Leila Wetmore, CEO

Leila has been an environmental activist and women’s rights advocate throughout her life. She has channeled her passion for these causes into fundraising and strategic planning for organizations advancing meaningful change. Protecting wolves and the essential role they play in our ecosystem is both a capstone opportunity and a profound privilege.

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.

Patrice Capobianchi, Director of Development

Patrice joined the Wolf Conservation Center in April 2023 and serves as the Director of Development. In her role, she leads fundraising and donor engagement efforts that support and expand the organization’s mission, helping connect our community with the conservation work they make possible. A lifelong nature and animal lover, Patrice is passionate about supporting conservation efforts and protecting wildlife.

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. 

Dana Goin, Program Coordinator and Wildlife Educator

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. She 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.

Robin Kuehn, Database and Technology Senior Associate

Robin joined the Wolf Conservation Center in April 2024 as the Development Operations Coordinator, where she works to try to make fundraising, donor stewardship, and database management run smoothly. 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. 

Sunny Murphy, Research Associate

Sunny joined the WCC back in 2022. 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.

Colleen O’Donnell, Conservation Scientist

Colleen is passionate about wildlife and is particularly interested in the science of reintroductions and how it can be used to stop extinctions and restore ecosystem function. Her background is in species conservation, sustainable and wildlife-friendly livelihoods, habitat restoration, community-based climate adaptation, and combating wildlife crime. She has worked on species and with communities in African forests, mountains, wetlands, and savannas and in the high-mountain peatlands of the Himalayas and Andes. She is currently working on her PhD in the Environmental Science and Technology Department at the University of Maryland. She earned a bachelors in biology from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters in sustainable development from the University of London SOAS.

Jordan Arena, Communications and Social Media Manager

Jordan Arena joined the Wolf Conservation Center as the Communications and Social Media Manager in April 2025. 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.

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.

Daisy Bongiorni, Merchandising Specialist

Daisy Mae began her journey with the WCC as a high school intern and went on to study Political Science at the University of Connecticut, focusing on environmental science and human rights, with the goal of helping shape policies that protect both people and the planet. She officially rejoined the team in June 2025 as the Merchandising Specialist, bringing her creativity and dedication back to the organization. As a lifelong creative, she loves designing and curating merchandise that helps elevate the wolf conservation brand while spreading awareness and support for its mission.