Symposium 2015 Speakers

Kim Ashby
(Rehabilitating Orphaned Opossum, Advanced Skills for Rehabilitating Orphaned and Injured Opossum, Triage and Initial Care of Mammals)
Kim Ashby holds a North Carolina Wildlife Permit for Small Mammal Rehabilitation and began working with orphaned and injured wildlife in 2006. She is the Assistant Director of the Board of Directors for Wildlife Welfare, Inc. She earned a BS in Nursing from The Catholic University of America and, when she worked outside the home, was a Certified Emergency Nurse with a special interest in trauma nursing. Kim lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and sons. The Ashbys began home educating their children in 1999. She is the owner of Creative Tutors, Wake Co, NC, a certified Interactive Metronome Provider with Pediatric IM certification and an Irlen Syndrome Screener.

Pamela Bayne
(Songbird Bandaging / Splinting / Supportive Care Lab, Songbird Medicine & Critical Care)
Pamela Bayne taught biology and physical science in the public school system after graduating from UNC. She also worked with veterinarians in Israel developing bovine breeding programs and in Kentucky assisting with thoroughbred examinations. Pamela began wildlife rehabilitation working with an experienced rehabilitator in the mid-1980s, has worked at several NC rehabilitation centers, and now is the Executive Director of Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic (TWRC) in Durham. She holds USFWS and NC rehabilitation permits and has served on the board for several wildlife facilities.

Linda Bergman-Althouse
(Anything and Everything Squirrel)
Linda began volunteering at the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter in Morehead City, pursuing her passion in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation, nineteen years ago. She achieved her certification as a state wildlife rehabilitator and continues to actively volunteer at OWLS, working clinic in rehabilitation, mentoring new volunteers and facilitating tour groups. Linda is proactively concerned with the loss of wildlife habitat due to progressive development in Onslow and its surrounding counties and regularly attends community and civic meetings to voice those concerns through education, as well as, rally support. Linda holds a Masters of Science degree in educational psychology and is currently contracted by the Department of Labor to facilitate transition workshops for exiting military members aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Stations New River & Cherry Point and Army Posts Fort Bragg, NC & Fort Hood, TX.
Linda grew up in rural Macon County, Illinois, is Eastern Illinois University Alumna, an author, a retired U.S. Marine, College Psychology Instructor, Industry Training Developer & Line Build Designer, Wildlife Rescuer and Rehabilitator, current board member and Past President of Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina, Inc. and staunch advocate for animal rights and conservation of our natural resources.  Linda resides in Onslow County, North Carolina with her husband, John and four (indoor only) cats; Kitty, Seven, Shadow and Frizbee.

Kimberly Brewster
(Launch, Grow and Support a Wildlife Rehabilitation Nonprofit)
Business efficiency, marketing & performance expert, Kimberly specializes in small to mid-sized businesses, start-up companies, and nonprofit organizations, providing business advice and strategies for improved growth, efficiency, and sustainability. Kimberly has over 18 years of experience working in all aspects of business operations including over 14 years in nonprofit management.

Jill Brown
(Enrichment for an Empty Wallet)
Jill has worked at the museum of life and science for almost 10 years. Some of the species she has worked with include lemurs, bears, wolves and currently she is working with many NC native species including alligators, snakes, turtles, opossums, birds of prey and woodchucks. Jill serves as  president of the local chapter of the American association of zoo keepers (new members welcomed!) She has operant conditioning training with various species of birds and farm animals. She is actively on the museum's animal enrichment committee.

