- Who We Are
- Mission
- Goals
- Board of Directors
- Candidate Requirements for Board of Directors
- Advisory Board
Who We Are
CCWR was originally formed in 1992. Membership is made up of Colorado wildlife rehabilitators, rehabilitation and rescue organizations and volunteers for wildlife rehabilitation centers and Colorado Division of Wildlife. These individuals and organizations focus on the care of injured and orphaned wildlife as well as provide public education.
CCWR is a progressive organization dedicated to facing the issues and concerns of wildlife rehabilitators throughout Colorado.
CCWR is exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a public charity under Code section 509 (a) (2).
CCWR Mission
Our mission is to promote the field of wildlife rehabilitation in Colorado by increasing communication between rehabilitators and other like-minded organizations and to provide education opportunities for rehabilitators and for the interested public.
Our Goals
- To provide workshops for the improvement of rehabilitation knowledge, skills, and techniques.
- To establish a communication network amongst rehabilitators.
- To educate the Public about the needs of wildlife and preserving their habitat through literature and the promotion of education programs.
- To publish a quarterly newsletter.
- To encourage people to live in harmony with the earth and its creatures.
- To promote fund-raising efforts and provide grants for specialized rehabilitation projects.
- To promote cooperation and professionalism amongst the wildlife community.
- To make recommendations to state and municipal agencies regarding wildlife rehabilitation concerns.
Board Members
Joyce Benesh-Williams
President
(970) 686-9217
Immersed in wildlife activities as a child in the Great Lakes region, Joyce later, after moving to Florida, volunteered to rescue pelicans, injured by fishing hooks, lines and nets along the Gulf shores, through an agency called Pelican Man. In 1972, Joyce moved to Georgia and became a trainee/volunteer for an organization working to rehabilitate and save raptors. Here she fell in love with birds of prey and has been focused on their needs for survival ever since.
Joyce has enjoyed a career as a professional speaker and trainer for the past 30 years. This career was preceded by a career in purchasing and materials management. Neither career afforded her an opportunity to volunteer on a steady basis until 2000 to 2004, when she became an active volunteer with the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins. While affiliated with them she became a trainer in animal husbandry skills, a bird handler and a presenter, representing the RMRP in schools and at public events, speaking about the birds on an educational level.
That being said, it is Joyce’s goal to incorporate the skills and resources of others who have worked with raptors and have a passion to work as “rehabbers”, into an organization whose total purpose and philosophy is to treat, rehabilitate and where possible release these fine creatures. Currently she is actively pursuing the appropriate licensing, permitting and federal authorization for such an endeavor.
Joyce has a long history of working with non-profit organizations; building boards, volunteer training and fundraising. She has been an adjunct faculty member of Front Range Community College for 11 years. Joyce and her husband Wayne have lived in Colorado since 1993.
Joyce has been on the CCWR Board since July 2006 and obtained her provisional wildlife rehabilitation license in 2007.
Raegan E. Morgan
Vice President
Raegan has been working in wildlife rehabilitation since 1999. Her experience has been exclusively with birds, primarily raptors. Professionally, Raegan has over 15 years of experience as a freelance writer and graphic designer and currently edits and designs the newsletters of three not-for-profit organizations. She enjoys assisting environmentally-focused entities with miscellaneous design projects.
When not caring for her family or doing volunteer work, you can usually find Raegan tending to her own menagerie of “critters” that includes dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and ducks.
Raegan has been on the CCWR board since February 2006. She obtained her provisional wildlife rehabilitation license in 2007.
Kathryn L. Dremann
Treasurer
Kathy began her wildlife rehabilitation career at the Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City, MO as a Staff Naturalist. In 1994, she was hired as Assistant Director/Education Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins. With more than 11 years experience in environmental education, Kathy successfully generated over $25,000 per year in revenue for RMRP through educational programs. Subsequently Kathy was Office Manager/ Volunteer Coordinator with Colorado Horse Rescue in Longmont and has extensive working knowledge and experience with accounts receivable/ payable, payroll, tax records and financial reporting. In her free time, Kathy loves to hike, rock climb and, volunteers at Barr Lake State Park as a Park Naturalist and Eldorado Canyon State Park as a raptor monitor. Her home companions include cats, a dog, several birds and a magnificent iguana.
Kathy has been on the CCWR Board since February 2008.
