Brent Lyles

Brent began his professional journey teaching middle-school science in rural North Carolina. Since that time, Brent’s career has focused on science education, compassionate and inclusive leadership, and environmental stewardship. He holds master’s degrees in biological anthropology and not-for-profit management. Before joining the team at the Mountain Lion Foundation in 2022, Brent served as executive director at several not-for-profit organizations in Austin, Texas, and the San Juan Islands, Washington. Other experiences include playing in mediocre rock bands, management consulting, writing national science textbooks, and, as a young person, dreaming about someday seeing a mountain lion in the wild.

Gowan Batist

Gowan is a regenerative sheep rancher, hand-shearer, wool spinner, writer and dog enthusiast who grew up outdoors with wildlife in Northern California and is committed to fostering a land stewardship ethic that increases and preserves biodiversity for future generations.

A co-owner of Fortunate Farms on the Mendocino Coast and member of the Board of Directors of CAFF, Gowan is deeply invested in facilitating positive interactions between humans, agriculture and wildlife. She has a long history of engagement and education, including receiving recognition for her work from California Farmer’s Guild, American Farmland Trust, Americorps NCCC, and the Sustainable North Coast Award from the office of Congressman Jared Huffman.

When she’s not working, she’s somewhere out in the bunchgrasses and wildflowers.

Elizabeth Bennett

Elizabeth is a non-profit communications leader who has built a post-academic career working with  organizations committed to protecting animals, their habitat, and the communities that thrive around them. She joins the Mountain Lion Foundation after directing communications at a regenerative agriculture firm that helps build thriving economies and ecosystems in the Global South. She was formerly Managing Director at a content marketing agency in service to plant-based food brands. She is passionate about companion and farmed animal welfare, and the preservation of wild places for future generations.

Elizabeth lives in southern California with her adventurous husband, mischievous son, devoted rescue dogs, vocal parakeets, and inquisitive aquatic turtles.

Lou Galgani

Lou Galgani first joined the Mountain Lion Foundation team in 2015, returning after a brief hiatus. She has a background in animal care and a bachelor of arts in biology from California State University Sacramento. Her experience in office administration and organizational skills are invaluable assets. You’re most likely to hear her cheerful wit if you call our Sacramento office.

Erika Mathews

Erika has dedicated both her personal and professional life to the welfare of all animals. She has extensive experience fundraising for both national and grassroots issues concerning the environment, animal sheltering, farm animals and wildlife issues.

Outside of work she enjoys hiking, swimming, kayaking, reading and raising foster kittens. She shares her home with her husband, daughter, rescued dogs, cats and chickens.

Sharon Negri

Sharon has dedicated her life to advancing the protection, conservation and management of mountain lions and ensuring that they flourish in our natural world.

​She has worked with government and nongovernment organizations on natural resource issues since 1980. Sharon co-founded the Mountain Lion Foundation in 1986 and served as its director until 1990, after working with others to pass a California ballot initiative that banned trophy hunting of mountain lions and allocated $30 million a year for 30 years to critical wildlife habitat.

In 2024, Sharon returned to the Mountain Lion Foundation as Director of Strategic initiatives and Partnerships in order to nurture greater reach for the Foundation’s programs and partnerships in cougar conservation.

In addition to her role at Mountain Lion Foundation, Sharon continues to direct work at WildFutures, where she provides consultation to a wide array of regional, state, national, and international wildlife organizations focused on advancing protections for large carnivores.

Among Sharon’s published works are Cougar Management Guidelines (2005); Cougar Ecology and Conservation (2009), with renowned cougar biologist Maurice Hornocker; and numerous reports and papers for foundations, agencies, and conservation organizations. She produced the films The Secret Life of Mountain Lions (2016) and La vida secreta de los pumas (2017), and she co-produced the award-winning film On Nature’s Terms (2001) and a television public service announcement on cougar and bear awareness and safety.

Paige Munson

Paige coordinates the organization’s science communication and research, and policy work. She holds a bachelor’s of science degree from California State University, Chico in biology, with a focus on ecology, evolution, and organismal biology. Before joining the Mountain Lion Foundation team in 2021, she worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and researched Northern California’s mammalian carnivores during her studies.

When she isn’t working, Paige is likely trail running, reading, or crafting.

Chelsea Robinson

Chelsea Robinson joined the Mountain Lion Foundation staff in 2020. She deftly handles myriad aspects of maintaining this organization and the services we provide and coordinates our Living with Lions webinars.

Prior to joining this team, she worked in administration with various nonprofits in and around Sacramento. She received her bachelor of science in business management — studying music, music business and culinary arts on her way to that degree.

In her spare time, she sings karaoke and DJs in Northern California, spends time with her lab mix dog, Jack, and photographs people and places.

