Who we are:

Wildlife Conservation Network Board Members
WCN Advisory Board Members
Wildlife Conservation Network Staff and Volunteers

Wildlife Conservation Network Board Members

Charles Knowles - WCN Executive Director
Charlie has devoted over a decade of pro bono work to conservation projects and start-ups. Since his "retirement" from high tech he has actively worked to get several innovative conservation start-ups, including Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and The Snow Leopard Conservancy, on their feet. During his tenure, CCF has grown 10 times and is now the largest cat conservation program in the world. Charlie brought the same combination of business experience and energy to the start-up of The Snow Leopard Conservancy in 1999, and its results have been equally impressive.

Early in 2002, Knowles, Lukas and Yamazaki discussed opportunities for making conservation projects more successful. The three became convinced that the model Knowles had developed -- providing "venture capital" and business and technical skills to "conservation entrepreneurs" around the globe -- was the best way to multiply the impact that other entrepreneurs could have on wildlife, people and the environment. Their vision became the Wildlife Conservation Network.

John Lukas - WCN Director
John, who is currently Director of the White Oak Conservation Center and President of the International Rhino Foundation, has over 20 years of international conservation experience. From his work with okapi in the Congo to saving rhinos in Sumatra, John has seen first-hand the importance of integrating local people into conservation strategies. The White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida is considered the world's premier facility for the conservation and research of endangered species around the world.

Akiko Yamazaki - WCN Director
Akiko, who developed her passion for wildlife and wilderness areas during her childhood in Costa Rica, believes that the goals of conservation are best served by a combination of entrepreneurial energy and commitment to local involvement and development. Although this is her first foray into the world of conservation philanthropy, Akiko and her husband Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo, are active supporters of a number of philanthropic organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Akiko, a Stanford-trained engineer, was formerly with the McKenna Group as a marketing consultant. She now uses those skills as a Board Member of a number of prominent Bay Area organizations, including the San Francisco Ballet, The Asian Art Museum and Schools Online. Yamazaki and Yang also co-chair the $1 billion Campaign for Undergraduate Education at Stanford University.

Christine Hemrick - WCN Director
Christine retired as an executive of Cisco Systems after 30 years in the high technology industry. She is an avid conservationist and a Trustee of the African Wildlife Foundation. She is also a leading supporter of the Andean Cat Alliance, a multinational group of researchers and conservationists dedicated to conserving the Andean mountain cat.

Isabella Rossellini - WCN Director Emeritus
Best known for her work as an actress and model, Isabella has had a lifetime passion for animals and has been a long-time supporter of wildlife conservation. Isabella served as Chairman of the Board of the Howard Gilman Foundation, a leading institution in the fight to save wildlife in wild places. Isabella has a particular passion for elephants. After visiting Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton in Kenya, she started supporting Save the Elephants and has been doing so for over ten years. Isabella’s dog, Macaroni, has done her part for conservation by recently donating her $5,000 acting proceeds to conservation.

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Advisory Board Members

Other members of the WCN Advisory Board include:

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WCN Staff

Elaine Iverson - WCN Program Manager/ Accounting Manager
Elaine worked in the high-tech industry for 17 years in various departments including accounting, sales, legal, product management and information technology. While pursuing a lifelong interest in wild cats, she became involved with the Cheetah Conservation Fund and Snow Leopard Conservancy and joined WCN as a volunteer in 2002. Her participation on an Earthwatch expedition trapping carnivores in the Argentine Pampas convinced her to follow a different career path, and she is now the Program Manager for Andean Cat Alliance. Elaine also manages all the accounting and technology needs for WCN. In her spare time she enjoys hiking in the hills above the WCN office.

Eve Schaeffer - WCN Program Manager
Eve is the Program Manager for Save the Elephants, Snow Leopard Conservancy and the Sidney Byers Scholarship for Wildlife Conservation. She has worked with many environmental groups and presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center. After receiving her B.A. in Native American Studies at Harvard, she worked as an advocate for people facing the death penalty. On the weekends she laces up her running shoes and works as a Coach for the AIDS Marathon Training Program. She is thrilled to pursue her lifelong passion for wildlife and wild places with WCN.

Nichole Baker - WCN Program Manager/ Events and Volunteers Coordinator
Nichole grew up in Ohio where she earned degrees in Conservation Biology and Anthropology. Before graduating, she volunteered her free time to many organizations including Habitat for Humanity, The Student Conservation Association, and The Nature Conservancy. Through her volunteer work, she was able to experience the wild beauty of Alaska, the inspiring deserts and sagebrush country of Nevada, and the majestic mountain valleys of Colorado, where she worked on a 100,000 acre buffalo ranch for a summer! These journeys solidified her desire to work toward the environmental health of the planet and the sustained biodiversity of the many animals and plants that call it home. Nichole is a certified Wildland Firefighter and an avid camper. Since moving to California, Nichole has taken up backpacking as well. She is currently working towards her Masters in Public Administration.

Stacey Iverson - WCN Program Manager
Stacey spent 2 ½ years in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa as a wildlife biologist, studying the West Africa cheetah and working with local communities around W National Park. After managing the Northern California Chapter of Cheetah Conservation Fund, she assisted in the formation and founding of WCN. Combining her lifelong commitment to animal welfare and the environment, Stacey serves as the Program Manager for several of WCN's Partners in Africa (Cheetah Conservation Fund, Painted Dog Conservation, Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program, Cheetah Conservation Botswana) as well as Proyecto Titi and Saiga Conservation Alliance. Her interests include trail running and racing and competing in dressage on her horse, Henry.

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