About the Wildlife Restoration Foundation
The Wildlife Restoration Foundation brings healthy wildlife back to America’s land and seascapes. The work we do as a nongovernmental organization is rooted by partnerships and is growing fast. We empower partners to intervene with innovative—and very direct—conservation measures on the ground and in the water.
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Mission
Directly and measurably increase park wildlife population viability, health, and security through partnerships.
Vision
Native wildlife in parks thriving in ecological balance with habitat and through shared stewardship.
What We Do
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Zoo-Park Partnerships (ZPPs)™
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Aquarium-Sanctuary Partnerships™
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Wildlife Coexistence Strategies
Board of Directors
The members of the WRF board represent philanthropists and experts in wildlife and habitat recovery, management and science, animal husbandry and health, technology, infrastructure and media.
Meet the Team
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WRF staff work closely with both government and private sectors to establish productive and targeted partnerships to benefit wildlife.
WRF Project Partners implement wildlife recovery solutions in the field—both in situ and ex situ—and include government agencies, nonprofits, Tribes, and businesses that seek collaboratively-derived wildlife coexistence and support strategies.
Julie Anton Randall
Founder & President
The founder of WRF, Julie brings 20+ years of leadership experience focused on the survival of wildlife, ranching, and Tribal communities—a commitment built on a family legacy of farming the West by 1865. Julie coordinated the 130-member American Bison Coalition for naming bison the U.S. National Mammal. For 6 years, she facilitated 6 agency directors on the North American Intergovernmental Committee on Wilderness & Protected Areas Conservation. She managed the North American Save the Rhinos Campaign for 3 years and has consulted on projects for dozens of NGOs, including Wilderness Foundation Africa’s anti-poaching projects. Julie was WILD Foundation VP of Programs and USDA agricultural economist with the Agricultural Marketing Service, first to staff the National Organic Program. She holds a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara and M.A. from Stanford University and is WRF President.
Tucker Downs
Director of Operations
Having over 10 years’ experience working in zoos, Tucker has worked as a Large Mammal/Senior Elephant Zoologist at Dallas Zoo since 2019. He has also served as an animal care volunteer, education mentor, and conservation interpreter at Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, and presented at the Elephant Managers Association conference. Holding a B.S. in Zoo Science & Business Administration from Friends University, he has applied his ex situ conservation expertise working on several endangered species’ responsible breeding programs. Tucker manages WRF accounts and other vital operational functions, while also working to secure rhino zoo partners for the iMfolozi Project.
Scott Wilkerson
Director of Partnership Development
Scott is a career Marketing Strategist with a lifelong passion for wildlife conservation. With over 20 years at HawkPartners, a boutique consultancy, Scott applies an extensive track record as a lead brand, communications and marketing strategist for Fortune 500 companies. Scott has a B.A. from Boston College and M.A. in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Scott serves as a Partner in Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund and as a Steward for the C&O Canal Trust . From his base in Bethesda, Maryland, Scott leads WRF’s corporate partner engagement and Park Experience major donor program, as well as advising on WRF marketing and donor communication strategies.
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Kayla Andra
Program Manager
A Utah native, Kayla is a marine scientist dedicated to wildlife conservation. With a B.S. in Natural Science from Utah Tech University and M.S. in Applied Ocean Science from the University of Cape Town, she is most passionate about communications and the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems. Her diverse roles include science curriculum developer, Blue Parks Conservation Scientist for the Marine Conservation Institute, Taxonomist for Pivotal, and published academic and children's book author. Kayla serves on WRF's iMfolozi Project and NABS teams, driving conservation efforts through grant writing and scientific expertise.
Emily Damon
Program Manager
Emily brings 15+ years of experience as a volunteer for nature centers, wildlife hospitals, and environmental organizations. With a B.S. in Microbiology from Iowa State University, Emily has over a decade of experience in pharmaceutical and vaccine research and development, holding positions at Dynavax Technologies and Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biology. She is currently pursuing an M.P.S. in Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy from Unity Environmental University. Emily applies her lifelong love of wildlife to seek WRF partnerships with corporations that have a sustainability mission. She also serves as a WRF technical science writer and subject matter expert.
