Wolf Conservation Center Team
Jordan Arena, Communications & Social Media Manager
Jordan Arena joined the Wolf Conservation Center as the Communications and Social Media Manager in April 2025. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut, where she majored in Digital Marketing & Analytics and minored in Communications. With an extensive background in marketing, Jordan brings years of experience in content creation, social media strategy, and brand storytelling. Her passion for wildlife, combined with her creative expertise, helps elevate the Center’s mission and engage a wider audience in conservation efforts.
Rebecca Bose, Curator
Rebecca Bose began volunteering at the Wolf Conservation Center in 2000 and was hired as Curator in 2003, becoming one of the Center’s first staff members. In her role as Curator, she oversees the daily care, management, and welfare of the Center’s wolves. She holds a Master’s degree in Zoology and is a trained veterinary technician, bringing more than two decades of hands-on experience working with captive and ambassador wolves in a conservation and education setting.
As Curator, Rebecca is responsible for developing and implementing husbandry protocols, coordinating veterinary care, and ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare. She regularly applies her veterinary skills in animal health assessments, medical procedures, and preventative care, working closely with veterinarians to support the physical and behavioral well-being of the wolves. In addition to her animal care responsibilities, Rebecca photographs all of the Center’s wolves, producing images that are used for documentation, education, and outreach.
Rebecca serves on the Steering Committees for both the Red Wolf and Mexican Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Programs and is the Husbandry Advisor for these programs, contributing her expertise to the coordinated management and recovery of these endangered species. Her leadership and collaboration support conservation efforts beyond the Center.
When not at work, Rebecca enjoys photography, live music, spending time outdoors, horseback riding and travel. She also volunteers at a pig sanctuary, further reflecting her lifelong commitment to animal welfare and conservation.
Patrice Capobianchi, Director of Development
Andrew Connolly, Educator and Outreach Coordinator
Andrew joined the Wolf Conservation Center in June of 2025, where he delivers a variety of educational programs, and coordinates outreach initiatives. A wildlife educator, field biologist, and herpetologist, he enjoys getting the public engaged outdoors, and challenging them to explore the magnificence of the world around them.
He graduated with his B.S. in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he studied frog and toad occupancy in Wayne National Forest, and then worked for Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State University on their private field station in Lake Erie. He then transitioned to working in the zoological field at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, serving as the lead programmer delivering educational programs and providing animal husbandry to a diverse collection of ambassador animals. Outside of WCC, he is pursing his M.A. in Biological Sciences, researching Eastern Hellbender behavior under human care, and the use of applied conservation psychology to promote pro-conservation behaviors and empathy for less charismatic species.
Regan Downey, Director of Education and Advocacy
Regan Downey oversees the Wolf Conservation Center's various education, outreach, and advocacy initiatives. She works with the education team to develop engaging and interactive environmental education lessons for individuals of all ages, and represents the WCC's interests in various state and federal matters.
Regan graduated magna cum laude from Providence College with a BS in Biology and a minor in Economics. After college, Regan’s passion for conservation education brought her to the Wildlife Conservation Society before accepting a position at the WCC as the Youth Education Coordinator. She became the Director of Education in 2018, added the Director of Advocacy title in 2025, and focuses on mission-related projects.
Dana Goin, Program Coordinator and Wildlife Educator
Dana Goin is focused on educating the public on the local wildlife with whom we share the landscape, and how to best foster peaceful coexistence with them. Dana got her start at the Wolf Conservation Center as a summer intern. One of her first positions working with wildlife, it led to other research opportunities in college and beyond. After receiving her degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware, she went on to travel around the country as a wildlife technician. Her study species include mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes, raccoons, opossums, and white-tailed deer. She has researched large carnivore populations in megacities such as Los Angeles, predator-prey dynamics and movement, and the efficacy of rabies vaccination baits on mesocarnivores.
Jared Gorman, Volunteer Coordinator
Jared first joined the Wolf Conservation Center's team as an intern in 2019, before being brought back as staff in July of 2022. Today, Jared coordinates the WCC volunteer program while continuing to lead education programs teaching visitors about wolf conservation and environmental education.
Jared comes from a background of animal care and husbandry, having previously worked as a wild animal keeper at Potter Park Zoo and Central Park Zoo. He earned a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University with a minor in Environmental Studies & Sustainability. During his studies, Jared focused most of his research on wildlife conservation and spent time studying abroad in New Zealand learning about their local conservation efforts. He also volunteered as a student researcher in MSU's RECaP Labratory during his undergrad.
