Our Team

Katie Frohardt, Executive Director

With over three decades of experience, Katie is a recognized non-profit leader, field practitioner, and international conservationist. At the helm since 2003, and leading our re-branding in 2016, Katie focuses on delivering the Wild Earth Allies mission to protect vital areas of our natural world for the benefit of wildlife, habitats and people by inspiring collaborative action. Her grounded leadership style draws from years spent living in Rwanda as director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program and as program technical director for the African Wildlife Foundation. Her earlier career included grant-making with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, private sector natural resource management consulting, and land use planning.

Katie enjoys serving as a Board member for Mamoni Valley Preserve in Panama, as a member of the Charity Navigator Consultative Council of Nonprofit Leaders, and on the Advisory Circle of Daughters for Earth with partner One Earth. She previously held a decade-long affiliation with Rachel’s Network as an Environmental Leadership Liaison.

She holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she combined the study of landscape ecology with coursework at the Yale School of Management on applied economics and nonprofit management. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia with a major in environmental studies.

Adam Henson, Conservation Director

Responsible for overall program design and partnerships, Adam has over 20 years’ experience working in international biodiversity conservation and natural resources management, with experience in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the United States. His areas of technical expertise include landscape-level conservation planning, project design, performance monitoring, protected area management, and watershed sciences. Adam has held senior positions with African Wildlife Foundation and FFI, Inc., and worked for the US National Park Service at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where he engaged in forest restoration, wildlife monitoring, and wildland firefighting.He also served as an agriculture extension agent in the US Peace Corps in Central African Republic and Guinea. Adam holds an MSc in Watershed Sciences from Colorado State University and a BA in Anthropology.

José Urteaga, Director of Marine Partnerships

José Urteaga has been working in sea turtle and coastal habitat conservation in Central America for more than two decades. He uses interdisciplinary methods to find solutions that integrate human needs and conservation. In his role as Wild Earth Allies Director of Marine Partnerships, José focuses on improving the organization’s impact on the promotion of socially sound conservation interventions, the support of community-based conservation, and creative ways to cultivate local stewardship and conservation capacity.

José completed his Ph.D. studies in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University in 2022. He is an active member of several sea turtle conservation networks, including the Marine Turtle Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He was the country co-coordinator of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network (WIDECAST) between 2007 and 2012, and he is the Board Treasurer of SEE Turtles. José was recognized as a Conservation Hero by the Disney Conservation Fund in 2005 and named a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer in 2010. He previously served as a Board Member of Wild Earth Allies from 2017 to 2021.

Eugène Rutagarama, Conservation Advisor

Eugène has over 25 years’ experience working in conservation in the Great Lakes region of Africa and is a leader in the transboundary conservation of the critically endangered mountain gorilla. He is a committed and respected conservation professional. In 1996, with park staff in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Eugène received the John Paul Getty Conservation Prize in recognition of outstanding contributions in times of conflict. In 2001, he was individually recognized as Africa recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. In 2007, Eugène was recognized as a CNN Hero. As the Director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), he worked on all aspects of regional program design, management, and technical support for conservation of mountain gorillas and their habitat in Rwanda, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eugène has also held senior positions with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center, and Rwanda’s national parks agency following the war and genocide in 1994. In this government capacity, he was instrumental in restoring and restructuring the parks department and restarting gorilla-based tourism in Volcanoes National Park. Eugène holds an MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia, UK, and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Burundi, Bujumbura.

Tuy Sereivathana (Vathana), Cambodia Program Director

Vathana is internationally recognized for his Asian elephant conservation efforts — he has received the Goldman Environmental Prize (2010), is a National Geographic Explorer (2011), and is a member of the Green Asia Forum.  He builds on 20+ years of researching elephant populations and successfully mitigating human-elephant conflict. He has introduced innovative low-cost solutions to help farmers defend their fields while improving their farming practices and has pioneered community outreach to teach children in remote villages about elephants and other wildlife. His work has brought hope and empowerment to local communities and has improved the prospects of endangered Asian elephants.  His commitment to conservation in Cambodia is demonstrated by his other leadership roles, which include: Chairman of the Cambodian Rural Development Team, Vice Chair of a local NGO, Natural Life; and member of the Technical Working Group for Forest Reform in Cambodia.  Vathana holds an MSc and BSc in Forestry from Belarus Government University of Technology.

Sarai Francois, Director of Finance & Administration

Sarai brings over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting management at various organizations to her role as Director of Finance and Administration. She has applied her experience in US government audit requirements for non-profits and uses her expertise in expense planning and control, financial analysis, audit preparation and budget management to support the organization’s global mission. Previously, Sarai was Finance Manager at The Arts and Technology Academy, Public Charter School, in Washington DC, where she led all financial aspects of the organization and oversaw its annual planning and budgeting, along with other management and compliance processes. Earlier in her career, she worked at the prestigious Withum Smith and Brown public accounting firm in Princeton, New Jersey. Sarai has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in finance from Strayer University.

Laura Milton, Communications Director

As Communications Director at Wild Earth Allies, Laura Milton leads strategies that raise the visibility of our brand and partners, drive audience engagement, and inspire action to protect our natural world. She draws on more than 15 years of deep experience amplifying the impact of purpose-driven organizations.

Laura comes to Wild Earth Allies from African People & Wildlife, where she served as the Director of Marketing and Communications. Previously, she developed and managed the visual brand at the Clinton Global Initiative. Laura holds a master’s degree in international affairs from The New School and a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Virginia Tech.

