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.

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.

Paige Munson

Paige grew up in Iowa with a love for the outdoors. She now lives in Chico, California, and is working towards her undergraduate degree in biology. During her studies, she has researched mammalian predators in the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve and worked for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife conducting bioacoustic and camera trapping surveys. She started volunteering with the MLF in 2020, and will now be advocating for mountain lion conservation as State Policy Associate.

Outside of work, she enjoys running, hiking, and backpacking with her partner.

Paige oversees our outreach and advocacy in Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

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.

Lace Thornberg

Lace joined the Mountain Lion Foundation in 2023, and manages our communications which connect people with efforts to save and coexist with mountain lions.

She has previously worked for Oregon Natural Desert Association, Braided River, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Washington Trails Association, among other roles. She earned a master’s degree in museology from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in writing from Concordia College in Minnesota.

She lives in Central Oregon.

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).

Jim Sanderson, PhD

Jim’s personal mission is to ensure the survival of small wild cats and their natural habitats worldwide, making him a natural fit for the Foundation’s board.

Jim is the Program Manager for Wild Cat Conservation at Global Wildlife Conservation. He is the founder and director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation, a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, a review board member of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, and a Fellow of Wildlife Conservation Network.

He works with local partners around the world to identify and mitigate threats to the world’s small wild cats. In 1996 Jim used radio-telemetry to better understand habitat fragmentation and landscape connectivity and conservation issues for Guignas (Leopardus guigna) in Chile. With Bolivian and Chilean colleagues, Jim captured and radio-collared the first Andean cat in May 2004. He has also used camera phototraps to survey wildlife populations and monitor biodiversity in South America, Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia. Jim’s photograph of the Andean cat appeared in the February 2000 issue of National Geographic. With Chinese colleagues, Jim captured the first pictures of the Chinese mountain cat in the wild.

He received a Ph.D from the University of New Mexico in 1976, has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and authored four books.

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

Sharon Negri

Carter Niemeyer

Laura Prugh, PhD

Jim Sanderson, PhD

Jennifer Verdolin, PhD

Carolyn Whitesell, PhD

Rob Wielgus, PhD

Christine Wilkinson

Paige Munson

Josh Rosenau