Josh Rosenau

Josh is a mammalogist who has worked to protect wild salmon and orcas, defend science educators against political pressure, and led efforts to push candidates to explain how science would inform them in Congress and the Oval Office. After graduating with a bachelors in Biology from the University of Chicago, he began a doctoral program at the University of Kansas, based in the Museum of Natural History. During his doctoral studies in Kansas, he changed directions from ecology and evolutionary biology to focus on science communication and science policy. With coalitions of clergy leaders, scientists, and parents, he led campaigns to defuse conflicts over the science lessons on topics like climate change and evolution. At the Mountain Lion Foundation, he is returning his focus to mammals, connecting and informing communities about their cougar neighbors, and helping to turn conversations from conflict to cooperation as we strive to Save America’s Lion.

Outside of work, Josh loves to explore wild places with his wife and two children. A lifelong hiker and birder, he has led Grand Canyon rafting trips and hikes, and since moving to Washington, has taken up kayaking and fly fishing.

Bob McCoy

Dr. Chris Tromborg

Dr. Chris Tromborg is an emeritus  Professor of Biological Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Animal Behavior and Cognition at Sacramento City College and a former lecturer in Psychobiology, Perception, and Advanced Animal Behavior at the University of California, Davis. His research interests include captivity and behavior, with an emphasis on behavioral enrichment through environmental engineering, Animal Communication, and Wildlife Conservation, emphasizing Felids.

Along with serving on the Foundation’s board, he also serves on the Board of Directors of The Feline Conservation Foundation, and is a past board member of The African Wild Dog Conservancy.

Member of the Board of Directors since 2010

Bruce Rylander

Bruce joined the board of the Mountain Lion Foundation in 2022. As treasurer, he ensures the board sees good, clear data to inform decisions.

Bruce is a retired executive director from an international computer software company. Prior to that he was an executive director with an international cellular company. He has a great depth of experience forming high-powered structured and unstructured teams with a focus on operational and financial analysis.

Past volunteer positions include board treasurer positions with two non-profits in Washington’s San Juan Islands.

Bruce holds a bachelor of arts in English, a master’s in business administration and a graduate level certificate in program management.

Donald Molde, M.D.

Donald Molde is a retired psychiatrist; former board member, Defenders of Wildlife, 20-year board member, Nevada Humane Society; and long-time Nevada wildlife activist defending carnivores and opposing fur trapping. Don developed the initial brief and served as the Nevada plaintiff in WildEarthGuardians lawsuit against Nevada Wildlife Services, which was settled to great advantage to wildlife in 2016. Don is currently suing the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners to protect non-target species, including mountain lions, from fur trappers. Don is the co-founder of the Nevada Wildlife Alliance, and is widely regarded as the expert on mountain lions in the state. Dog owner, bird-watcher, and Nevada back country enthusiast, Don has endless energy for wildlife and the environment.

Toby Cooper

Financial Advisor, Former Program Director of National Issues, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington DC; Former Staff, National Parks and Conservation Association, Washington DC.; 1968 U.S. Olympian; Former Board Member, California Center for Wildlife (now Wildcare), Vivamos Mejor, Peninsula Conservation Center Foundation (now Acterra).

Elizabeth Sullivan

Elizabeth held a dual career in wealth management and law.

She was a wealth management advisor for a private firm and provided financial advisory for financial consulting firms like Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo Advisors. Her work included planned giving and legacy consulting to non-profits and individual estates.

As an attorney, she practiced in environmental litigation and toxics litigation including cases involving mitigation of several Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites. She has also spent time as pro-bono counsel on habitat and land use issues.

At age six, she volunteered to clean local marshes, and her lifelong concern for wildlife has carried on since then to include a wide range of efforts, including penguin behavioral studies at San Francisco Zoo in college and feeding orphaned chicks at wildlife rehabilitation centers. When it comes to preventing the loss of wildlife species, she firmly believes that every individual counts.

Member of the Board of Directors since 1996

Fauna Tomlinson

Fauna Tomlinson’s passion for the big cats of the world initially started with the Indian Bengal tiger and the snow leopard, which led to many trips to India and Nepal. She now works closer to home on native lion and coyote issues.

From Tahoe, her home base for the past three decades, she works in real estate and serves as the Sierra Nevada Representative for Project Coyote.

Fauna also serves on the California Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Being on the board of Mountain Lion Foundation offers her a chance to make a difference on behalf of America’s lion in a new and exciting way.

Member of the Board of Directors since 2020

Robin Parks

Jane Santorumn

Mike Poremba

Chris Tromborg, PhD

Bob McCoy

Cristina Eisenberg, PhD

Rodney Jackson, PhD

Laurie Marker, PhD

Carter Niemeyer

Laura Prugh, PhD

Jennifer Verdolin, PhD

Carolyn Whitesell, PhD

Rob Wielgus, PhD

Christine Wilkinson

Paige Munson

Josh Rosenau