Our Mission& Core Programs
Our Staff
Rob Edward, Director
Carnivore Recovery
Rob joined Sinapu in 1994. He is a cofounder and steering committee member of the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project. Rob also serves as our web master and guru of graphic design.
A native of Idaho, Rob has spent over a decade working on conservation issues, including marine mammal protection, ancient forest preservation, and large carnivore restoration. He has also worked on environmental justice issues for Native Americans. Rob has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and is a four-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Wendy Keefover-Ring, Director
Carnivore Protection
Wendy has led Sinapu’s carnivore protection program since 1998, aiming to end the indiscriminate killing of predators in the West. She built a coalition that stopped contest hunting in Colorado—the first state in the West to do so. She also began an ongoing campaign to expose the federal government’s use of toxic poisons intended for predators. In 1999, Wendy organized a national coalition of grassroots groups that are working to ban aerial gunning of wildlife. She works with regional organizations on a variety of predator and prairie dog issues.
Prior to joining Sinapu’s staff, Wendy worked on anti-trapping initiatives in Colorado and Arizona. She also served on Sinapu’s Board. Previously, she worked at The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies and as a paralegal. She holds an M.A in history from the University of Colorado with a research focus on environmental activism among women in early Colorado.
Billie Gutgsell, Outreach Coordinatoor
Billie joined Sinapu's staff in Fall 2005, helping to keep the office running smoothly and representing Sinapu at a variety of community outreach events in Colorado. Prior to coming to Sinapu, she worked for Environmental Defense in their Boulder office. Billie volunteers for the Sierra Club's local wildlife committee and participates in the Colorado Division of Wildlife's "Bear Aware" Program—an educational effort about bears, cougars, and other area wildlife. She holds a B.A in Anthropology as well as a B.A. in Art History from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Billie lived in Washington, D.C. for a few years, but she returned to her home in the West as fast as she could.