In his free time, Jared enjoys spending time with his dog Irwin, traveling, watching football & college basketball, or playing video games.
Joseph W. Hinton, PhD, Senior Research Scientist
Joey is WCC’s senior research scientist and earned his PhD from the University of Georgia. His research focuses on the conservation and management of canids, specifically red wolves and coyotes. Joey often conducts field research involving morphometrics, mark-recapture methods, radio-tracking techniques, and GPS/GIS applications to understand population dynamics and distribution. His ongoing projects include the ecology and conservation of in situ and ex situ red wolf populations, the ecology and management of coyotes, and assessing the ecology and taxonomy of Gulf Coast canids along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana.
Robin Kuehn, Database and Technology Senior Associate
Robin joined the Wolf Conservation Center in 2024 initially as part of the Development Team; now in Technology she works to try to make data collaborative and programs run smoothly across the organization.
In addition to her role at WCC, Robin is a fellow at PAN Works, a thinktank dedicated to building discourse around ethics in relationships between humans, animals, and nature. She has her Master’s of Science in Anthrozoology through Canisius University, studying the relationships between humans and animals, specifically wildlife. She also holds a Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic.
Her background in working with human and non-human animals is diverse, including wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife and environmental education, field research, and animal training, as well as tamer roles like office and database management. Much of Robin’s experience has been working with raptors and other birds, though she’s excited to be teamed up with the two- and four-legged packs at WCC!
Joe Liberatore, CFO
Joe Liberatore joined the Wolf Conservation Center as the CFO in the spring of 2025. He brings extensive experience in financial and operational leadership from both non-profit and corporate sectors.
Joe has a strong commitment to aligning financial strategy with organizational mission. Outside of the WCC, he is an adjunct professor in accounting and business ethics.
Topher Lovell, Director of Technology and Innovation
Topher Lovell serves as the Director of Technology and Innovation at the Wolf Conservation Center, where they lead the organization’s technology strategy in support of its mission. Since joining the Center in 2020 and advancing through technology roles by modernizing and strengthening technology that supports education, donor engagement, animal care and daily operations.
A member of the leadership team, Topher works closely with colleagues across departments to implement solutions that improve efficiency and allow staff to stay focused on creating a world where wolves thrive.
Topher is known for his collaborative and approachable leadership style, and for his ability to explain complex technology in clear, accessible ways. His recent works include leading a comprehensive system upgrade to the Center’s donation and donor database systems.
They hold a B.S. in Information Technology from the College of Saint Rose and brings more than a decade of experience in the technology field. Outside of work, Topher is an avid photographer and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
Sunny Murphy, Research Associate
Jazmin “Sunny” Murphy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Policy and Management (concentration: Fish and Wildlife Management) from American Public University. Her research focuses on the intersections of culture, ideology, legislation, economics and land use with canid ecology, with special emphasis on Black and Indigenous communities in the United States. By combining the study of coyote behavior and cognition with these intersections, she aims to further develop nonlethal adaptive management techniques that are equitable across cultures and species.
Alexa Nyemchek, Development Associate
Alexa joined the Wolf Conservation Center in September 2025. As the Development Associate, she supports the Center's fundraising efforts by stewarding and engaging donors, coordinating events, and providing operational and administrative assistance. In her free time, Alexa enjoys reading, watching films, and volunteering in her community.
Alex Spitzer, Animal Facilities Manager
Alex Spitzer is a member of the Wolf Conservation Center's animal care and education teams as well as assisting with other aspects of the WCC's daily operations. After graduating from the State University of New York Environmental Science and Forestry School in 2010, Alex became an educational intern at the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN before joining the Wolf Conservation Center staff in 2011.
Leila Howland Wetmore, CEO
Spencer Wilhelm, Director of Operations
Spencer Wilhelm is in charge of constructing and maintaining the WCC's extensive enclosures and grounds. He also assists in animal care and leads many of the WCC's onsite projects. Raised in a small town in Wyoming, Spencer earned a BS in Zoology from the University of Wyoming before traveling to Washington State to work with large cats. His passion for wildlife next brought him to Arizona where he not only continued working with big cats, but also gained hands-on experience with bears, wolves, and hyenas. Spencer then headed east to a position at the Bronx Zoo, before joining the WCC in 2005.