Current Council Members

 

Mark Lotz

President 2020-2025; VP North America 2016-2019.  Mark’s wildlife career has been devoted to studying the Florida panther, a population of puma in south Florida.  When he began his wildlife biologist job with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission nearly a quarter century ago, Florida panther management had just entered a new era.  Florida’s experimental genetic restoration, by releasing 8 female pumas from Texas into south Florida, proved to be successful and changed this small and inbred population into a more robust panther population.  However, this success led to many new challenges as panther numbers increased and they began repopulating habitats adjacent to people.  Mark’s field experience includes capturing individuals for radiocollar studies, handling neonates at dens, and locating study animals from a fix-winged aircraft to monitor population demographics for genetic restoration.   With an increased panther population, much of Mark’s time is devoted to managing human-panther conflicts, investigating depredation complaints and working with residents to resolve their predator conflict issues.  He also oversees panther outreach efforts.

Susana Ilescas Furter

Vice President 2025-2027.

Susana graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine from the Universidad Autonoma del estado de Mexico in 2009 and completed a master’s degree in environmental sciences in 2016. She currently works as a wildlife vet for various large carnivore projects throughout Mexico (jaguars/bears), Panama (jaguars), and in Chihuahua as the capture vet for a black bear border project for the University of Arizona. Susana has specialized in large and small animal surgeries and as a faculty lecturer on the safe capture, restraint, and release of large carnivores. She works at animal clinics and as a contractor for the capture and movement of exotic animals.

 

Alex Ochoa

WFA Secretary, 2022-2027. 

Alex received his B.S. in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He then obtained a PhD in Natural Resources (with emphasis in Wildlife Management and Conservation) from the University of Arizona, where he focused on topics related to population genomics and genetics of endangered mammals, particularly of different felid species.  In this regard, Dr. Ochoa has published scientific articles describing the evolution and demographic history of pumas, and the effects of multiple genetic introgression events in the Florida panther gene pool.  Alex has also collaborated on projects evaluating the genetic diversity and structure of jaguars and ocelots from the U.S.-Mexico border, and occurrence and diet of pumas and jaguars from Sonora, Mexico.  As a current postdoctoral scholar at the University of Central Florida, Alex continues research with population genomics questions associated with wildlife management and conservation.

 

Jennifer Timmer

 

Treasurer 2020-2025.  

Jennifer obtained her BS from Michigan State University in 2006. After working on a variety of wildlife projects in several states, including tracking bobcats in Iowa, and assisting with a puma study in Colorado, Jen returned to school to obtain her MS at Texas Tech University studying Lesser Prairie Chickens. She completed her PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University and now works for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to assist partners with conservation needs and tools related to a breeding landbird monitoring program. Jennifer has been a member of WFA since 2010 and also served as the Colorado Student Representative for two years. 

 

Anthony Giordano

Past President 2020-2025; President 2016-2019; V.P. Latin America 2012-2015.
Anthony J. Giordano is the founder and executive director of S.P.E.C.I.E.S., an organization dedicated to the conservation of the world’s carnivores and the ecosystems that support them.  He holds a double major B.Sc. in zoology and environmental science, a M.Sc. in conservation biology and applied ecology, and a Ph.D. in wildlife science and management.  For his doctoral work, Anthony investigated the population status and genetics of jaguars in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, where he received a Fulbright Scholarship for his jaguar conservation, landowner outreach, and capacity-building efforts.  Anthony has extensive experience with felid conservation issues and has field experience with a diversity of species, including pumas, clouded leopards, fishing cats, lions, leopards, tigers, jaguarundis, and ocelots  He is a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and The Explorer’s Club, serves on the Conservation Committee for the American Society of Mammalogists, and is an active board member for the Latin American section of the Society for Conservation Biology.  He has also published several dozen peer-reviewed scientific and popular articles. Anthony is a former Wild Felid Legacy Scholarship recipient (2010), and makes regular contributions to the Wild Felid Monitor. 

 

Jesse Lewis

Councilor 2022-2025.  Jesse is an applied ecologist who evaluates a diversity of research questions to inform the conservation and management of wildlife populations. He is an assistant professor at Arizona State University (2017 – present), where his work focuses on population and community ecology, habitat relationships of species, and disturbance ecology. Jesse and his graduate students work across the ecologically diverse landscapes in the southwestern US, ranging from the Sonoran desert of the Phoenix Valley evaluating urban ecology of bobcats, mountain lions, domestic cats, mule deer, bats, and other wildlife to the high elevation ponderosa pine and aspen forests in the White Mountains evaluating how wildlife (e.g., mountain lion, bobcat, black bear, elk, mule deer, wolves, coyotes, and other species) respond to mixed-severity wildfire. As part of research projects in his lab, Jesse works with a broad range of collaborators including AZ Game and Fish Department, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Bureau of Reclamation, and USDA Wildlife Services. Jesse also loves to teach and inspire the next generation of wildlife ecologists. At ASU, he teaches four classes covering introduction to wildlife management, wildlife ecology, large mammal habitat ecology, and ecological modeling using various statistical techniques. Jesse completed a post doc in Colorado (invasive wild pigs in the US), PhD from Colorado State University (bobcat and mountain lions in relation to urbanization), and MS from the University of Idaho (black bear highway crossings).  

