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Board of Directors, Officers

Michael Fouraker, President

Mike Fouraker serves as the Executive Director of the nationally ranked Fort Worth Zoo, a position he has held since 1993. With more than 40 years of experience in elephant management at both the Fort Worth Zoo and the Knoxville Zoo, Mike is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and accomplished leaders in the field. Under his direction, the Fort Worth Zoo maintains a robust Asian elephant breeding program, currently home to two adult bulls, four adult females, and two calves. Mike is an active leader within the zoological community. He currently serves on the American Zoo Association (ZAA) Board of Directors, has previously served on the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Board of Directors, and contributes his expertise as a board member for several conservation organizations, including the International Rhino Foundation and the Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery (ZDR3) network. He has also served on the UNESCO Scientific Advisory Committee.

Charlie Gray
Vice President

Charlie Gray, Vice President

Charlie Gray has devoted more than 40 years to elephant management, welfare, and conservation. Since 1985, he has led the care of a large, multi‑generational herd of Asian elephants that has successfully reproduced into a third generation. He is a founding board member of the International Elephant Foundation and has served on the Executive board for over ten years as president and vice-president. Charlie is a Conservation Partner of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group and a founding Board member of the Elephant Managers Association. He has served for over 30 years on the AZA Taxon Advisory Group as Vice Chair/Vice Coordinator and is an active member of the EEHV Advisory Group. Charlie’s extensive expertise supports numerous international elephant studies and conservation initiatives, where he contributes as an advisor, collaborator, and dedicated advocate for elephants worldwide.

Tom Albert
Treasurer

Tom Albert, Treasurer

Mr. Albert is an attorney and government affairs professional who has been active on elephant conservation and zoological matters for more than 20 years. He has worked with numerous organizations and facilities throughout North America in support of elephant welfare and conservation. For many years he was involved with the largest herd of Asian elephants outside of Asia and was instrumental in transitioning those animals to new homes. He previously served on the IEF Board of Directors for 18 years and is a former President of IEF as well.

Dr. Kristi Burtis
Secretary

Dr. Kristi Burtis, Secretary

Kristi Burtis is the Vice President of Wildlife Care for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and joined the organization in 2019, bringing more than 30 years of experience in wildlife welfare, training, and animal care. She oversees a team of more than 200 wildlife care specialists responsible for over 3,600 animals representing more than 300 species. Kristi’s leadership includes oversight of population sustainability initiatives and long‑range strategic planning that support the organization’s education mission and global conservation priorities. She is actively engaged in a broad national and international network of accredited zoos and aquariums, strengthening collaborative conservation programs across institutions. She also manages key partnerships with conservation organizations worldwide, working to assess wildlife population health and advance multi‑institutional conservation efforts.

Kristi holds a Veterinary Technician Certificate, an Associate of Animal Science degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Human Behavior, and a Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership.

Board of Directors, Members

Brian Aucone

Brian Aucone is the Chief Conservation Officer for the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, where he oversees all aspects of animal care, health, nutrition, behavior, and wellness for more than 2,500 animals. His leadership also encompasses conservation learning programs, field conservation initiatives, and horticulture operations across the organization. Brian has participated in a wide range of field conservation programs around the world, working with elephants, greater one‑horned rhinos, argali sheep, bats, and reptiles. Throughout his tenure at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance—and previously at the Oklahoma City Zoo—he has contributed to significant advances in elephant care through the development of innovative exhibits and progressive husbandry programs. He serves as Chair of the Snake Taxon Advisory Group for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is an active member of both Colorado Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (COPARC) and Southwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SWPARC).

Lou Barreda

Lou Barreda is the Executive Director and founder of Myakka Elephant Ranch (MER), a nonprofit elephant conservation and education center established in 2019 in Florida, USA. With a Bachelor’s degree in business marketing and a strong aptitude for engineering and design, Lou created MER’s expansive elephant habitats to reflect natural environments and support species‑appropriate care. His lifelong connection to elephants and more than 20 years of hands‑on experience make him uniquely qualified to design programs that educate the public about elephant conservation and daily husbandry practices. MER offers visitors meaningful, hands‑on learning opportunities—including side‑by‑side comparisons of African and Asian elephants—and is home to one of the largest elephant habitats in the United States. The organization proudly donates a portion of its proceeds to select elephant conservation projects around the world. Lou is a member of the Board of directors of the International Elephant Foundation.

