FOUNDERS / PARTNERS
BRINGING A LONG HELD DREAM TO LIFE
PHILOSOPHY
We firmly believe every person, animal and plant has a vital and significant place in the world and that humans have a shared responsibility to be proactive stewards of all life, and resources, on Earth. That we are all connected, share roots and grow together.
COMMITMENT
We are committed to the highest forms of corporate integrity, being a good neighbor and doing the right thing by all our constituents – our animal residents, our visitors, our community / the environment / and our partners / investors / donors.
STRUCTURE
Our public benefit, educational 501(c)3 nonprofit will be focused on animal and plant care as well as all educational initiatives. We will further have a corporation whose sole purpose will be to generate revenue for the non-profit ensuring generational, financial sustainability.
PARTNERS –
Below are the professionals who are helping to bring this vision to life.
FOUNDERS
MICHAEL KOBERT
Michael has over 25 years professional leadership experience in wildlife husbandry and captive animal management. As Animal Care Manager at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, he oversaw the entire mammal population (100+ species, 2,100 animals, 800 acres of habitats), mammal keeper staff (63 staff members), budget ($3.5 million), facility design, and acted as the interface with all local, State and Federal oversight agencies.
Michael is an accomplished animal manager, trainer, international consultant, conservationist, and spokesperson.
DONA DONATO
Dona is the former Membership / Business Development Director for the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is also an Emmy® nominated producer / director and her passion is helping wildlife and helping people find balance in their lives. Her expertise is in destination marketing, tourism business, special event / meeting planning, video production and personal coaching. She is passionate about using these skills at Heart of the Wild in service to animals, people and the planet.
JIM FOWLER
FOUNDING ADVISOR (in memorium) -The naturalist who started it all (!) and a dear friend and mentor to us. Jim was the first and most well-known of the TV animal experts! A four-time Emmy winner, everyone knows Jim from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. What you may not know is that he was a vocal and staunch advocate for animals and the environment, past president of the renown Explorer’s Club, member of many other wildlife organizations and the creator of the Chehaw Park and Zoo in his hometown of Albany, Georgia. Jim was a mentor to us whose ideas and concepts were some of the most significant seeds planted for the creation of Heart of the Wild. We are forever grateful for his guidance and encouragement. His legacy will live on at the sanctuary.
BUILDING PARTNERS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT – J.P. WEBER GROUP
Jeff Weber – Project Manager – Jeff possesses more than 30 years of diverse development experience and has demonstrated the ability to manage the most challenging real estate projects. His background has a long history of expertise in Acquisition, Feasibility, Project Management and Construction Management.
Jeff has been the president of J.P. Weber group for the past 14 years and the vice-president of Richmond America, Citation Homes, Meritage Homes for 33 years.
CLR ARCHITECTS
Greg Dykstra – Lead Architect for Heart of the Wild – CLR Design is an award-winning architectural and landscape architectural firm – and excited to work on this “first of a kind” sanctuary. They are the top firm focused on designing animal conservation, zoological, and botanical spaces around the world.
They are architects, landscape architects, exhibit designers, graphic designers, animal lovers, environment-protectors, educators, researchers, visionaries, travelers, planners,
parents, organizers, collaborators, implementers, and artists. They are a team of passionate professionals who bring varied experience and steadfast dedication to every project.
POWUR SOLAR, PBC
Powur is more then a solar company and Public Benefit Corporation. They have revolutionized the industry with the creation of innovative technology and a solar platform – streamlining the system and providing lower costs and superior products including solar panels and energy storage solutions. The first of it’s kind it is now #61 on the Forbes list with 4000 representative across the United States. The Powur Mission: Accelerate the adoption of clean energy worldwide. The company empowers homeowners and advisors to thrive in the global shift to sustainable energy.
POLITICAL CONSULTANTS
Lou Monville – Political Liaison for Riverside County – As a new community member – we recognize and strongly desire the need for mutually beneficial relationships with the local community and government. Lou is well established and connected in Riverside County Political environment. Lou is senior Vice President of Raincross Corporate Group (RCG), is collection of business entities involved in real estate development, strategic business advisory services, convention center management and operations and catering, and convention and sports sales and marketing.