 

Victor Luja

Councilor 2023-2025. Víctor received his B.S. in Biology in the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, his M. S. in natural resources and rural development at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, and his Ph.D. in the use, management, and preservation of natural resources at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. In 2015, he began a project to monitor medium and large mammals (particularly the jaguar Panthera onca) in Nayarit, western Mexico. His main interest is to determine the status of populations of jaguars, other wild cats and their prey in environments highly modified by human activities outside natural protected areas. He uses camera traps, GPS collars and a lot of work with inhabitants of local populations. He has published several scientific articles in international journals, popular science articles and books. Currently, he full-time professor at the Autonomous University of Nayarit, western Mexico, member of the National Alliance for the Conservation of the Jaguar in Mexico, level 1 of the National Researcher System (National Council of Science and Technology, CONACyT) and founder of the Jaguares Sin Protección project https://www.facebook.com/JaguaresSinProteccion.

Winston Vickers

Councilor Overseeing Scholarships 2025-2027. Winston obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at Oklahoma State University, and after a period in veterinary practice obtained a Master of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (MPVM) degree focused on the epidemiology of wildlife disease and wildlife ecology at UC Davis.   For the last 21 years he has been a wildlife research veterinarian working with the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center (UCD-WHC), a division of the One Health Institute at the School of Veterinary Medicine.  He co-directs their California mountain lion and wolf studies, and also works with the Institute for Wildlife Studies of Arcata, CA (IWS) on mountain lion and other wildlife projects.  He has participated in research into the ecology, sources of mortality, connectivity, infectious diseases, genetics, and parasites of many species, including mountain lions, bobcats, Channel Island foxes, gray wolves, Santa Cruz Island scrub jays, cactus wrens, bald eagles, and waterfowl.  He has conducted research into cancer in Channel Island foxes, and has participated in recovery efforts and monitoring of island fox populations across their 6-island range.  He has also worked with wildlife affected by oil spills in association with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at UCD-WHC.  He co-developed and directed a series of short and full length documentary films about mountain lions.  He collaborates with numerous researchers from other universities, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, highway and other governmental agencies, and NGO’s on mountain lion and other wildlife issues. 

Kyle Thompson

Councilor 2023-2025. Kyle is a wildlife and restoration ecologist working for Primero Conservation on wild felid monitoring in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico and working collaboratively with landowners on invasive plant species mitigation and wildlife habitat restoration. He holds a B.S. in Wildlife and Restoration Ecology from Arizona State University and a M.S. in Wildlife Conservation and Management from the University of Arizona. His Master’s research was based on a jaguar surveying and monitoring project of southern Arizona and New Mexico in 2012-2016. Currently, he is part of on-going jaguar monitoring in Sonora, Mexico and a mountain lion population study in eastern Arizona. He also works with ranchers, landowners, biologists, and conservationists to carry out on-the-ground restoration and habitat improvement including native plant restoration, erosion control, prescribed fire, and collaborative conservation in southern Arizona. Kyle serves on the non-profit boards of the Fishing Cat Conservancy and Primero Conservation.

 

 

Former Council Members

	John Beecham, Interim Council (2006-2008)
	Chris Belden, Councilor (2006-2011)
	Brett Blum, Councilor (2022-2024)
	Rogelio Carrera, Councilor (2016-2018)
	Ivonne Cassaigne (2010-2013)
	Melanie Culver, Councilor/Treasurer (2009-2013)
	Deanna Dawn (2006-2010)
	Rich DeSimone, Interim Councilor (2006-2008)
	Mark Elbroch, Councilor (2016-2018)
	Lisa Haynes, Councilor (2019-2021)
	Marcella Kelly (2010-2016)
	Brian Kertson (2017-2022)
	Gary Koehler, Interim Councilor (2006-2009)
	Ken Logan, Secretary (2016-2018)
	Mauro Lucherini (2017-2022)
	Donny Martorello, Interim Councilor (2006-07)
	Sharon Negri, Secretary (2006-2012)
	Rodrigo Nunez, Councilor (2014-2016)
	Sandra Ortiz, V.P. Latin America (2016-2021)
	Christopher Papouchis, Councilor (2006-2016)
	Suzie Prange, Secretary (2012-2015)
	Aimee Rockhill, Councilor (2012-2015)
	Yamel Rubio Rocha, VP Latin America (2022-2024), Councilor (2019-2021)
	Stan Rullman, Councilor (2014-2016)
	Toni Ruth, Councilor (2017-2022)
	Laurel Serieys, Vice President North America (2012-2015)
	Cheyenne Stewart, Treasurer (2017-2019)
	David Stoner, Councilor (2009-2013)
	Linda Sweanor, President (2006-2015), Past President (2016-2019)
	Mike Tewes, Councilor (2009-2012)
	Hugh Robinson (2006-2009)
	Ron Thompson, Secretary 2019-2021
	Jim Williams, Vice President (2009-2012)
	Veronica Yovovich, Vice President, North America (2020-2024)