Rob Bernardy

Rob Bernardy is the Curator of Elephants at the Houston Zoo, where he has spent the majority of his career and brings more than 20 years of experience working with Asian elephants. During his tenure, he has helped guide the growth of the Houston Zoo’s elephant program from three animals to the 13 elephants that reside there today. In his current role, Rob oversees all aspects of the elephant collection and leads the elephant management team. He has extensive experience caring for a multigenerational herd and elephants across all life stages, including managing a bachelor herd with a breeding male. Rob has been directly involved in the birth of more than 10 Asian elephants, contributing significantly to the success of the Zoo’s breeding program.

Frank Carlos Camacho

Frank Carlos Camacho is the General Director and CEO of Africam Safari Conservation Park in Puebla, Mexico, bringing more than 35 years of experience in elephant management and extensive field conservation work across multiple countries in Asia and Africa. He and his team care for one of the largest breeding herds of African elephants outside of Africa, contributing significantly to global efforts to sustain and protect the species. Frank has served as President of the Latin American Zoo and Aquarium Association and currently holds the position of Vice President. He has also completed consecutive terms as President of the Mexican Zoo and Aquarium Association, the International Eagle Foundation, and the Mexican Association of Primatologists. He remains an active member of the boards of several international conservation organizations and foundations, lending his expertise to collaborative initiatives focused on wildlife health, population sustainability, and global conservation leadership.

Ted Fox

Ted Fox has worked at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo since 1991 and has served as the Zoo’s Executive Director since 2011. He is a graduate of Cornell University from the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He currently teaches an honors course, Challenges of Zoo Management, at Syracuse University.

Under Ted’s leadership, the zoo has expanded its use of green infrastructure, including the completion of a 50,000-gallon elephant watering hole within the Zoo’s Asian Elephant Preserve. This water feature has a bio-filtration system that produces zero impact on the local municipal storm and sewer systems. The Zoo’s Asian Elephant Preserve is a seven-acre habitat which includes a 12,000 sq-ft elephant husbandry facility, complete with a green-roof. Among many other projects, Fox oversaw the design and construction of the Zoo’s new 21,000 sq-ft Animal Health Center, which opened in 2022.

Ted has continued to develop the zoo’s long standing Asian elephant program, which has participated in countless research projects – always with the goal of improving the health and welfare of elephants in human care and their wild counterparts. Support for global elephant conservation efforts also remains a primary focus for Ted and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

Daryl Hoffman

In 2025, Daryl joined the San Antonio Zoo as Vice President of Animal Care, where he oversees all aspects of animal care across the institution. Previously he was the Vice President of Living Collections at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and the International Conservation Center (ICC), overseeing the animal collections at both facilities, including two separate elephant groups. Daryl currently serves as the Executive Director of the Elephant Managers Association (EMA) and has been a member of the EMA Board of Directors since 2000. Under his leadership, the organization has continued to grow, expanding membership and establishing a formal online presence. He has been an instructor at the AZA Principles of Elephant Management School since 2002 and has served on the AZA Elephant TAG/SSP Management Group since 2007.

Dr. Jeremy Goodman

Dr. Jeremy Goodman is the President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Rutgers University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University. With more than 35 years of professional experience in the zoological field, he is an active member of both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Zoological Association of America (ZAA), and has visited more than 200 zoos and aquariums worldwide. Under Dr. Goodman’s leadership, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has achieved accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and developed both a new master plan and strategic plan to guide future growth. He also oversees the continued expansion of the Zoo’s African elephant program at its 1,000‑acre International Conservation Center in Fairhope, Pennsylvania. Prior to his arrival in Pittsburgh, Dr. Goodman held leadership roles at the Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, RI), Turtle Back Zoo (West Orange, NJ), and the Potawatomi Zoo (South Bend, IN), where he played a key role in revitalizing each institution and strengthening their conservation and animal care programs.

David Hagan

David Hagan is the Chief Life Science Officer at the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens, where he oversees all aspects of animal and plant care, animal health, research, and wellbeing. He began his career at the Indianapolis Zoo in 1989 working with elephants and has accumulated more than 37 years of experience in elephant management. During his tenure at Indianapolis, David served as curator for twenty years, overseeing a majority of life sciences areas. During his time at Indianapolis, he was involved in numerous elephant research activities. These projects ranged from gathering data on memory, visual acuity, cognition, physiology, behavior and notably the reproductive research resulting in seven African Elephant calves produced through artificial insemination. David has served on the AZA Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) for more than 15 years in various capacities and currently serves as Chair. He recently completed a ten‑year term as the African Elephant SSP Coordinator and is an AZA accreditation inspector with a focus on elephant management and care. He has also served on the Elephant Managers Association (EMA) Board of Directors and is a past President of the organization.

Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson and his wife, Kari, are internationally recognized experts in elephant care and training, widely respected for their contributions to elephant management and husbandry. With more than 50 years of experience, Gary is known for his leadership on animal welfare issues and has served on the boards and animal welfare committees of multiple organizations. Gary and Kari are deeply committed to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of health and husbandry challenges affecting elephants, and have raised tens of thousands of dollars to support critical research efforts. Most recently, they founded The Preserve in Fredericksburg, Texas, an educational facility dedicated to inspiring public engagement in elephant conservation. Through their Elephant Ambassadors, The Preserve demonstrates the human–elephant bond and encourages visitors to care about the future of the species. In recognition of their decades of service and impact, Gary and Kari have been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Elephant Managers Association.

Liz Larsen

Liz is the Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Officer at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. She oversees all aspects of animal care and health for the resident animals and the Zoo’s conservation and education programs. Liz started her career at the Zoo over 30 years ago, as a zookeeper working with a variety of animals. During her career, she has been an integral part of the Zoo’s transformation. Liz’s vision to use the power of zoos to effect change began with creating the Zoo’s first conservation strategy – building a suite of international and local conservation partnerships and programs and embedding those programs in core aspects of the Zoo’s operations. She strongly believes conservation is a marathon not a sprint and appreciates the International Elephant Foundation’s long-term commitment to field projects and critical research. Liz received her Bachelor degree in Biology and Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah.

Dr. Arne Lawrenz

Dr. Arne Lawrenz is the Director of Wuppertal Zoo, one of Germany’s oldest and most prestigious zoological institutions, home to approximately 3,500 animals representing nearly 250 species. He earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine from the Freie Universität Berlin and gained extensive experience caring for animals of all sizes before joining Wuppertal Zoo in 1998 as the elephant curator and veterinarian. Dr. Lawrenz is actively engaged in research and endangered species conservation, with particular focus on non-infectious diseases in the endangered Black footed cat and tuberculosis in elephants. Since 2017, he has served as the European African Elephant EEP Coordinator. He is a member of the Species360 Board of Trustees and its Research Committee, Chair of the Veterinary Advisor Group of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), Past President of the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV), and Veterinary Advisor for the Black footed Cat EEP, Asian Golden Cat EEP, and Pudu EEP.

Amos Morris

Amos Morris is the Executive Director of the Milwaukee County Zoo and brings more than 38 years of experience in zoological operations, including 34 years dedicated to elephant management, policy, and care. Nine of those years were spent working directly with elephants, providing him with extensive hands‑on experience that informs his leadership today. Before joining the Milwaukee County Zoo, Amos served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and held positions at six other zoological institutions, gaining a significant portion of his elephant experience at the Pittsburgh Zoo. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he curated the births of two African elephant calves and managed the semen collection program that supplied the majority of samples used for artificial insemination across AZA facilities. He also facilitated the purchase, construction, and development of the International Conservation Center (ICC), a 724‑acre facility dedicated to the conservation of endangered species with a primary focus on African elephants. Amos is actively involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation Commission, serving as an accreditation inspector for ten years with a focus on elephant standards. He also functions as the elephant liaison to the AZA Elephant TAG/SSP for the commission and served on the Elephant TAG/SSP steering committee from 2007 to 2017.

Katie Pilgram-Kloppe

Katie Pilgram‑Kloppe is the Curator of Mammals/Ungulates and River’s Edge at the Saint Louis Zoo and has worked with ungulates and pachyderms for more than 17 years. In this role, she oversees all aspects of the Zoo’s four‑generation Asian elephant herd, leads the ungulate and elephant care teams, and directs the WildCare Institute Center for Asian Elephant Conservation. The Center is part of the Saint Louis Zoo’s conservation arm and focuses on protecting elephants in the wild, with particular emphasis on mitigating human–elephant conflict. Katie is deeply committed to ensuring a future for elephants both in zoos and in their native habitats and is proud to serve on the IEF Board of Directors. She is also a member of the EEHV Advisory Group in North America. Over nearly two decades, she has gained extensive experience with Asian elephants, including calf training for voluntary preventative health behaviors, supplemental feeding, EEHV‑HD case management, geriatric care, and participation in four elephant births—one achieved through successful assisted reproductive technologies.

