Our Organization
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Defenders of Wildlife do?
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Staff
Defenders' staff is as diverse and unique as they are dedicated and experienced. Drawing top wildlife biologists, government policy experts, media relations specialists, membership service representatives, lawyers and many more, Defenders of Wildlife puts all of their individual talents to use to achieve our organization's common goals.
Aerial Hunting |
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| Karla M. Dutton | Alaska Program Director |
| Cindy Hoffman | Vice President of Communications |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Michael T. Leahy | Rocky Mountain Region Director |
| William Lutz | Senior Communications Specialist |
| Sandra Young Purohit | Government Relations Associate |
| Jason C. Rylander | Staff Attorney |
| Theresa Spang | Alaska Representative |
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Biodiversity Partners |
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| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Kassandra Kelly | Media Production Specialist |
| Gina L. LaRocco | Conservation Program Associate |
| Sara O'Brien | Private Lands Conservation Associate |
| Bruce Taylor | Oregon Biodiversity Program Director |
| Sara Vickerman | Senior Director, Biodiversity Partnerships |
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Compensation and Proactive Programs |
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| Eva Lee Sargent | Director Southwest Program |
| Gina Schrader | Conservation Associate |
| Suzanne Asha Stone | Northern Rockies Representative |
| Jesse Timberlake | Northern Rockies Associate |
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Conservation Economics |
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| Pelayo Alvarez | California Rangeland Conservation Coalition Program Director |
| Frank Casey | Director, Conservation Economics Program |
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Conservation Law |
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| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Kara Gillon | Senior Staff Attorney |
| Wm. Robert Irvin | Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs |
| Adam Kron | Staff Attorney |
| Michael T. Leahy | Rocky Mountain Region Director |
| Caitlin Leutwiler | Communications Associate |
| Erin Lieberman | Federal Lands and Energy Associate |
| Erin McCallum | Communications Specialist |
| Elizabeth Nicholas | Staff Attorney |
| Jason C. Rylander | Staff Attorney |
| Michael Senatore | Vice President, Conservation Law |
| Sierra B. Weaver | Staff Attorney |
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Conservation Planning Resources |
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| Jeff Aardahl | California Representative |
| Pelayo Alvarez | California Rangeland Conservation Coalition Program Director |
| Judy Boshoven | Living Lands Project Manager |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Natalie Dubois | Conservation Planning Associate |
| Gina L. LaRocco | Conservation Program Associate |
| Bruce Taylor | Oregon Biodiversity Program Director |
| Katie Theoharides | Climate Change Associate |
| Sara Vickerman | Senior Director, Biodiversity Partnerships |
| Patricia A. White | Director, Habitat & Highways Campaign |
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Conservation Science |
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| Pelayo Alvarez | California Rangeland Conservation Coalition Program Director |
| Rick Brown | Senior Resource Specialist |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| J. Christopher Haney | Chief Scientist and Vice-President of the Conservation Science and Economics Department |
| Theresa Spang | Alaska Representative |
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Endangered Species Act |
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| Mary Elizabeth Beetham | Director of Legislative Affairs |
| Jamie Rappaport Clark | Executive Vice President |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Kara Gillon | Senior Staff Attorney |
| Wm. Robert Irvin | Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs |
| Peter T. Jenkins | Director of International Conservation |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Adam Kron | Staff Attorney |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Michael T. Leahy | Rocky Mountain Region Director |
| Caitlin Leutwiler | Communications Associate |
| Erin Lieberman | Federal Lands and Energy Associate |
| Elizabeth Nicholas | Staff Attorney |
| Jason C. Rylander | Staff Attorney |
| Gina Schrader | Conservation Associate |
| Michael Senatore | Vice President, Conservation Law |
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Energy |
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| Jeff Aardahl | California Representative |
| Matt Clark | Southwest Representative |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Erin Lieberman | Federal Lands and Energy Associate |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Peter Nelson | Director, Federal Lands Program |
| Elizabeth Nicholas | Staff Attorney |
| Sandra Young Purohit | Government Relations Associate |
| Brendan Tate | Government Relations Associate |
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Farm Bill |
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| Mary Elizabeth Beetham | Director of Legislative Affairs |
| Frank Casey | Director, Conservation Economics Program |
| Aimee Delach | Senior Program Associate |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Katie Theoharides | Climate Change Associate |
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Federal Budget |
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| Mary Elizabeth Beetham | Director of Legislative Affairs |
| Jessica Brand | Communications Associate |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
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Fresh Water Conservation |
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| Joshua Basofin | California Representative |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Kara Gillon | Senior Staff Attorney |
| Wm. Robert Irvin | Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Adam Kron | Staff Attorney |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Elizabeth Nicholas | Staff Attorney |
