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Staff
WCS North America Program Contact Information
North America Program Director: Jodi Hilty (bio)
North America Program Manager: Shannon Roberts (bio)
Primary Mailing Address:
North America Program
Wildlife Conservation Society
301 North Willson Avenue
Bozeman, MT 59715 USA
General Information Telephone: (406) 522-9333 ext. 101
General Information Email: jburrell@wcs.org
North America Program Staff Biographies
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 Rob Ament - western-based program coordinator
Rob has more than 25 years of experience in environmental policy, natural resource management, and organizational development. Before joining WCS in 2006, Rob served as the executive director for American Wildlands, a nonprofit conservation organization, where he developed significant wildlife corridors and wildlife-highway programs. His master’s degree is in biological sciences from Montana State University.
email: rament@wcs.org
 Biz Agnew - associate director, WCS Canada
Biz (Elizabeth) Agnew has a BA from Queen’s University at Kingston and a Masters of Environmental Studies (Biological Conservation) from York University in Toronto. Prior to arriving at WCS in 2007, Biz worked at Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) as director of US Programmes and before that at WWF Canada as their International programme director, with a geographical focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
email: eagnew@wcs.org
 Keith Aune - senior conservation scientist
Keith received his bachelors in wildlife biology from the University of Montana, Missoula and a Masters Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University, Bozeman. Keith is Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS and working on several issues including a granting program for the Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund, the WCS Corridor Initiative, and the American Bison. Keith comes to WCS from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) where he served for 31 years in various capacities. He has conducted field or laboratory research on black and grizzly bears, wildlife diseases, wolverine, lions and bison. In his most recent position at MFWP he served as the Chief of Wildlife Research for FWP and directed multiple research projects across Montana as well as supervising the annual harvest survey and the Wildlife Research Laboratory staff.
email: kaune@wcs.org
Jon Beckmann - associate conservation ecologist
Jon earned a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology from the University of Nevada-Reno. He has 10 years of experience in wildlife conservation working on species ranging for black bears, cougars, pronghorn, small mammals, to shorebirds. In 2004, he was nominated by his peers for the Alan T. Waterman Award, the most prestigious award from the National Science Foundation for scientists under the age of 35. He is currently project director of the WCS Centennials Carnivore Corridor project.
email: jbeckmann@wcs.org
Scott Bergen - associate conservation scientist, Living Landscapes Program
Scott is a landscape ecologist and conservation biologist who specializes in using geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing for species and reserve management. He received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 2004, and completed post doctorates with the Mellon Foundation and NASA. He is currently studying how high resolution satellite imagery can be used to count wildlife and how changing sea ice conditions will affect Arctic Basin polar bears.
email: sbergen@wcs.org
Joel Berger - senior field scientist
Joel received his doctoral degree in biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and subsequently worked for the Smithsonian Institution 7 years, before becoming a tenured full professor at the University of Nevada, Reno (16 years). His current research focuses on the conservation of species and intact ecosystems. He has written 3 books (on wild horses, rhinos, and bison). Dr. Berger directs a number of projects for WCS; among these are the saiga antelope conservation project in Mongolia, and the pronghorn migration corridor conservation and the impact of energy development on wildlife projects in Greater Yellowstone.
email: jberger@wcs.org
Kim Berger - wildlife research biologist
Kim received her doctorate in wildlife biology from Utah State University, her master’s degree in environmental and natural resource sciences from the University of Nevada, Reno, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Weber State University. Her research targets policy implications of federal predator control programs, predator-prey dynamics and biological corridors.
email: kberger@wcs.org
Jeff Burrell - program manager for the Western U.S.
Raised on his family’s ranch in the Texas Panhandle, Jeff has been involved in wildlife conservation on private lands from an early age. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in range management and geology from Texas Tech University. He has taught and conducted research on geology and paleoecology throughout the western U.S. In addition to overseeing WCS projects in the West, Jeff works with a wide range of stakeholders to improve wildlife conservation on the private lands of Greater Yellowstone.