Halley D Buckanoff, BS, CVT, CWR
(Banding and Post-release Surviva, Record Keepingl)
Employed at the North Carolina Zoo at the helm of the Valerie H Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center overseeing rehabilitation practices, center operations, and mentoring of more than 150 volunteers and interns; Halley is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, she is also a Certified Veterinary Technician with 10+ years of emergency, exotic, zoo and wildlife medicine and husbandry experience, in addition to becoming a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.  Halley is a board member for WRNC. She has completed graduate level course work in animal population management and animal nutrition.  Her experiences include work as a field biologist mist-netting, trapping, banding, tracking and radio-collaring birds; currently she holds a USFW banding permit and is conducting post-release survival studies on common rehabilitated backyard birds in conjunction with Guilford College. 
Halley believes that the wildlife rehabilitation community are entrusted professionals and as such stewards for wildlife and wild places, relied upon to stay up-to-date on practices and provide conservation education.
(Banding and Post-release Survival)

Dr. Sarah Cannizzo
(Emergency/Triage)
Sarah is a 2012 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a small animal rotating internship at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, MA and a zoo internship at Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR. She is currently a zoological medicine resident at North Carolina State University.

Jean Chamberlain
(Helping Orphaned Songbirds Learn Their Song, Avian Vision)
Jean has been a rehabilitator for over 20 years, specializing in raptors for more than 15 years.
Jean presents many wildlife education programs each year for Wildlife Rehab, Inc in the Forsyth county area. She helps organize and teach the wildlife rehabilitation course at her local community college. She designed and teaches WRNC's Refresher and Basic Courses and chairs the committee that organizes the symposium each year.
Jean is past president for WRNC, is on WRNC's Board and is the web administrator for WRNC.
She created Raptor ID on IWRC's website and is on the Curriculum Development Committee for IWRC's online courses.
Jean has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and completed 2 years of post graduate work in human information processing (learning and perception). She is now retired after a career in Information Technology.

Dr. Carolyn Clay
(Opossum Surgery Using a Cellular Matrix Product)
Dr. Carolyn Clay graduated with honors from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. During her time in veterinary school she was involved in Wildlife Medicine and rotated through the Wildlife Center of Virginia. After graduation she joined a small animal practice also focusing on avian and exotics species. Her passion for wildlife medicine continued in private practice and she joined the practice development team of the Richmond Wildlife Center in 2011. In 2013 the Richmond Wildlife Center opened as Virginia's second licensed nonprofit veterinary facility dedicated to sick and injured wildlife. The Richmond Wildlife Center also provides care to sick and injured non-native exotic animals found feral and abandoned in the wild. Dr. Carolyn Clay serves as a veterinarian and board member for the Richmond Wildlife Center. She is also a permitted wildlife rehabilitator and educator for the center.

Dr. Michelle Cox
(Winging It)
Dr. Michelle Cox graduated from Atlantic Veterinary College Prince Edward Island, Canada. She lives in Emerald Isle ,NC. She is an associate in small animal practice, Brigadoon animal Hospital in Swansboro , NC. She is the veterinarian for Possumwood Acres.

Mathias Engelmann
(Cage Building for Raptors)
Mathias is the Senior Rehabilitation Coordinator at the Carolina Raptor Center. His responsibilities include the daily care of rehab birds - feeding, treatments, and new admission exams. He designs and constructs many of the new flight and rehabilitation cages. He also instructs new volunteers and interns in their training programs, maintains banding records, and coordinates raptor food deliveries.

Nina Fischesser
(Working With Your Vet, New Zealand Wildlife Rehab)
Nina has been rehabilitating wildlife for over 20 years, is Director of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute at Lees-McRae College where, as a professor, she teaches Basic Wildlife Rehabiltiation, Wildlife as Partners in Education, and Clinical Wildlife Rehabilitation. She served as the founding president of the Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina (WRNC). She is a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and served on the National Symposium planning committee. Nina has an MA in Environmental Education and Communication, a B.A. in Therapeutic Recreation, and worked 11-years as a field instructor for the North Carolina Outward Bound School.

Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema
(Mammal Bandaging/Splinting Lab)
Jenessa Gjeltema is currently a zoological medicine resident at North Carolina State University.  Jenessa received her doctorate of veterinary medicine from North Carolina State University in 2011, and completed a private referral practice internship following her graduation.  She began working with wildlife as a volunteer at the Valerie H. Schindler wildlife rehabilitation center in 2004, and served as a student liaison for the Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina during veterinary school.  She has also gained valuable experience related to wildlife while working as a wildlife diversity technician for the Wildlife Resources Commission.  She continues to have a clinical passion for wildlife rehabilitation.