Quinn Donahue
Wildlife Conservation Specialist
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Addison Dunn
Tech Advisor
Committed to using technology to support science and communications applications that benefit wildlife and parks and WRF’s partnerships, He holds B.S. in Computer Science & Business from the University of Virginia. His work experience includes sales for Zello, a walkie-talkie mobile app company based in Austin, Texas, and his current role as full stack engineer at Dimagi, a socially impactful technology company with operations in the United States, India and South Africa designed to build mobile apps that provide better data and new tools for solving societal problems. Addison serves as WRF’s Tech Manager, providing vital solutions to complicated tech problems.
Mehak Jain
Marine Conservation Specalist
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Rielle Jones- Teske
Wildlife Conservation Specialist
Rielle is an environmental historian from the farm state of Iowa with a passion for sustainability and building climate-resilient communities. She holds a BA in Art History from the University of Iowa and an MPhil in Environmental History from Trinity College Dublin. Her recent work explores the historical and environmental systems that perpetuate disparities in access to quality food. Rielle is WRF's lead on museum and historian engagement in the CW and Bison Summits, developing an account of wildlife demise in 1800s North America.
Averee Luhrs
Project Coordinator
Raised on the prairies of Central Iowa, Averee is an environmental anthropologist fascinated by ways we connect to nature and wildlife. Averee holds a B.S. in Zoology from Drake University, an MSc in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University, and an M.A. in Anthropology from University of Texas at San Antonio. Currently she is exploring how knowledge is created, shared, and understood in zoo conservation for her PhD in Anthropology at UT San Antonio. Averee is on WRF’s Models & Methodologies lead team for the upcoming Collaborating with Wildlife and Bison Summits.
Natalie McDonald
Wildlife Conservation Specialist
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Aiyana Mennega
Wildlife Conservation Specialist
Aiyana is an interpretive specialist who grew up deeply appreciating wild places. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Calvin University and has since worked for the National Park Service in the Pacific Northwest Region. She has led hands-on nature experiences in multiple states, connecting people, landscapes, and wildlife through thoughtful and accessible interpretation. Aiyana leads reciprocal interpretation facets of WRF-facilitated Zoo-Tribe and Zoo-Park Partnerships and serves on the CW and Bison Summit and marketing teams.
Haley Pavano
Recreation Specialist
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Sydney Payne
Project Coordinator
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Britnee Shows
Project Coordinator
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Kelsey Straub
Beary Program Coordinator
Kelsey knew she wanted to pursue a career in conservation after visiting Yellowstone National Park as a child. She received her B.S. in Integrated Science and Technology (focus on Environment and Energy) from James Madison University. After graduation, she became a Program Coordinator at the Center for Sustainable Energy to help administer incentive programs for renewable energy infrastructure in New York. Kelsey now works as a supervisor at Big Sky Resorts, at home in the area that first sparked her passion for conservation. Kelsey serves as WRF's Beary Program Coordinator for Big Sky.
Krista Wilkerson
Graphic Designer
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Erin Winters
Social Media Assistant
A student at the University of Vermont pursuing a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, she is driven by a passion for conservation that has inspired her to join the Wildlife Restoration Foundation. Her previous experience as a Conservation Intern at Elmwood Park Zoo included educating the public on wildlife protection and supporting community outreach initiatives. Based in Pennsylvania, she will contribute to strengthening zoo-park partnerships to advance habitat restoration and species conservation efforts.
WRF Advisors
WRF Advisors are esteemed colleagues with expertise in wildlife and habitat field conservation and other matters directly connected to the WRF mission. WRF calls upon them to provide keen insights and valuable advice on best practices and novel approaches to conducting the highest priority wildlife restoration measures in and around parks with help of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, park gateway communities, and other WRF partners.
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Acknowledgements
Arnold & Porter provides expert and comprehensive legal services to WRF on a pro bono basis.
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Cbiz is providing pro bono accounting services to WRF.
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Ctp Boston is a pro bono member of WRF's creative team.
Anna Mullin designed the logo for WRF and is an illustrator currently living in Denver, CO. She works in many mediums and outlets in her spare time, and recently published her first children's book "One Tomato."