email: jburrell@wcs.org
Molly Cross - climate change ecologist
Molly is an ecologist whose research focuses on ecosystem responses to climate change and biodiversity loss. In January 2007, Molly joined WCS’s North America Program to examine the impacts of climate change on wildlife habitat conservation efforts. The primary goal of the project is to bring together experts in the fields of climate change, ecology, conservation planning and land management to develop a framework for approaching climate change adaptation through on-the-ground conservation practices in the Intermountain West of North America. Molly conducted her Ph.D. research at the University of California-Berkeley on ecosystem responses to climate warming-induced plant species loss in a sub-alpine meadow in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
email: mcross@wcs.org
Kerry Ferris - field leader for WCS work related to fire and woodpeckers
Prior to joining WCS, Kerry held numerous seasonal wildlife biologist jobs with the U.S. Forest Service and private research consultants in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. This work exposed her to various research and monitoring techniques studying such notable species as the California Spotted Owl, Northern Goshawk, Sierra Nevada Red Fox, Pine Martin, Willow Flycatcher, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and numerous songbirds. Kerry earned a B.S. and a M.S. in wildlife resources from the University of Idaho, where her work focused on the foraging habitat selection of woodpeckers in relation to ponderosa pine snag decomposition.
email: kferris@wcs.org
Michale Glennon - project leader for the Adirondacks Living Landscapes Program
Michale grew up in the Adirondacks in Lake Placid, NY. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1995 with a B.S. in environmental and evolutionary biology and then completed an M.S. (1997) and Ph.D. (2002) in environmental and forest biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Her dissertation focused on the relationships between land use and biotic integrity in the Adirondack Park.
email: mglennon@wcs.org
Jodi Hilty - director of WCS’s North America Program
Jodi is a landscape ecologist and conservation biologist with a research focus on understanding thresholds of human impact on biodiversity. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkley in 2001. Jodi has published numerous peer-reviewed science journal papers focusing on the role of corridors in wildlife conservation, and is co-author of the recently published Corridor Ecology: The Science and Practice of Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation.
email: jhilty@wcs.org
Kristy Howe - field coordinator for the Sagebrush Steppe Ecology Project
Kristy Howe serves as the field coordinator for the Sagebrush Steppe Ecology Project in southeastern Idaho. She graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor's of Science in wildlife biology in 1999. She is currently working toward a Master's degree in biology at Idaho State University.
email: khowe@wcs.org
Bob Inman - director and co-principal investigator for the WCS’s Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Study
Bob has 12 years of experience working on wildlife projects with diverse areas of emphasis including carnivore research, state game management, neo-tropical songbird inventory and monitoring, endangered species management, and habitat quantification. In 1997, Bob earned a M.S. degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Tennessee. Bob is a doctorate candidate with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where he will work with a Swedish and Norwegian team that leads the longest term, most comprehensive and extensive wolverine research study worldwide.
email: binman@wcs.org
Kris Inman - co-principal investigator for the WCS’s Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Study
Kris has several years of experience conducting research on a wide range of species including northern spotted owls, gray wolves, shorebirds and raptors. In addition, she has 8 years of experience researching black bears in varying habitats in Maine, Virginia, Oregon, and New Mexico. Kris graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. in wildlife management and received her M.S. in wildlife ecology at Virginia Tech. Kris began working for the Hornocker Wildlife Institute in 1998 and through its merger with WCS began conducting wolverine research in the Greater Yellowstone in 2001.
email: kinman@wcs.org
Jerry Jenkins - project leader for forest management and conservation easements
Jerry has been involved with WCS' work in the Adirondacks since the genesis of the program, and has brought his interest and expertise in forest ecology to a variety of discussions and projects. He is a botanist and consultant with wide-ranging experience for a number of regional organizations, including performing ecological assessments for the Adirondack Nature Conservancy. Jerry is also director of Bard College's White Creek Field School.
email: jjenkins@wcs.org
 Damien Joly - wildlife epidemiologist with the Field Veterinary Program
Damien focuses his studies on understanding and managing disease dynamics at the interface between wildlife, humans, and domestic animals. He has conducted research on Foot and Mouth Disease, Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis, Chronic Wasting Disease, Avian Influenza, and Hydatid Disease.
email: djoly@wcs.org
 Larry Jorgenson - western conservation associate
Larry joins WCS with extensive experience in law and public service. He was a County Commissioner for Teton County, Wyoming, and is a past chairman of the Teton Conservation District. He is a former Assistant United States Attorney and former U.S. Magistrate Judge. His interaction with local, state and federal government agencies has been broad and informative and he has developed an abiding interest in the processes of governments addressing land-use and conservation issues. His formative years spent on a cattle ranch instilled in him a deep respect for the natural world and those who live in it. Larry writes poetry about his thoughts while thinking outdoors.
