Board Member
Elise grew up in southern Wisconsin, and earned her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Zoology and Biological Aspects of Conservation.
Elise’s first involvement in wildlife rehabilitation was volunteering at Wildlife In Need Center, near her home in 2011. Since then she also interned and worked at numerous other rehabilitation centers. These include Dane County Humane Society, in Wisconsin, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Texas, and The Wildlife Center of Virginia. Elise also interned at ZooTampa, an AZA zoo, and Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, a GFAS accredited sanctuary in Texas.
Elise currently lives in Norman, Oklahoma. Since 2016, Elise has worked at WildCare Oklahoma and has served as their Director of Animal Care for the past few years.
Elise believes in lifelong learning and continued growth. She loves educating others, especially when they share a passion for wildlife. As a new board member, she hopes to increase access to information and give rehabilitators more resources, in order to provide the best possible care for their patients.
In her spare time, Elise loves to spend time outdoors and enjoys hiking and trail running. She completed an Appalachian Trail thru hike, where she met her partner, Wes. Together they live in Oklahoma with their fur kids; Jack (dog), Oreo (cat) and Tom (snake). She also has a step daughter that attends the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City.