Staff

Renee is the new Executive Director of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. She brings a diverse set of experiences and education to this position. Her career in wildlife biology and conservation has primarily focused on wildlife’s ability to move across large landscapes through connected habitats and ecosystems, including multiple research projects in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. She has developed her expertise in this area as a migration specialist and road ecologist working for the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Her past work has had additional emphases on meso and large carnivore ecology, biological trophic cascades, and the impact of natural gas field development on ungulates, which has permitted her to broaden her perspective on issues regarding wildlife-human interactions at a landscape scale. She believes that tackling conservation issues requires strong human relationships at many levels, including between individuals, organizations, agencies and businesses.

Renee has always had a love of animals and decided to enter the field of wildlife ecology because she knew it would be the most fulfilling career, conserving the wild animals and habitats that she loves. She very much enjoys spending time outside with her 2 dogs, Quentin and Stella.

Email: renee@jhwildlife.org 

Kate joined the JHWF team in May 2016, to support its work to ensure that Jackson is truly a wildlife friendly community. Her previous employments include working for the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots youth environmental and humanitarian education program, for a South African-based company focused on marketing support to entrepreneurial artisan groups for job creation, and for African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) where she managed private foundation and corporate relationships. Additionally, at AWF she was a key player on the program management team for AWF’s large-scale grant award under the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Sustainable Conservation Approaches in Priority Ecosystems program. Upon moving to Jackson Hole, from 2012 – April 2016 she worked at The Murie Center as their Associate Director. Kate’s educational background includes a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from George Washington University’s School of Public Policy and Public Administration plus, a master’s degree in Sustainable Destination Management from George Washington University’s School of Business. She is also alumna of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program where she helped design a conservation campaign that developed “Guidelines for Minimizing the Negative Impact to Bats and Other Cave Organisms from Guano Harvesting” Ver. 1.0 (12 March 2014), IUCN SSC (2014). Email: kate@jhwildlife.org

Kyle joined the team at Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation to help JHWF increase its impact by engaging new audiences and strengthening existing partnerships through creative communications. Kyle moved to Jackson in 2014 to work as a field instructor at Teton Science Schools, where he taught an array of topics from ecosystem science to leadership and team building. He has also worked in the Jackson community as an education associate for the Grand Teton Association and as a fisheries technician for Grand Teton National Park. Kyle has a B.S. in Environmental Geology from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, and an M.S. in Geology from the University of Iowa. Kyle grew up splitting time between Ohio and the Rocky Mountain West. He is especially passionate about bringing together human communities around the shared values of wildlife and landscape stewardship. In his free time, he enjoys recreating on our treasure trove of public lands, and can usually be found fishing, birding, skiing or trail-running.
Email: kyle@jhwildlife.org

Born and raised just outside of Boston, Clark was one of five siblings. Until 3rd grade, she attended Shady Hill School, an experiential learning environment that furthered her exposure to wild animals and wild places. “They had this great science program,” she said. “We got to handle snakes and turtles, and we would break apart owl pellets to see the tiny bones.”

After attending George Washington University for two years, Clark took a break from college and volunteered at the New England Aquarium. The hands-on experience with living things triggered something fundamental, and Clark began thinking of a career in biology. She eventually settled on plants and focused her year off on volunteering at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. It was there that she experienced the satisfaction and sense of community that volunteering can foster.

At the conclusion of this hiatus, Frances finished college at the University of New Hampshire, majoring in plant science and continuing what has become a lifetime passion for public gardens and flowers.

After a stint at the Callaway Gardens in Georgia and a fellowship at the University of Delaware, Frances began what proved a long-term relationship with the New England Wildflower Society. There, she started as an educational program coordinator and eventually worked her way up to serve as the chair of the board of directors. Even now, she continues her association with the group as she runs her own botanical consulting business.

Frances and her partner, Bernie McHugh, landed in Jackson after spending a portion of eight summers here “mostly to enjoy the wildlife and the wildflowers,” she said. “We needed a break… and this seemed to be the logical spot. While plants remain her true passion, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation’s Nature Mappingprogram has cultivated in her a deep appreciation for our spectacular wildlife. Nature Mappingstarted out as a way “to focus on and learn about the wildlife while helping to conserve them,” she said. “The Nature Mapping program was easy and fun.” Email: frances@jhwildlife.org