Jan Ramer

Dr. Jan Ramer is the Senior Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation for the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds. Jan has worked in the field of zoological conservation for her whole career. She was a primate keeper at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago for 10 years before she made a mid-life career change, receiving her DVM from the University of Wisconsin in 1995. Jan was a veterinarian at the Indianapolis Zoo for 14 years. She then found her passion in conservation medicine as Regional Manager for the Gorilla Doctors, where she led a team of African veterinarians in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for 3 ½ years. Jan returned to the United States to start her work at The Wilds in 2015, first as the Director of Conservation Medicine, and later as Vice President for The Wilds. In early 2021 Jan moved into her current position. Jan has had the honor and privilege to work alongside many hard working, talented colleagues dedicated to conservation throughout her career. Jan loves spending time with her family, especially her 4 grandchildren!

Randy Reiches, Dir Emeritus

Randy Reiches

Randy Rieches is the retired Director of Collections Husbandry and Science at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park working with exotic wildlife for 42 years. Randy manages staff that take care of birds, mammals and reptiles. Mr. Rieches is currently involved in both in situ and ex situ conservation issues and projects affecting the long term survival of elephants. He sits on the Board of Directors for the International Rhino Foundation and is the SSP Coordinator for Indian Rhinoceros, Vice Chair for the Rhinoceros TAG and is involved in current relocation programs for Indian Rhinoceros in India. He also sits on Elephant, Antelope, Equid and Caprinae Taxon Advisory Groups.

IEF Staff

Deborah Olson
Executive Director

Deborah Olson, Executive Director

Deborah Olson is a founder and the Executive Director of the International Elephant Foundation (IEF). Before leading IEF, she served as Curator of the Plains Biome at the Indianapolis Zoo, where she oversaw the care and management of the Zoo’s African elephant herd and directed its reproductive research program. Under her leadership, the team developed innovative protocols to monitor progesterone and luteinizing hormones in female elephants and correlated these data with reproductive tract changes through transrectal ultrasonography—work that culminated in the first and second successful artificial inseminations of African elephants in 1998. Deborah has held numerous leadership roles within the zoological and elephant management community. She served on the AZA Elephant TAG/SSP Management Group, was Editor of the Journal of the Elephant Managers Association, maintained the North American African Elephant Studbook, and edited the Elephant Husbandry Resource Guide. Through her vision and leadership, Deborah has guided the International Elephant Foundation into a respected, globally recognized leader in elephant conservation, known for its scientific rigor, collaborative partnerships, and measurable impact.

Sarah Conley
Director of Conservation

Sarah Conley, Assistant Director, Conservation

Sarah Conley has worked with and for elephants for over 25 years, currently as the Director of Conservation for the International Elephant Foundation. Conley began working with Asian elephants as a teenager in California balancing conservation work and advocacy while attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) graduating Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Economics and minors in English Literature and Music History. She also earned UCLA’s prestigious Distinguished Bruin Award.

Conley is a nationally published writer and regular contributor to animal welfare and animal industry publications. She has traveled internationally representing IEF at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), presenting at multiple conferences, and overseeing projects.

Julie Bates
Donor Relations Manager

Julie Bates, Donor Relations Manager

When people ask Julie Bates what she does for a living, she can only smile. As the Donor Relations Manager for the International Elephant Foundation, she is truly creating a better world for elephants each and every day.

Julie holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Western Illinois University. She has served in many roles during her career, including teaching at the elementary level, leading nonprofit programs, and managing award-winning large-scale volunteer programs. However, it’s her role in fundraising for wildlife conservation that she really celebrates.

Her goal is to make conservation relevant for all ages, capabilities, and cultures. She believes every person, every role, and every contribution is valued and important to effectively secure elephants and the wildlife that live with them.

Dr. Chase LaDue
Special Projects Manager

Dr. Chase LaDue

Chase LaDue has a PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University. He received a BSc in Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation from Canisius College, and a MS in Biology from Western Kentucky University. Chase is an integrative ecologist with research interests in animal behavior, chemical ecology, physiology, and conservation biology, and he has over 10 years of experience studying the behavioral ecology of Asian and African elephants around the world. Chase utilizes a “field to fence” approach to characterize the behavioral physiology of free-ranging elephants to enhance the well-being of elephants in human care.