Dr. Joni Gnyp
(Raptor Nutrition - What to Feed and How to Feed, Expect the Unexpected)
Dr. Joni Gnyp went to the University of Minnesota for her undergraduate degree and North Carolina State University for her Veterinary Degree. She works full time in her mixed animal veterinary hospital in Rocky Point, and she operates a small, but thriving Raptor Rehabilitation Center out of the veterinary hospital. The Cape Fear Raptor Center provides surgical and medical care to raptors that benefit from specific treatments that are limited to a veterinary setting. Her vision for the future is to be a resource to local rehabilitators who have raptors that have extensive injuries with the goal to treat and repair, and then return them to the original rehabilitator.
In her “free time” she trains and competes with German Shepherd Dogs with her husband in the sport of Schutzhund (European Police Dog sport) and practices falconry as a licensed falconer along with her husband. She has a Quarter Horse named Pitch who carries her on many mountain adventures.

Dr. Vanessa Grunkemeyer
(Wound Management)
Dr. Vanessa Grunkemeyer is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Exotic Animal Medicine at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated with distinction from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. She then completed a small animal rotating internship and an avian and exotic animal residency at the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Grunkemeyer is a board-certified avian specialist whose primary clinical interests include wound management and backyard poultry medicine.

Elizabeth Hanrahan
(Jump Starting Baby Turtles, Husbandry of Turtles in Wildlife Rehabilitation)
Elizabeth Hanrahan began working in wildlife rehabilitation in 1985 while serving as Executive Director of the Hall County, Georgia, Humane Society. She received her initial training from veterinarians and has taken classes through IWRC, NWRA, Carolina Raptor Center and the Wildlife Center of Virginia. In addition she frequently presents papers, workshops and classes and has published for NWRA, IWRC, and WRNC and teaches at three campuses of College of the Albemarle.  Elizabeth and her husband live in Ocracoke. Elizabeth supports Wildlife rehabilitation by providing private birding and eco tours in Eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks. She and her husband, Dr. Calvin Hanrahan, a Physical Therapist, have two grown sons  Volunteer activities while on Ocracoke included Sea Turtle rescue, and transport, first responder for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, tour leader for NPS summer birding programs, volunteering for Ocracoke Preservation Society and providing Environmental Education curriculum and classes at Ocracoke School.

Carla Johnson
(If you can’t see them, are they there?: Zoonoses, Handling Wildlife Calls)
Carla has been rehabbing for over 20 years, is on the board of WRNC and Wildlife Rehab, Inc., her local rehab group. She has coordinated wildlife rehabilitation classes through the local community college in Winston-Salem, NC and presented countless environmental education programs to the surrounding community. Carla is responsible for maintaining WRNC's membership records, is on the symposium committee and helped put together and teach the refresher course for WRNC. She is currently the vice president for WRNC.
In her spare time, she rescues dogs from puppy mills and natural disaster situations, is the Southeastern Region coordinator, treasurer as well as one of the board of directors for Chihuahua Rescue & Transport, a national 501(c)3 organization and enjoys working to place unwanted Chinese Crested dogs.

