Staff and Volunteers
Sami Netherton, CWR
CWR Director
Sami has had a lifelong drive to better the lives of animals. This passion influenced her path through school where she received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Georgia in 2016. Knowing her work would involve helping animals in some way, but unsure of which direction was next, she began working with in wildlife rehabilitation, where she quickly resonated with the connection between rehabbing wild animals back to health and limiting the effects of human impact on the earth. She is also an educator for the Amphibian Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia teaching others about reptiles and amphibians. Her favorite course to teach through the Amphibian Foundation is a venomous snake handling course. While Sami rehabilitates all species native to Georgia, she has grown increasingly fascinated with snakes, especially venomous snakes, and strives to teach others how to peacefully coexist with these widely misunderstood animals. In Sami’s free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, rock climbing, diving, and traveling while also making connections with other people.
Jordan Ellison
Assistant Director
Jordan graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She has volunteered with numerous organizations around Atlanta including the Amphibian Foundation and Pippi’s Place Pet Rescue, but she found her passion for wildlife rehabilitation while volunteering with Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE). She joined the staff of AWARE in 2022 where she fulfills her dream of rescuing and protecting wild animals. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors and connecting with her friends.
Hayley Hudson
Certification Coordinator
Hayley has always had a love for animals and is overjoyed to be a part of helping those in need. She currently volunteers with The Southern Conservation Trust in Georgia where she has assisted with box turtle research and nest protection. In 2024 she discovered her passion for helping native wildlife and is thrilled to be a new staff member at Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE). She hopes to have a long career as a Wildlife Rehabilitator and is excited to support and connect with other rehabilitators through CWR.
Ansley Johnston
Certification Assistant
Ansley is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Georgia State University, with a strong foundation in English from an associate degree. Initially aspiring to teach, Ansley’s passion for nature and wildlife redirected her career path. After setting a goal to join Aware Wildlife Center, she successfully secured a position within just five months as a Wildlife Care Supervisor Trainee. Now, through CWR, Ansley is focused on gaining deeper expertise in wildlife rehabilitation while supporting others on similar paths. Driven by a profound commitment to animal welfare, she recognizes that animals depend on us for the care they cannot seek themselves. Caring for an elderly dog and an epileptic cat helped Ansley realize her desire to work in animal care. Her driving force is her grandfather, who passed in 2023, and always reminded her, ‘one thing about an education is, once you get it, no one can take it from you.’ She strives to turn every day into a learning experience. In her free time, Ansley enjoys spending time with her pets—three cats and one dog(Chu-Chu, Bandit, Karl, and Simba.) She also enjoys reading, writing, sewing, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Kaleigh Blessard
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Kaleigh began her wildlife rehabilitation journey at the tender age of nine when she attempted to hand raise a litter of orphaned mice she found in her basement. From childhood, she has been driven to help wildlife to the fullest extent of her knowledge and abilities, but it wasn’t until spring of 2024 that she took her first steps toward turning it into a career by becoming a volunteer, and later a staff member, at the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE). Kaleigh is passionate about helping expand access to more aspiring wildlife rehabilitators with the ultimate goal of helping as many animals as possible, both through her direct actions and by helping educate others. In her free time, Kaleigh enjoys hiking, live music, and being a couch potato with her foster-turned-rescue dog, Ares.
Pamela Boisvert
Project Development Coordinator
Pamela’s journey into animal care began when she started volunteering at Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Ontario. Driven by a passion for learning, she pursued various animal care and wildlife rehabilitation courses, ultimately becoming a CWR in 2023. Pam has an affinity for fostering neonate orphaned and injured eastern cottontail rabbits. Currently, she is working alongside new volunteers to prepare them for the upcoming baby season. Serving as a corporate secretary for the Diocese of Toronto, Pam has over two decades of experience as a governance professional. Leveraging her project management background, Pam hopes to support the CWR with special projects. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and crocheting wildlife nests.
Carolina Walling
Project Development
Kelsey Carter
Website Coordinator
Kelsey has always had a passion for nature and grew up in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2017 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology. After marrying into the film industry, she found herself in Georgia with no Rockies nearby! She began her search for animal related work by volunteering at AWARE Wildlife Center in 2018 and has hung around as a volunteer ever since. Most days you can find her at her current veterinarian clinic where she works as a veterinarian assistant. Her goal will always be to advocate for the best animal health and care.
Colleen Burley
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Colleen Burley graduated from Atlanta College of Art with a BA in Fine Arts. Colleen continues her work as an artist as well as working as a set dresser in the film industry. Some of her works can be seen in shows such as The Walking Dead and Kevin Probably Saves the World. She is also known around Atlanta for her friendly, witty personality as a bartender in some of Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood bars for many years. Colleen has always had an overly passionate love towards animals. Wanting to learn and do more for wildlife, Colleen joined Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) as a volunteer on Valentine’s Day 2018. She currently volunteers as an animal care taker in addition to being on the inventory and maintenance teams at AWARE. In her free time, Colleen loves taking care of her 4 cats, continues to learn about wildlife, and inspires others to help make a difference.
Dayla Jackson
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Dayla Jackson graduated from Oglethorpe University with a B.A in Studio Art and a minor in Environmental Studies. Wanting to combine her passion for art and the environment, it led her to the Georgia Aquarium. During her time as an Environmental Educator, she discovered she wanted to focus directly with animal care. That’s what guided her to volunteer with Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) and eventually CWR as well. Currently she’s a graphics designer at a reform synagogue. In Dayla’s free time, she loves watching documentaries, being in nature and reading a good book with her pets.