Most recently, he is researching musth in Asian elephants in Sri Lanka and at facilities throughout North America to better understand its contextual variation for applications in conservation and management. In addition to serving as an Advisor to IEF, Chase is the Publications Editor for the Elephant Managers Association and serves on the board of the Conservation Committee of the Animal Behavior Society. He is also passionate about connecting elephants with the general public, and besides teaching biology to undergraduate students at George Mason University, he has helped create outreach materials for IEF, TED-Ed, Skype-a-Scientist, and other groups.

Advisors

Alexis Barreda

Alexis Barreda is the Chief Development Officer at Myakka Elephant Ranch, where she also serves as a veterinary assistant specializing in elephant care, including performing the elephants’ blood draws. In addition, she contributes to ongoing elephant research projects and brings her medical expertise as a Registered Nurse to support both animal and human wellness within the organization. Alexis is an advisor to the IEF Board of Directors lending her skills and knowledge in veterinary project review and the development of the bi-annual International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium.

Dr. Gary Hayward

Gary Hayward obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Otago in New Zealand in 1972, where he developed the procedure of agarose gel electrophoresis for fractionating DNA molecules of different sizes. He then did postdoctoral research in Paris, Heidelberg and Chicago before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he carried out pioneering work on the molecular genetics, evolution and gene regulation of human herpesviruses HSV, HCMV, EBV and KSHV. He became a full professor in the Departments of Oncology, Pathology and Pharmacology in 1988 and established a well-funded multi-faculty Research Program in Viral Oncology where he trained numerous graduate and postgraduate students, many of whom have moved on to lead their own academic biomedical research programs in aspects of human viral diseases.

To say that Dr. Gary Hayward is an important figure in the elephant conservation and research community is an understatement. After a career studying human herpesvirus diseases, Dr. Hayward proceeded to become the leading “virus detective” carrying out research into understanding Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) and its impact on both captive and wild Asian and African elephant populations worldwide. EEHV was first identified in 1999 by Dr. Laura Richman under the tutelage of Dr. Hayward, and he has been researching this novel “Proboscivirus” branch of the herpesvirus family extensively ever since. Dr. Hayward and his team identified all seven known species of EEHV and the numerous highly diverged subtypes and strains of each through “genetic fingerprinting” as well as carrying out genomic DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Their work allows researchers to compare EEHV with similar diseases and understand more about how it affects elephants, facilitating the development of diagnostic PCR and serology tests and research into treatments and vaccines. It is safe to say that nearly all work being done to fight EEHV can be traced back to Dr. Hayward and his findings.

Dr. Hayward has an expansive list of over 200 peer-reviewed publications including 25 describing his EEHV studies and can be regularly seen presenting internationally at conferences, sharing his expertise and experience.

Dr. Wendy Kiso

Dr. Wendy Kiso is the Senior Reproductive Biologist at the Fort Worth Zoo’s Center for Applied Reproductive & Emerging Sciences (CARES), where she is developing a comprehensive reproductive program for elephants and providing specialized support to facilities across North America in artificial insemination, ultrasound imaging, and semen collection. Prior to joining the Fort Worth Zoo, she served as Principal Scientist for Assisted Reproduction at Colossal Biosciences, advancing reproductive technologies for elephants and other endangered species. Dr. Kiso’s work spans both U.S.‑based and international conservation efforts, including reproductive research in Sri Lanka. She holds a Master of Natural and Applied Science from Missouri State University and earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. For more than 20 years, Dr. Kiso has focused on Asian and African elephant conservation and the refinement of assisted reproductive techniques. She is widely regarded as a trusted specialist in elephant reproductive management, contributing to scientific innovation, conservation strategy, and the long‑term sustainability of endangered species. Wendy also serves as an advisor to the International Elephant Foundation’s Board of Directors and regularly supports the development and execution of the bi‑annual International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium.

Dr. Paul D. Ling

Dr. Paul D Ling

Paul D Ling received a PhD in Microbiology and spent his graduate and postdoctoral careers investigating human herpesviruses Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) respectively. He continued his work on EBV and other animal gammaherpesviruses after moving to Houston and Baylor College of Medicine to start his own research program. In 2010, following the death of Mac at the Houston zoo from EEHV, a collaboration was established between the Houston Zoo and Dr. Ling’s lab to address the devastating disease caused by this virus, especially in Asian elephant calves. Since that time, his laboratory has leveraged its experience and knowledge of human herpesviruses to combat the threat of EEHV in elephants.