email: ljorgenson@wcs.org
Leslie Karasin - program manager for the Adirondack Community and Conservation Program
Leslie has worked with WCS in several capacities since 2001. After receiving a B.A. from Wellesley College, Leslie was awarded a Knafel Travelling Fellowship, under which she volunteered with environmental organizations, hiked and observed ecotourism and management practices on four continents. She has worked as a Summit Steward in the Adirondack High Peaks, has taught at North Country Community College, and has worked as an environmental consultant.
email: lkarasin@wcs.org
Heidi Kretser - coordinator for the Adirondack Community and Conservation Program
Heidi grew up in Vermontville, NY enjoying all Adirondack activities from canoeing and hiking to blueberry picking. She received a B.S. in resource and environmental economics from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University and an M.S. in environmental studies from the Yale School of Forestry. From 1998 to 2003 Heidi worked as the program coordinator for the WCS’s Adirondack Communities and Conservation Program. Currently she is a Ph.D. candidate in natural resources policy and management focusing on the human dimensions of wildlife management at Cornell University and serves as an affiliate scientist to WCS ACCP.
email: hkretser@wcs.org
Joe Liebezeit - field leader, Arctic
Joe has worked for WCS since 2001 and has taken a lead role in the development of a collaborative research project to investigate the relationship between nest predation, nest survivorship, and oil infrastructure in arctic Alaska. With a B.A. in zoology and a M.S. in wildlife management, Joe has worked as a wildlife biologist for many years, primarily focusing on various aspects of avian ecology. His previous research includes a study on nest predation of the Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) and the development of a corvid management plan for California.
email: jliebezeit@wcs.org
Darren Long - Duke grants program manager
As program officer for WCS, Darren is responsible for all management, administration and grantmaking activities of the Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund; a 2-year program funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which makes grants to support nonprofit conservation organizations working to implement priorities of State Wildlife Action Plans. Prior to joining WCS in August of 2006, Darren worked for The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in Atlanta, the Turner Foundation, and for Emory University’s Living Links Center, where he studied the behavior of apes and monkeys.
email: dlong@wcs.org
Sean Matthews - project leader for the Hoopa Valley Pacific Fisher Conservation Project
Sean received a B.S. in wildlife management and a M.S. in natural resources at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. He currently coordinates field research activities in cooperation with Hoopa Valley Tribal Forestry personnel in studying elements of Pacific fisher ecology and timber harvest impacts. Sean has worked with various WCS projects since 2001, working with mountain lions and wolverines in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Sudden Oak Death in California, bear-human interaction in the Adirondacks and, most recently, as a project leader studying human-black bear interactions in Yosemite National Park.
email: smatthews@wcs.org
Jenni McDermid - fisheries research associate
Jenni joined WCS Canada in January 2007 as a fisheries research associate working out of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Jenni’s work focuses on examining threats to the biodiversity and viability of freshwater fishes. She is excited to have the chance to work in relatively pristine habitats, and to determine how best to protect and preserve freshwater fish populations as they confront the many challenges (i.e. over-fishing of top predators, introduction of sport or bait fish, and changes in habitat as the result of logging in the nearby areas) that often come along with increased accessibility to remote areas. Jenni received a PhD in zoology from the University of Toronto.
email: jmcdermid@wcs.org
Mark Packila - assistant biologist for the Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Study
Mark has worked with WCS and the Wolverine Program since 2003 helping to coordinate and participate in the field effort and serves as one of the telemetry pilots for the program. His educational background is in genetics from Bemidji State University.
email: mpackila@wcs.org
Justina Ray - director of WCS Canada
Justina has worked for WCS in various roles since 1987. Justina’s research focuses on the role of shifting landscapes in biodiversity decline and/or change in forested ecosystems and on conservation planning in the large intact landscapes of Canada’s northern boreal forests. Justina has authored or co-authored more than 20 book chapter, journal, or popular articles, and is lead editor of the book Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity (Island Press; March, 2005).
email: jray@wcs.org
Donald Reid - associate conservation zoologist
Based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Don is a wildlife biologist whose research has focused on vertebrate habitat relationships and community dynamics, in arctic, boreal, and temperate montane ecosystems. He received his PhD from the University of British Columbia in 1995. His current work involves conservation assessment in strategic land use planning, and investigating resilience of arctic tundra ecosystems in the face of climate change.
email: dreid@wcs.org
Melissa Richey - program development officer
Melissa is responsible for the fundraising activities of the NAP, primarily in the western U.S. Melissa has worked as a fundraiser for Montana State University, Duke University School of Law, and the Sonoran Institute. She earned a M.P.A. with a focus in nonprofit management from North Carolina State University.