Kelly Hogan, Senior Program Officer

As Senior Program Officer, Kelly supports our conservation programs and partnerships on strategy, implementation, and impact monitoring. She also manages Wild Earth Allies’ portfolio of marine conservation programs in close collaboration with field teams and partners, with an emphasis on Cambodia and El Salvador. Kelly has conducted biological research and implemented environmental education programs, and she has experience in biodiversity conservation in the US, Latin America, and Asia. Kelly received a MSc in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, with specialized skills in aquatic research and fish biology. She completed a BSc in Integrative Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including a semester of marine biology course work in Ecuador.

Steven W. Brewer, Ph.D., Botanist

Steven’s passion for plants was born in a boyhood exploring the outdoors of South Carolina and nurtured by a fascination with and love of nature. He brings over 30 years of experience in field botany and ecology from a wide variety of ecosystems, including more than two decades of experience in the rainforests of Belize, Central America. He has long been conducting threatened, endangered, sensitive, and invasive plant surveys in federal and state lands in the southeastern United States during the summer, and floristic research, botanical training, and collaborative ecological studies in Belize during the winter and spring. Steven leads our Trees of Belize Project and our botanic work with partner Delaware Wilds Lands in the Great Cypress Swamp. Steven has a master’s degree in Natural Resource Policy and Administration from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Davis.

Margaret Bartel, Consulting Chief Financial Officer

Margaret Bartel is a CPA with a Master’s in accounting who has worked with non-profit organizations since 1981 and with our organization for over eight years. She worked extensively overseas and served as CFO for large international organizations with networks of local partners and field offices. She provides technical assistance in overall financial management and in the specifics of complying with donor regulations, especially those of the US government. She has over 30 years’ experience in grant management and the particular financial issues faced by non-profits.

Maddy Caldeira, Development & Communications Associate

As Development & Communications Associate at Wild Earth Allies, Maddy supports our growing philanthropic efforts and helps to increase the visibility of our partners and programs through effective communications. Previously, she worked as an Account Executive with Metis Communications, where she supported client account teams through public relations, communications, and digital marketing campaigns. In this role, she also gained insight into the value of informative, impact-driven messaging. Maddy completed a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications with a minor in psychology from Elon University.

Aaron Gold, Philanthropy Associate

As Wild Earth Allies’ Philanthropy Associate, Aaron supports the Philanthropy team in donor cultivation and stewardship. He has spent the past five years working on various development campaigns, planning local and national events, and taking an active role managing relationships with supporters. Additionally, he previously served as the Deputy Finance Director of a Political Action Committee, developing and executing a national fundraising strategy. Aaron has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs with a minor in History from The George Washington University.

Kim Richards, Strategy & Program Design Manager

As Strategy & Program Design Manager at Wild Earth Allies, Kim manages strategic planning and program design work for the organization, using Open Standards and other participatory methodologies to increase effectiveness and impact. She plays a key role in multi-year organizational planning and the Conservation Fellows program. Kim has more than 10 years of experience with non-profits, spanning various sectors and geographic regions. She holds an M.A. in communications from Johns Hopkins, with studies centered on behavior change and environmental communications. She completed her B.A. in political science and international studies from the University of Wisconsin, including a year of coursework at the Hebrew University in Israel.

Jose Soto, Operations Manager

As Operations Manager for Wild Earth Allies, Jose leverages over five years of non-profit experience to support our team workflows, systems and collaboration, policies and procedures, and Board governance. Prior to joining Wild Earth Allies, Jose worked as an operations manager in higher education consulting. He also supported multiple non-profits through program design and strategic initiatives and served as an NGO representative at the United Nations. Jose completed a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Lock Haven University, with studies centered on foreign trade and developing nations.

Jason Ruiz-Swartz, Development Manager

As Development Manager for Wild Earth Allies, Jason stewards our funding pipeline, supports the development of funding proposals, and manages engagement with the generous donors that drive our mission forward. Jason leads the Development team and coordinates closely across other practice areas, drawing upon five years of experience in conservation programs focused on watersheds, coasts, and wetlands.

Before coming to Wild Earth Allies, Jason worked on restoration and education initiatives tied to the Chesapeake Bay watershed in his home state of Pennsylvania. Jason has a dual master’s degree in park and resource management and environmental education from Slippery Rock University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies/biology with a minor in French from McDaniel College.

Neang Thy, Conservation Manager, Cambodia Program

Neang Thy joins the Wild Earth Allies Cambodia team focusing on field research and project implementation. He brings a wealth of conservation experience covering a broad range of topics from forest ecosystems to protection of Asian elephants, primates, reptiles and amphibians. Thy has worked for more than 10 years with international conservation NGOs in Cambodia and was formerly manager of the Cambodian Elephant Conservation Group. He is a well-published author with more than 25 scientific papers and research reports to his name, including a book: A Field Guide to the Amphibians of Cambodia. He has also presented several times at the annual meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and is an active participant at the annual meeting for Elephant Conservation in SE Asia. Thy holds a Master’s degree in Forestry from the Voronezh State Academy of Forestry Engineering, Russia.

E En, Field Research and Community Officer, Cambodia Program

E En completed studies in sociology at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, and has worked in biodiversity conservation with a focus on community empowerment for more than five years in Cambodia. His specialties include working with local authorities and communities to establish community forests and protected areas, including participatory mapping. En has contributed to field research to estimate elephant population numbers, and will support the Wild Earth Allies team in Cambodia in field research and community engagement.

Samorn Vireak, Field Work Assistant, Cambodia Program

Vireak grew up in rural Prey Veng Province, and he joins the Wild Earth Allies team in Cambodia with a focus on field research. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) and an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (CBC) at RUPP. During his master’s studies, Vireak volunteered with the Department of Biodiversity, Ministry of Environmental Biodiversity, and his thesis research focused on the topic: “Species diversity and distribution of gliding lizard genus Draco in Cambodia.” Vireak has volunteered with several NGOs and previously worked with BirdLife International in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, before joining Wild Earth Allies.