Joy Glennon
Board Member
Joy was born and raised in north eastern Colorado in a small farming community. During high school she worked for the local veterinarian assisting in surgery, large animal farm visits, routine small animal check ups, as well as emergency calving operations. Joy’s love of animals and their proper care was, and is still one of her primary dedications. She attended University of Colorado Denver Center to obtain her accounting degree and has been a career accountant and tax consultant for over 30 years and counting! Joy is also a Master Gardener, obtaining her license in 2006 from CSU Jefferson County Extension Service to volunteer with the public education department and the continuing education classes. She feels that wildlife and gardening tend to meet quite often in Colorado. Joy and her husband Tom have been married for 39 years with three grown children and have lived in their Evergreen home since 1974. Joy obtained her wildlife rehabilitation license in 2004 and specializes in the care of fox and raccoon. Joy has been on the CCWR board since February 2008.
Janet Rutigliano
Board Member
After working as a technical writer and contract analyst for several high-technology companies over the past 23 years, Janet realized she had a calling to work with wildlife. A volunteer application was submitted to Greenwood in the summer of 2006 and that began the journey Janet hopes will lead to a full wildlife rehabilitation license at some point in the future. Currently, Janet is employed by IBM. Her driving ambition is to devote as much time as possible to her wildlife volunteer work and education. Janet’s focus is working with songbirds, waterfowl, and squirrels. However, she is eager to branch out and devote time to raptor rehabilitation. Janet is an avid nature enthusiast and enjoys hiking and walking all over Boulder County. She is also a lesson assistant at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center and loves working with horses and children. “I am honored and very excited to be serving on the Board of Directors for CCWR.” Janet has been on the CCWR Board since August 2008.
Advisory Board
The following individuals have kindly volunteered to serve on the CCWR Advisory Board to share their experience and expertise, review materials, provide articles and give presentations in their specific subject areas. Our sincere thanks to them all!
Mackenzie Goldthwait, DVM
Annie's Animal Hospital, Highlands Ranch
Mackenzie Goldthwait, DVM, graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989 with a special interest in wildlife medicine. She was the wildlife veterinarian at the Cape Wildlife Center in MA for 18 months. She currently is a veterinarian at Annie’s Animal Hospital in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and works with small animals and wildlife. She also provides training for rehabilitators and veterinary students on wildlife health.
Kathy Konishi
Special Licensing Unit Manager, Colorado Division of Wildlife
Kathy began her tenure with the Division of Wildlife in 1988. She developed the CDOW Special Licensing Unit that is responsible for licensing those who are in possession of live wildlife. This includes areas such as Wildlife Rehabilitation, Commercial Parks, Commercial Lakes, Scientific Collection, Fish Importation, Falconry, Field Trials and Commercial Fishing, to name a few. Kathy has worked with rehabilitators since the early 1990’s and had a key role in the revision of the CDOW Regulations – Chapter 14: Wildlife Rehabilitation in 1996. She holds a degree in biology with field officer training.
Jack Murphy
Urban Wildlife Rescue, Inc.
Jack Murphy is Co-founder and Executive Director of Urban Wildlife Rescue, Inc., located in Denver Co. and a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator since 1989. Jack is also a Wildlife Control Operator who solves wildlife conflicts using only humane and non-lethal methods of exclusion and eviction. He is the author of "Humane Solutions to Wildlife Problems" which is a self help guide for those who wish to attempt to resolve wildlife conflicts on their own. He has written and lectured on numerous topics involving: Wildlife Rehabilitation--Living with Wildlife --Wildlife Conflict Resolution--Humane Capture and Handling Techniques , and more.
Jack was formerly on the CCWR Board of Directors from 1999 to 2008 and has generously agreed to continue serving the Colorado wildlife rehabilitation community in the capacity of Advisor.
John Pape
Epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Denver
John Pape, Epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health and began working for the health department as a field epidemiologist. In 1984, Mr. Pape transferred to the Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program where he supervises the field epidemiologist staff and is responsible for zoonotic disease surveillance and control state-wide. He has authored/coauthored scientific journals articles on a variety of zoonotic diseases including bat rabies, tick-borne relapsing fever, feline plague and hantavirus and serves as a reviewer of submitted scientific journal articles for Emerging Infectious Diseases, American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, Journal of Wildlife Disease and Journal of Infectious Wildlife Diseases.