His lab developed qPCR tests to detect all EEHV species known to be endemic within both African and Asian elephants. These tests are used for surveillance of elephants in the United States, Africa and several countries in South East Asia. With a grant from IEF, his lab used these new tests to show that elephants in Southern India shed the same species of EEHV found in captive elephants in the United States. His lab, along with collaborators at the Houston zoo, also used the qPCR tests to describe EEHV viremia, shedding, and associated changes in CBCs during the course of EEHV-associated hemorrhagic disease. Along with his collaborators at Johns Hopkins (Dr. Gary Hayward) and the Baylor College of Medicine Human genome sequencing center, his lab determined the genomic sequence of EEHV1A, the most deadly form of EEHV in Asian elephants, and also EEHV4. More recently, his lab developed an Asian elephant-specific IFN-g Elispot assay for the purpose of interrogating anti-EEHV T-cell responses and a novel serology assay that can distinguish antibody responses between different the EEHV types in Asian elephants. These tools have formed a foundation for developing and evaluating an EEHV vaccine, which his laboratory is currently focused on producing. Dr. Ling previously served as Secretary of the Epstein-Barr virus association and chaired the Microbial Pathogenesis and Cancer study section for the American Cancer Society.

He is currently an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Department of Microbiology and Virology at Baylor College of Medicine, a member of the EEHV advisory group Steering committee and is also an Associate Editor of Plos Pathogens.

As IEF Advisor and Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus expert, Dr. Paul Ling postulated during a recent interview.

Dennis Schmitt
DVM, Ph.D.

Dennis Schmitt, DVM, Ph.D.

Dennis Schmitt, DVM, Ph.D., wears the hat of a number of different organizations. As a professor at Southwest Missouri State University, he instructs his students in advanced assisted reproduction. While serving as a consulting veterinarian, Schmitt specializes in elephant medical and reproductive management to elephant facilities worldwide. As owner of Reproductive Resources, he operates an assisted reproduction program for the domestic animal industry. Schmitt is the leading elephant reproductive physiologist in North America and serves as a Research and Reproductive Advisor for the AZA Elephant TAG/SSP Management Group. He announced the first successful conception by artificial insemination of an elephant, an Asian, in June of 1998 and was involved in the subsequent first two successful artificial inseminations of African elephants in North America in 1998.

Schmitt continues to perform inseminations with over fifteen additional conceptions to date. Schmitt also conducts workshops internationally to train veterinarians and wildlife specialists in the technology of ultrasonography and semen collection.

Sandra Binns

Sandra Binns designs, develops and manages websites under the name Global Identities LLC. She and her team have been working with the IEF since 2000 creating the very first and subsequent IEF websites over the years.

Sandra is no stranger to conservation as she and her husband, John, founded IRCF (Int’l Reptile Conservation Foundation) working with critically endangered reptiles (including the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana, Guatemalan Beaded Lizard, and many others).

Additionally Sandra’s background is heavily influenced in areas of procurement and business management in both large corporations and entrepreneurial silicon valley startups.

Laura Van der Meer

Laura is an environmental lawyer-lobbyist currently serving as the Director of International Environmental Resources SPRL, located in Brussels, Belgium. Laura specializes in the field of international environmental law and policy, focusing on multilateral environmental agreements concerning in situ and ex situ conservation, international movement of endangered species, access to genetic resources, alien species, biosafety, and biotechnology. For over ten years, Laura has assisted companies, associations and non-profits to access and address issues of concern at international conferences including CITES, the convention on Biological Diversity, and the Aarhus Convention on Public Information and Participation in Environmental Matters. Laura’s work also includes providing assistance to institutes and organizations engaged in public display of animals concerning regulations and legislative developments in the European Community and its 25 Member States.

She currently serves as the Permanent Representative of the European Circus Association in Brussels. Prior to establishing her consulting company, Laura practiced law for 8 years with the firm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.C. in its Washington DC and Brussels offices. With this expertise, Laura has represented the International Elephant Foundation for the last four years at CITES conferences and related meetings.

In addition to her law degree from the Marshall Wythe School of Law and the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, Laura has a Masters in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri, bringing a background in education to IEF.