Lisa Culver, Executive Director
Lisa grew up in Northeastern Oklahoma on the edge of the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in the heart of the Osage Indian Reservation in the town of Pawhuska. Lisa studied at Oklahoma State University before she has traveled the world spending three years living in Panama and traveling throughout Central and South America. Lisa has spent her life working passionately to make a difference in the lives of people, animals and the world around us. Her 18 years in San Diego has included working as the Development Director for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America where she raised millions of dollars to help those who live with these diseases and the Director of Corporate Relations and Development for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Lisa also brings a high level of expertise in business development and marketing from her work as the International Marketing Director for Ettan Press and Vice President of Marketing for Planesia. Lisa enjoys painting, art films, fine wines and sushi when she can find time away from her two young sons, her cat Henry and dog Ruby.

Wanda Cossette, Director of Finance and Administration
Wanda grew up in a small town in New Hampshire and moved to Florida as a young single mother. After ten years of working full time and taking night classes, she graduated with honors from The University of Florida with a BA in Anthropology. In addition, she has an AS degree in Business Management from Santa Fe Community College and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Chapman College. Wanda has worked in the nonprofit sector for over thirty years for six different nonprofit organizations and has been at Project Wildlife since 2007. Since moving to San Diego in 1997, she has also worked as the Director of Operations for ElderHelp of San Diego and as the Business Manager for The San Diego Food Bank. She enjoys playing cards with friends, is the mother of two, grandmother of four and lives with her husband and three dogs.

Ali Crumpacker, Director of Wildlife Services
Ali grew up on a small farm near the New Jersey coast where she volunteered for the Alliance for a Living Ocean, an aquatic rehab and advocacy organization. She graduated with honors and a duel BA in Environmental Psychology and Fine Art from Ramapo College of New Jersey. In addition she received a MA in Zoologic Administration from George Mason University in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Ali previously worked as the Animal Curator and Camp Director for Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, NY and as a Safari Warden for Six Flags Animal Park in Jackson, NJ. The move to San Diego came in 2006 when her husband, who serves in the United States Navy as a submarine officer, was stationed in Point Loma. She enjoys quilting and hiking and spending time with her various pets.

Kirstin DeGeer, Education and Outreach Manager
Kirstin was born in England and grew up in New Mexico, Japan, Louisiana, and Kansas. She graduated with highest honors from Florida Institute of Technology with a BS in General Biology and an MS in Science Education. Kirstin has over seven years’ experience working in the Education Departments at SeaWorld of Orlando, the Kansas City Zoo, and San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and has been with Project Wildlife since January, 2009. Kirstin enjoys reading and gaming of all kinds. She lives with her husband, her cat, and a colony of mealworms.

Trish Jackman, Manager of Home Care Services
Trish grew up in Southern California and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. After working as a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator, she went back to school and received a degree with honors in animal behavior and management. She moved to Oregon to work as a wildlife trainer and educator for Wildlife Safari and moved up to assistant curator adding veterinary assistant, spokesperson, and raptor rehabilitation coordinator to her duties. She moved on to work as a vet assistant, and as a trainer and spokesperson for the Living Desert, before moving to San Diego to work as a senior keeper for the San Diego Zoo. In 2003, she shifted gears and accepted a position with the San Diego Humane Society as their mobile adoptions coordinator and eventually became the species specialist and supervisor for their offsite facility. She is certified in canine/feline behavioral evaluations and was a member of the task force sent to oversee animal intake and triage at Katrina and the San Diego fires. After 13 years in the field, she felt the pull of wildlife again and joined Project Wildlife as the Manager of home care rehabilitators. When she’s not working she enjoys power boating, and spending time with her pets and the occasional overnight patient.

April Valentin-Kroll, RVT, Manager of Animal Care
April grew up in Central California with a wide variety of pets and livestock. She graduated with honors from Mesa College with an Associate in Science degree in Animal Health Technology and received her license from the state of California as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). In addition, she spent time training during an internship at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park veterinary hospital. April started her veterinary career at practices that specialized in exotic pets. She has volunteered with Project Wildlife since 2005, helping triage and rehabilitate critically-injured local wildlife. During the 2008 baby season she became a seasonal Wildlife Technician and has recently continued her career with Project Wildlife as the Manager of Animal Care. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and taking her dog to the beach.

Regina Taylor, Assist Manager of Animal Care
Gina grew up a “Navy brat” moving often between San Diego and Virginia Beach, Virginia. During her 20 ½ years of Navy service as a Hospital Corpsman, she volunteered whenever possible for local animal causes: beach clean-ups, fund raising for a local no-kill shelter, and even one wildlife rehabilitation organization. She graduated with honors in 1994 with a B.S. in Biology, Pre-Professional, from Norfolk State University (Norfolk, VA). Most recently, she also graduated with honors in 2009 from Mesa Community College (San Diego) with an A.S. in Animal Health Technology. She is awaiting approval to take her California State Board Exam for Registered Veterinary Technician. When not working for Project Wildlife, Gina volunteers for the San Diego County Animal Shelter and the Feral Cat Coalition. She is a certified “Crazy Cat Lady”, so she has little time to enjoy her other interests: hiking, country line dancing, scrapbooking, reading, or spending time outdoors. She shares her home with a dog, a cockatiel, and too many cats and kittens.

Diane Owens, Development Associate
Diane was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and earned a B.S. in Government and Politics at the University of Maryland. She has over 20 years of administrative experience in a wide variety of companies, and has also worked as a photographer, pet sitter and dog trainer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and playing with her pets. Diane currently lives in Spring Valley with her significant other, Ray, and their three dogs and three cats.

Christine Brennan, Part-time Administrative Assistant
Christine Brennan was born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY. She earned a B.S. in Education with honors from Buffalo State in 1989 and has over 20 years of administrative experience. Christine has been volunteering at Project Wildlife’s Care Center since July ‘08 and works part-time at the business office processing donations and supporting the staff. She has two grown sons, and currently lives with the love of her life, Frank, and their precious cat, Lucy.

Jane E. Meier, D.V.M., Supervising Veterinarian
Graduate of Purdue University, School of Veterinary Medicine. Internship in Zoological Medicine, Zoological Society of San Diego, 1975-1976. Associate Veterinarian for the Zoological Society of San Diego, 1976-1988. Presently in private practice caring for both exotic and domestic animals. 1996 to present, Supervising Veterinarian for Project Wildlife. Author and contributor to many scientific and popular animal related articles, book chapters, and studies.