email: mrichey@wcs.org
Shannon Roberts - financial/program manager
Now full-time, Shannon originally came to WCS on a part-time basis in July 2006. A native of Bozeman, Shannon has over 30 years of administrative and financial experience in the non-profit and private sector. She currently serves as Board Chair for American Wildlands and is a court appointed CASA/GAL in Gallatin County.
email: sroberts@wcs.org
Nina Schoch - program coordinator for the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program
Nina initially began working with contaminant research in loons in 1998, which evolved into the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program in 2001. Dr. Schoch has a veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, a master’s degree in natural resources/wildlife management from Humboldt State University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology-behavioral ecology from Cornell University.
email: nschoch@wcs.org
Zoë Smith - acting regional coordinator and community coordinator for the ACCP
Before joining WCS in 2000, Zoë worked with the Student Conservation Association's Americorp Program where she facilitated service projects with local schools and community organizations throughout the Adirondack region. She also spent many years instructing outdoor recreation leadership to college students, adults, and young children with the Adirondack Mountain Club and the Wilderness Education Association. As WCS’ community liaison, Zoë works directly with communities to promote conservation in the Park. Her special focus is with WCS’ Black Bear Education, Awareness, and Research Program. Zoë earned a Bachelor of Arts in natural resource economics from SUNY Fredonia.
email: zsmith@wcs.org
Andra Toivola - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist
Andra received a B.S. degree in earth sciences, physical geography with an emphasis in biogeographical studies, from Montana State University in 2004. Since just after graduation, Andra has been assisting the WCS regional biologists with their ongoing geospatial research needs. She has also completed several GIS-based independent research investigations focused on western wildlife and ecology.
email: atoivola@wcs.org
Katy Wang - western conservation officer
Katy’s work involves developing an awareness of and support for WCS' programs in the West. She received a B.A. in American studies from Georgetown University and an M.S. in environmental education and behavior from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining WCS, Katy was the outreach program director at the North American Association for Environmental Education.
email: kwang@wcs.org
John Weaver - carnivore conservation biologist
John is a carnivore conservation biologist for WCS based in Missoula, Montana with field programs in the western United States and Canada. Recently, John’s research and conservation activities have increasingly focused on Canada, with field programs in Nahanni National Park and the Crowsnest Pass region of central Alberta. Over the past 25 years, John has played many key roles in large carnivore conservation in the United States and Canada. He has held leadership positions with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on endangered species and has served on several recovery teams, including for both wolves and grizzly bears. He has authored more than 20 scientific publications and served as a reviewer for five scientific journals. John has an academic appointment at the University of Montana.
email: jweaver@wcs.org
Gillian Woolmer - assistant director WCS Canada
Gillian came to WCS Canada in 2004 following three years at the WCS International Program headquarters in New York, where she was a GIS analyst and lab manager. Gillian has collaborated on a diverse array of WCS projects, including deforestation in Sumatra, Sudden Oak Death Syndrome in California, and mandrill habitat use in Gabon. She also played a major role in the mapping of the global Human Footprint, published in Bioscience in 2002. Gillian’s research now focuses on conservation planning in the Northern Appalachian. She is an active member of the 2C1Forest Science Team and is focused on building capacity for spatial analysis using GIS amongst conservation user communities.
email: gwoolmer@wcs.org
Leigh Work - corridor conservation and energy development
Leigh is an associate conservationist and directs WCS’s Pronghorn and Energy Project in the Upper Green River Basin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her master’s in environmental management from Yale University in 2004. Her research interests lie in applied population ecology, quantitative conservation biology, and large scale conservation planning.
email: lwork@wcs.org
Julie Young - wildlife ecologist
Julie is conservation biologist with a research focus on spatial and behavioral ecology of large mammals. Her previous research has focused on the relationship between behavior and population demography of California sea lions, coyote response to differential food resource availability, site fidelity and behavior of territorial male guanacos, and the re-introduction of African wild dogs. She received her Ph.D. from Utah State University in 2006.
email: jyoung@wcs.org
Steve Zack - conservation scientist and coordinator of WCS’s Pacific West program
Steve grew up in Oregon and earned his B.S. in zoology at Oregon State in 1978. He went to New Mexico for graduate studies and conducted field work in Kenya on avian social behavior, earning his PhD in 1985. A post-doc at Purdue University followed, with field work in Venezuela from 1985-1988. In 1989 he joined the faculty at Yale University and began conservation training of Malagasy students in the rain forests and spiny forests of Madagascar. He married and returned to the West, joining the North America Program of WCS in 1998.
email: szack@wcs.org
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