Alex Kees
(Internship in Wildlife Rehabilitation)
Education: Lee University
Degree: Biology
Internships: Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium (Naturalist), Chattanooga Zoo (Keeper), Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at the NC Zoo​
Career Goals: to work in a facility that enables me to educate the public on efforts to practice good stewardship with the environment
Fun Facts: studied abroad in Australia, and conducted senior thesis on gray and red wolf behavior

Jessica Kiracofe
(Engaging Habitat Design in a Captive Environment)
Jessica is currently an Environmental Studies Major at the Virginia Commonwealth University. Jessica brings with her 11 years of combined wildlife rehabilitation and veterinary medical experience. She has volunteered and served as a wildlife rehabilitator, educator, and trainer at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Winchester, VA and has also worked as a veterinary assistant in small animal practice. Jessica wears many hats at the Richmond Wildlife Center, a licensed veterinary facility dedicated to wildlife, where she serves as a wildlife rehabilitator, veterinary assistant, and surgical assistant. In addition to her technical roles at the Richmond Wildlife Center she also is an animal trainer and educator. Jessica enjoys and excels at providing an engaging captive habitat for patients at the Richmond Wildlife Center.

Dr. Kelli Knight
(Fawn-Napped! Rehabilitating White Tailed Deer, It's What's for Dinner)
Dr. Kelli Knight graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After a successful career in small animal practice, Dr. Knight completed a wildlife rehabilitation internship and fell in love with the field.  In 2011, she joined the staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia and is currently the Assistant Director of Veterinary Services.  Dr. Knight is also an IWRC Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator and a member of NWRA’s National Team.

Dr. Gregory Lewbart
(Non-invasive Turtle Shell Repair, Turtle Medicine and Surgery)
Greg has degrees from Gettysburg College, Northeastern University, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.  He worked for a large wholesaler of ornamental fishes before joining the faculty at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 where he is Professor of Aquatic Animal Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine.   He helped found the Turtle Rescue Team in 1996 and has been its faculty advisor since that time.

Dr. Mintcy Maxham
(Songbird Bandaging / Splinting / Supportive Care Lab, Songbird Medicine & Critical Care)
Dr. Mintcy Maxham graduated from NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2012.  She worked as a volunteer, intern, and rehabilitation supervisor for the Piedmont Wildlife Center before vet school, and she volunteered as a consultant for the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic after graduation.  She now works as a small animal veterinarian in Lynchburg, Virginia

Dr. Lynn Mosely
(Banding and Post-Release Survival)
Lynn received her Ph.D. in Zoology from UNC-Chapel Hill, and taught for over 30 years as Professor of Biology at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. She became a bird-bander as a graduate student when she was studying the behavior and communication of terns on the Outer Banks. She's worked with Halley at the North Carolina Zoo on bird-banding since 2008. 

Kelley ODell
(Three T’s: Tricks, Tips, and Techniques of Young Mammal Care: Everyday Rehabbing Hacks) 
Kelley has been a licensed home rehabilitator of small mammals since 2006.  She is an active member of Wildlife Welfare, Inc. and WRNC, and also volunteers and fosters for Wake County Animal Center.  She works fulltime as a receptionist at a law firm in downtown Raleigh.  She lives in Raleigh with her dog, cats, chickens and bunnies.

Betty O'Leary
(Avian Physical Exam Lab, Raptor ID)
Betty has been working with raptors for 25 years. She worked 23 years at Carolina Raptor Center. She has cared for both the permanent resident birds used for education, and the birds in rehabilitation. She has a raptor banding permit and for 4 years she operated a hawk watch and raptor banding station during fall migration at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. She enjoys teaching others on raptor rehabilitation and care, and performing necropsies.

Toni O'Neil
(Wildlife Rehabilitation of Small Mammals, Fluid Therapy, Capture and Restraint of Small Mammals and Birds)
Toni holds a B.S. in Zoology with a minor in Wildlife Management from the University of Maryland . She has been  rehabilitating since 1991and holds both state and federal permits, specializing in songbirds and waterfowl.  Toni has held administrative positions with ARC and has taught classes for CRC, ARC, and Carolina Wild Care, as well as teaching the Basic and Advanced Wildlife Rehabilitation courses through the local community college.  She gives many presentations to schools, scout troops, and civic groups in her community.  Toni believes in a strong state-wide networking system to assist rehabilitators at all levels, and encourages them to participate and become involved in reaching out to others.  She believes that communication between rehabilitators is vital to further education, share ideas, and keep up-to-date on the changes in wildlife medicine.  Currently, she is the Director of Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary in Hubert, NC, and enjoys working closely with the coastal residents of Onslow County. Toni is president and a board member of WRNC.

