Preserve Biologist

Head of Research Division

The Springs Preserve
Las Vegas Valley Water District                                                                                                                                                                                          
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
January 2005 to Present

•        Participated in the successful opening of the $250 million Las Vegas Springs Preserve.
  
  

•        Assisted with acquisition of $12 million Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) grant.  Currently assisting Engineering Division with

•              the drafting and review of plans and request for proposals to add a hiking trail, restore historic railroad cottages, and restore water to the historic Las Vegas              Creek.

•        Acquisition and quarantine of all Living Collections animals from California and Arizona.

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•        Initiated, funded, coordinated, and published a multi-agency study on the genetic identity of the extinct Vegas Valley Leopard Frog.  Study revealed that the

•              only North American frog believed to have gone extinct in recent history is not extinct!

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•        Supervised seven staff members including Archaeologist, Registrar, Restoration Ecologist, Senior Zoologist, and three Zoologists.  Also responsible for

•              as many as eleven university-level scientific/technical interns and the occasional task-specific docents.

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•        Reviewed construction and exhibit blueprints for the LEED Platinum Visitor Center, worked through change work orders, and created punch list for Living

•              Collection exhibits.

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•        Designed (i.e., layout, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, caging) and supervised the construction of a $250,000 Animal Biosafety Level II quarantine facility.   

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•        Redesigned outdoor lizard pit into three climate-controlled exhibits ($200,000) and supervised the construction of all animal-related exhibits.

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•        Obtained grant and worked with NV Energy to install “raptor protectors” on power lines that bisects the Springs Preserve.

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•        Implemented Environmental Management System with goal of ISO 140001 certification; internal audit recently completed with only the most minor of

•              issues raised.  Wrote, reviewed and/or edited hundreds of documents required for certification, such as standard operating procedures and process flow

•              charts.

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•        Designed a user interface for a Living Collections module for “KE Emu” archival software used by Research and Curation Divisions.

•        Reviewed and copy edited hundreds of static interpretive panel texts for the Visitor Center, Desert Living Center, Desert Demonstration Gardens, and
               hiking trails.

•        Reviewed numerous state-of-the-art educational films, animations and video games.

       Compiled and implemented several habitat restoration plans in concert with Restoration Ecologist and Archaeologist for the Springs Preserve, a
             National Historic Site.   

       Responsible for acquisition, reporting, and renewal of state and federal wildlife permits.

•        Drafted job descriptions for, and hired, a Senior Zoologist, Zoologists, Registrar, and Archaeologist.

•        Drafted and managed up to $1.3 million Research Division annual budget.

•        Conducted facility-wide training on the identification, natural history, and best practices when working on a site with Africanized bees, Bark Scorpions,              Desert Recluse, Black Widows, etc.

•        Coordinated with the Southern Nevada Health District and Las Vegas Animal Control on all public safety issues including monitoring of potential
               disease vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, feral / invasive species)

Senior Conservation Biologist 

Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino &
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
April 2000 to February 2003

•        Participated in the successful opening of a $50 million for-profit aquarium managed by the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
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•        As a senior manager, reported to the Director of Shark Reef and advised him on all animal-related matters.
•        Conducted field research on the Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) with a colleague in Chico, California. 
•        Developed and published a new technique to capture and transport crocodilians in captivity.
•        Advised the Curatorial staff on the biology and husbandry of 17 species of sharks, as well as all reptile species.
•        Supervised four Aquarists assigned to the Husbandry Center quarantine facility. 
•        Designed and implemented an animal inventory database in Microsoft Access. 
•        Compiled a Procedures and Protocols Manual that encompassed everything from husbandry standards to an emergency response plan. 
•        Drafted and implemented a dangerous reptile security protocols for potential crocodilian emergencies.  Included annual firearms training with .44
               magnum bang stick.
•        Implemented a PIT tagging program to aid in monitoring the health of all elasmobranches, moray eels, and reptiles residing at the aquarium; not a
               typical practice in the aquarium world at the time. 
•        Successfully managed the Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation process, making Shark Reef the only AZA accredited facility in Nevada. 
•        Donated $70,000 to worthy projects such as the Nature Conservancy’s in situ Komodo Dragon research, and satellite tracking of Green Sea Turtles
               (Chelonia mydas) by the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. 
•        Managed a $240,000 research budget. 
•        Simultaneously began drafting of Ph.D. dissertation.

Animal Health Technician

Biodôme de Montréal
City of Montréal
December 1997 to April 2000

•        Responsible for the husbandry of a collection of approximately 30 species of amphibians and reptiles, 13 species of mammals, and 40 species of birds
               residing in one of five mesocosms (i.e., Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Forest, St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem, North Pole, and South Pole). 
•        Designed and conducted a study on the population ecology of Giant Toads (Bufo marinus) inhabiting the Tropical Rainforest mesocosm.
•        Produced a dichotomous turtle eggshells key for Québec freshwater turtles.
•        Simultaneously completed the field research portion of my Ph.D. at McGill University.

Educator

Biodôme de Montréal
City of Montréal
October 1993 to December 1997

•        Used novel educational methods to engage and entertain the public, while explaining complex ecological processes within five large-scale mesocosms. 
•        Developed superior educational abilities while teaching 8 hours / day for four years. 
•        Worked with all age groups in settings ranging from impromptu discussions and classroom presentations to guided VIP and technical tours of the facility. 
•        Simultaneously pursued and completed my M.Sc. at McGill University.

Technician

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Southern Region, Aylmer District Office
April to August 1992

•        Set up & monitored amphibian transects during the pilot year of amphibian monitoring in Canada.
•        Coordinated the project and five students during supervisor’s paternity leave. 
•        Initiated an independent mark-recapture study of five species of freshwater turtles at the Big Creek National Wildlife Area on Lake Erie.

Visitor Services Coordinator

Carillon Provincial Park
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
April to September 1991

•        Supervised two employees and administered the entire summer education program, which included everything from scheduling to press releases. 
•        Gave daily bilingual presentations on animal ecology, biodiversity, and conservation; These included guided walking and canoe hikes, as well as
               amphitheatre presentations.