Marielle Kromis
Continuing Education Coordinator
Marielle Kromis graduated in 2015 from Kennesaw State University, with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. In 2008, Marielle was a member of the Reef Check team, alongside 9 other students, with Ocean Blue Education. They analyzed various reefs throughout the Bahamas. Their goal was to assess and compare reefs inside the Exuma Land and Sea Park with other non-Marine Protected Areas off of Conception, Long Island and the Northern Exumas. Reef Check divers gained awareness of their own relationship to the sea while gathering pertinent information on coral cover, fish/invert populations, and site conditions. In 2014, Marielle started volunteering at AWARE and was hired as a Wildlife Caregiver the following year. At home, Marielle spends time with her Border Collie mix, Shanti.
Kenzie Sharpe Eliason
Resource Development
Kenzie attended the University of North Georgia where she graduated in 2017 with a BS in Biology/Pre-Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, she began working in veterinary clinics and hospitals, providing her with her first experiences with wildlife in a care setting. After moving to Athens with her now husband, the pandemic and a back injury led her to doing a remote internship with a Wildlife Park in Australia. This unique experience resulted in Kenzie spending the next few years doing remote internships at zoos, wildlife rescues, parks, and rehab centers all over the world! She was taught about nutrition planning, appropriate enclosures, observed necropsies and surgeries, analyzed trail cam footage, and her personal favorite, researching and designing enrichment that would then be implemented, reviewed, and revised. It didn’t take long for Kenzie to crave hand on experience as well. One summer night in 2021, while looking through old bookmarks saved from college, she found AWARE’s website. After a slightly pleading email to the center inquiring if there was any way to volunteer, despite the pandemic not allowing new volunteers, she was told they would be opening the internship program back up. After completing her internship, Kenzie continued on as a volunteer and is now also part of the nutrition and vet team! In her free time, Kenzie enjoys knitting, crocheting, learning anything and everything she can, with her dog Odie never leaving her side.
Carola Garcia Manzano
Spanish Resource Development
Carola is a horse gal and lover of all creatures. She studied art conservation in Mexico and came to the US in 2004. She completed an MA in Anthropology at CUNY, worked at Columbia University at the Center for Archaeology, and practiced art conservation at the Metropolitan Museum, as well as in art studios in New York. She also joined archaeological digs in Belize and Turkey working as an archaeological conservator. She turned her focus to environmental conservation when she noticed she read more about the environment than about art. She co-founded The Pale Blue Dot, a non-profit dedicated to bringing solar power to schools in towns with no electricity in Mexico; and she spearheaded Solarize SOMA, an effort to bring more solar power to roofs in South Orange and Maplewood, NJ. When moving to Atlanta she joined the Peachtree Creek Greenway, an effort to create a 12-mile path from Atlanta to Doraville, and volunteered at The Nature Conservancy, The Amphibian Foundation, and Lifeline Animal Shelter. In 2018 she found AWARE, the place she now dedicates all her time and effort. She is there as a rehab volunteer and is now training as an ambassador handler.
Natalia Slipak
Spanish Resource Development
Natalia has always had a deep love and passion for animals, stemming from her childhood in Argentina, where she used to do equestrian for many years. Upon moving to Canada, she began volunteering at Salthaven West Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. Knowing immediately that being able to help Wildlife in need was her passion, Natalia started educating herself in hopes of becoming the best caregiver for Wildlife she could be. She is now a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator and the Clinic Manager at Salthaven West, and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for all patients admitted to the clinic. She is constantly seeking out new information and research of the latest techniques and best practices. Her knowledge, combined with her unwavering dedication to the welfare of animals, make her an invaluable asset to the clinic and the community as a whole. Natalia’s love for animals and her commitment to their care is evident in every aspect of her work, and she is dedicated to ensuring that each patient receives the best possible care and treatment. Additionally, and as a testament to her continuing education, Natalia became a volunteer with the CWR in February 2024. She is excited to be able to share her love for conservation and Wildlife Rehabilitation; making a tangible difference in the conservation efforts of wildlife throughout Saskatchewan and the world.
Raeya Jaggarow
Resource Development
Raeya has always had a passion for wildlife with experience in animal rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation. She has worked with a diverse range of wildlife with various global organizations like &beyond and Ecotraining in South Africa to The Elephant Freedom Project in Sri Lanka. She started as an intern naturalist in a tiger reserve in India in 2010 and has since gained hands-on experience caring for injured wildlife.
In 2023, Raeya joined AWARE wildlife center, continuing her dedication to giving animals a second chance and helping them return to their natural habitat.
Outside of her professional work, she enjoys backpacking, watching combat sports and looking for snakes.
Julia Sparks
Continuing Education Coordinator
In 2016, Julia Sparks earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a B.A. in Economics from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. She currently works as a Wildlife Care Supervisor for the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to caring for wildlife native to the United States, Julia also spent several months volunteering for wildlife sanctuaries in both Ecuador and Bolivia working primarily with ocelots, Geoffrey’s cats and tapirs. In her position as Coordinator for Continuing Education, she hopes to diversify the regions and languages of CE offered in order to connect many more passionate rehabbers around the world.
CWR Certification Review Board
Marjan Ghadrdan, MS, CWR
Board Chair
Marjan Ghadrdan brings 20 years of wildlife rehabilitation expertise to her roles at the Amphibian Foundation as Venomous Programs and Adult Education Coordinator. She also oversees the care of 1,800 patients annually as Director of Animal Care at the AWARE Wildlife Center. With a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Neuroscience, and a Veterinary Technician license, Marjan also serves as the Animal Expert on Weather Gone Viral and works as a snake wrangler for the film industry. Marjan has been a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) since 2011 and served as the CWR director for over a decade before returning to her role as CRB where she continuesto expand the program’s reach to wildlife rehabilitators worldwide. Marjan will never forget her beloved pit bull, Little Mama.