Dr. Lauren Powers
(Essentials of Avian Neurology, Avian Pain Management)
Dr. Lauren Powers is a 1994 graduate of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine.  She completed a residency in avian medicine and surgery at North Carolina State University in 1997 and became board-certified (American Board of Veterinary Practitioners-Avian Practice) later that year.  She has been a staff veterinarian at Carolina Veterinary Specialists and service head of the Avian & Exotic Pet Service since 2002 and regularly offers services to wildlife rehabilitators and nature museums.  She frequently speaks at local and national veterinary conferences and has published numerous scientific papers and book chapters. 

Ann Rogers
(Three T’s: Tricks, Tips, and Techniques of Young Mammal Care: Everyday Rehabbing Hacks)
Ann has been a licensed home rehabilitator of small mammals since 1988. She has been federally permitted since 1991. She is a founding member and volunteer with the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. She works both in their clinic and helps with fund-raising.

Dr. Korinn Saker
(Metabolic Bone Disease)
Dr. Korinn Saker is a boarded veterinary clinical nutritionist and director of the Nutrition Program at NCSU-CVM.  Her training has been in comparative species nutrition, with specific emphasis on critical care nutritional support.

David Scott, DVM
(Avian Orthopedics – how to decided what treatment is needed, Raptor Case Studies)
Dr Scott graduated from the veterinary school at the University of Illinois in 1997.  He is currently the staff veterinarian at the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte. He recently published “The Handbook of Raptor Rehabilitation” and is the developer of the RaptorMed patient management system. Dr. Scott is a former board member of WRNC.

Carly Smith
(Re-nesting Raptors)
Carly has been working as a medical coordinator at Carolina Raptor Center since 2009.  She has been very active in starting their re-nesting program.

Melissa Stanley
(Opossum Surgery Using a Cellular Matrix Product)
Melissa is the Founder and Executive Director of the Richmond Wildlife Center, Virginia's second licensed nonprofit veterinary facility dedicated to sick and injured wildlife. The Richmond Wildlife Center also provides care to sick and injured non-native exotic animals found feral and abandoned in the wild.  Her role also includes that of a permitted wildlife rehabilitator, educator, veterinary and surgical assistant. Her career in veterinary medicine began while at The University of South Carolina, Columbia. While there she worked as a veterinary assistant at a small animal clinic which also admitted wildlife patients. She was afforded a brief rotation as a veterinary assistant through the veterinary hospital of Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens before transferring to Virginia Tech. She was employed as a surgical technician for both the Small and Large Animal Clinical Sciences Departments of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Melissa was also a Research Assistant for two research projects while employed at the veterinary school. In addition, she assisted with wildlife patients admitted through the veterinary school's wildlife medicine program to include a Black Bear Research Project. She left the technical side of veterinary medicine to head to the business department of the veterinary school. This launched her business career, gaining experience necessary to afford her the skill-sets to successfully lead her own wildlife medical center. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Virginia Tech with studies in Animal and Poultry Sciences, Wildlife Science and Biology.

Steve Stone
(Saving Lives on a Shoestring)
Steve Stone is a full time raptor rehabilitator and wildlife educator.  He is a member of IWRC, NWRA, and IAATE (International Association of Avian Teachers and Educators).  Steve has been rehabbing since 1996, and run The American Wildlife Refuge since 2001. From 2001 to present Steve has rescued and treated over 1400 birds, with a survival rate of 71%.  From 2001 - 2014, Steve did education shows and cared for the refuge’s eagle, until her death of old age at 47.  Steve teaches practical rehab through Wake Technical Community college and NC Wildlife.  Steve trains State Park Rangers raptor handling for use in their parks.

Additional speakers will be added as the program is finalized and we receive the speaker bios.