvement & Service District. Rich is a passionate advocate and neighborhood organizer for land-use planning that complements our natural resource base. Rich and wife Rebecca Woods Bloom enjoy exploring mountain ranges and cultures around the world.

Favorite Raptor: Great Gray Owl

Roger Smith
Roger Smith
Founding Director

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Roger Smith has spent his entire professional career in the natural sciences and environmental education. Roger started his professional life in 1977 as a field biologist researching grizzly bear demographics in northwestern Montana. He continued to study both grizzly and black bears in Alaska, Maine and Colorado before completing his secondary science degree in 1984. After teaching high school science in Montana, he moved to Jackson Hole in 1985 and joined the resident faculty at the Teton Science School (TSS). At TSS, he designed and implemented field-oriented natural science curriculum for all ages. In 1987, he joined the field staff at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), leading courses in Wyoming, Texas, Mexico and Kenya. In 1994, Roger completed his master’s degree in Wildlife Biology and Physiology from the University of Wyoming. Roger’s research has focused on raptors and ravens of Grand Teton National Park, and he has continued to pursue this work to this day. In 1994, he helped initiate and manage the Professional Residency in Environmental Education program at the Teton Science School and was on faculty there until 1999. From 1999 to 2001, Roger worked as a field research biologist with Beringia South, a nonprofit wildlife research and educational institute in Kelly, Wyoming. There, he managed all aspects of independent research, from grant and proposal writing, research, and publication in peer-reviewed professional journals. Roger began the Teton Raptor Fund in 1997 with his wife and fellow wildlife biologist Margaret Creel. Since then, his focus has been primarily on medical care and public education around raptors of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2002, Roger developed the Nature Center at 3 Creek Ranch, where he became their year-round Resident Naturalist.

Favorite Raptor: Red-tailed Hawk

Stew Harvey
Stew Harvey
Director

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Stew Harvey has retired from his businesses of providing materials for municipal water systems. Growing up in Montana, the Mountain West was calling for Stew and his wife Carol to find a new home in retirement. It didn’t take much to gravitate to Jackson and both are active in Valley charitable organizations. When not volunteering at TRC, you can find Stew fishing, Nordic skiing, biking or doing woodworking projects.

Favorite Raptor: Bald Eagle

Advisory Council

 

Steve Cain, Retired Senior Wildlife Biologist, Grand Teton National Park
Dr. Heather R. Carleton, D.V.M.,Owner, Jackson Animal Hospital
Lizzy Brewer Chouinard, Conservationist and Raptor Rehabilitator
Hillary Hankey, Founder of Avian Behavior International
Dr. Michelle Heaton, Educator
Dr. Dan Lorimer, D.V.M., DACVO,Blue Pearl Veterinary
Susan Patla, Retired Non-game Biologist, Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Dr. Mark Pokras, D.V.M.,Associate Professor, Dept of Environmental and Population Health, Wildlife Clinic & Center for Conservation Medicine, Tufts University
Andrew Salter, Lawyer, Teton Law Group
Dr. Joe Weinman, D.V.M., Jackson Animal Hospital
Libby Crews Wood, Educator



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