| Jason C. Rylander | Staff Attorney |
| Michael Senatore | Vice President, Conservation Law |
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Global Warming |
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| Alexandra Adams | Government Relations Associate |
| Jean Brennan | Senior Climate Change Scientist |
| Rick Brown | Senior Resource Specialist |
| Aimee Delach | Senior Program Associate |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Karla M. Dutton | Alaska Program Director |
| J. Christopher Haney | Chief Scientist and Vice-President of the Conservation Science and Economics Department |
| Julie Kates | Refuge Associate, Federal Lands Program |
| Adam Kron | Staff Attorney |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Caitlin Leutwiler | Communications Associate |
| Erin McCallum | Communications Specialist |
| Sandra Young Purohit | Government Relations Associate |
| Katie Theoharides | Climate Change Associate |
| Sierra B. Weaver | Staff Attorney |
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Habitat and Highways |
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| Becky Beard | Habitat and Highways Campaign Coordinator |
| Judy Boshoven | Living Lands Project Manager |
| Caitlin Leutwiler | Communications Associate |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Patricia A. White | Director, Habitat & Highways Campaign |
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International Program |
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| Juan Carlos Cantú | Manager, Mexico Programs |
| Alejandra Goyenechea | International Counsel |
| Peter T. Jenkins | Director of International Conservation |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
| Erin McCallum | Communications Specialist |
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Mexico Program |
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| Juan Carlos Cantú | Manager, Mexico Programs |
| Alejandra Goyenechea | International Counsel |
| Peter T. Jenkins | Director of International Conservation |
| Cat Lazaroff | Director of Communications |
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National Forests |
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| Mary Elizabeth Beetham | Director of Legislative Affairs |
| Rick Brown | Senior Resource Specialist |
| Robert Dewey | Vice President for Government Relations |
| Julie Kates | Refuge Associate, Federal Lands Program |
| Michael T. Leahy | Rocky Mountain Region Director |
| Noah Matson | Vice President for Climate Change and Natural Resources Adaptation |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Peter Nelson | Director, Federal Lands Program |
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National Wildlife Refuges |
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| Mary Elizabeth Beetham | Director of Legislative Affairs |
| Julie Kates | Refuge Associate, Federal Lands Program |
| Adam Kron | Staff Attorney |
| Noah Matson | Vice President for Climate Change and Natural Resources Adaptation |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Sandra Young Purohit | Government Relations Associate |
| Theresa Spang | Alaska Representative |
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Ocean and Marine Habitat |
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| Joshua Basofin | California Representative |
| Juan Carlos Cantú | Manager, Mexico Programs |
| Jim Curland | Marine Program Associate |
| Karla M. Dutton | Alaska Program Director |
| Elizabeth Fleming | Florida Representative |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Michael Senatore | Vice President, Conservation Law |
| Sierra B. Weaver | Staff Attorney |
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Other Public Lands |
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| Matt Clark | Southwest Representative |
| Gina L. LaRocco | Conservation Program Associate |
| Michael T. Leahy | Rocky Mountain Region Director |
| Noah Matson | Vice President for Climate Change and Natural Resources Adaptation |
| James Navarro | Communications Associate |
| Peter Nelson | Director, Federal Lands Program |
| Elizabeth Nicholas | Staff Attorney |
| Sandra Young Purohit | Government Relations Associate |
| Theresa Spang | Alaska Representative |
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Pesticides Disease Invasives |
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| Jean Brennan | Senior Climate Change Scientist |
| Aimee Delach | Senior Program Associate |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Erin McCallum | Communications Specialist |
| Katie Theoharides | Climate Change Associate |
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Private Lands |
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| Judy Boshoven | Living Lands Project Manager |
| Frank Casey | Director, Conservation Economics Program |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Gina L. LaRocco | Conservation Program Associate |
| Noah Matson | Vice President for Climate Change and Natural Resources Adaptation |
| Sara O'Brien | Private Lands Conservation Associate |
| Bruce Taylor | Oregon Biodiversity Program Director |
| Jeremy Terhune | San Joaquin Valley Representative |
| Sara Vickerman | Senior Director, Biodiversity Partnerships |
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State and Local Conservation |
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| Jeff Aardahl | California Representative |
| Rick Brown | Senior Resource Specialist |
| Kimberley Delfino | California Program Director |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Natalie Dubois | Conservation Planning Associate |
| Elizabeth Fleming | Florida Representative |
| M. Scott Johnson | Arizona Senior Outreach Representative |
| Caroline Kennedy | Senior Director of Field Conservation |
| Marcia Lesky | Director of National Outreach |
| Gina Schrader | Conservation Associate |
| Theresa Spang | Alaska Representative |
| Sara Vickerman | Senior Director, Biodiversity Partnerships |
| Patricia A. White | Director, Habitat & Highways Campaign |
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State Wildlife Plans |
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| Joshua Basofin | California Representative |
| Amielle DeWan | Director of Conservation Planning |
| Katie Theoharides | Climate Change Associate |
| Sara Vickerman | Senior Director, Biodiversity Partnerships |
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