Lou has extensive experience in California politics, including providing strategic counsel to statewide initiatives, grassroots organizations, and presidential races. He also worked for two members of the California State Assembly. Lou has been consistently recognized for his leadership in the business community. In 2009 he was named the California Chamber of Commerce Small Business Advocate of the year.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STEPHANIE SALT, ESQ
LEGAL STRATEGIST – Founder and CEO of Intuitive Diagnostics, Ms. Salt consults with many of America’s top publicly-traded and Fortune 500 companies on how CEOs and companies approach key business elements such as hiring top personnel, building a Board of Directors, mergers and acquisitions, and evaluating the personalities and characteristics of existing personnel and how its impacts colleagues and the overall company in a positive manner. Ms. Salt helps clients gather all the information via a synergistic combination of intuitive and cognitive data. The result is comprehensive corporate insight that CEO’s can us to make the smartest decisions and shrewdest choices.
JAMES BUNCH
ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Jim, current chairperson of the United States Green Chamber of Commerce, has been building impact companies and inspiring impact CEOs and entrepreneurs all over the world for the last three decades. The most recent impact company he co-founded nine years ago was recognized in 2022 as Inc5000 #43 fastest growing company in the US…out of 32 million businesses. Revenues exceeded $330 million in 2022 as they prep for IPO.
JOSE BRIGHT, ESQ
NON-PROFIT COMPLIANCE / Board Development – Currently the President and CEO of the Batho Group LLC, a firm that specializes in coaching, strategy and leadership consulting and connecting individuals, organizations and communities. An expert in non-profit governance he has guided numerous organizations in creating a non-profit structure and development plan. He is also a principal at 14thstrategies, a company that focuses on human rights, equity and justice, a board chair of Ubuntu Community Catalyst, supporting communities tackling social issues through a collective impact framework, such as housing, behavioral / mental health, youth development and early childhood education. He spent 20 years living and working in Africa as head of a government consulting firm, created a school for underprivileged youth. He is a TedX speaker and in-demand consultant.
DELILAH PANIO
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Vice President of U.S. Capital Formation for Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Delilah advises U.S. companies on raising capital on Canada’s premier equity markets. She advises companies how to go public and provides an understanding of private and public financing options. She is the founder of Fortuna Funding which provides practical guidance on accessing aligned capital, for female founders. Chair of the Funding Committee for Women Leaders of Octane and Advisory Board Member for MAPLE Business Council, WE Global and The Allyship . Co-Founder of We Are Enough, a non-profit that educates women on how to invest. Delilah holds an MBA in Enterprise Development.
JEFF REILLY
COMMUNITY YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS – We believe that outreach to the under-served children of the community is an imperative part of being a good neighbor and to achieve educational goals of engaging youth. Jeff brings over 20 years’ experience as a social worker and educator. With an emphasis on at-risk and under-served youth, he has a unique understanding of children and teens. An avid and concerned conservationist, Jeff looks forward to using his years as an educator to introduce children of all ages to the furry, four-legged members of the animal kingdom.
RICK PRICKETT
COMMUNITY LIAISON – Rick was the Director of Cultural Tourism for the San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for 10 years. His prime duties were to promote arts and culture to the tourism community and to forge significant partnerships between the San Diego region, the arts community, and local businesses. He brings decades of community advocacy to the Board of Directors and is the perfect person to act as Community Liaison.
MELISSA DAWSON
FUNDRAISING – Melissa has amassed over 20 years of business integration expertise, team development and entrepreneur leadership training. She has extensive experience in the corporate world and is now applying those skills to entrepreneurial ventures that are aligned with her passions and desires to make real change in the world in areas of critical importance. She specializes in recruiting key players and team building to achieve common goals. Her primary focus is to make a lasting impact by building a sustainable future for our earth and all living beings.
ADVISORY EXPERTS
ANDY BLUE
ANIMAL MANAGEMENT / LIAISON – Andy is a world-renown animal expert – with experience at the San Diego Zoo / San Diego Safari Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom for over 30 years. He has held positions of animal keeper, animal care manager, and Associate Curator of Mammals. Responsible for animal shipments, exhibit design, and animal welfare. His work has taken him around the world including Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, India, and South America. As an opening team member at Disney’s Animal Kingdom he has dedicated his life to improving animal welfare and wildlife trafficking. Current work includes projects in Ukraine, Somalia, Iraq, and Cuba. As director of the San Diego Humane Society and Project Wildlife Ramona he oversees care for 1500 injured or orphaned animals a year including Mountain Lions, Bears, Coyotes, and Raptors.
DR. CARMINE BAUSONE, DVM
VETERINARY CONSULTANT – Dr. Bausone is the owner of Companion Animal Wellness Center. He is passionate about combining the best of Western and Eastern medicine to keep animals healthy and thriving.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Bausone graduated from the University of California at Davis, with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1996. He has a passion for providing holistic medical therapies to all species with extensive training in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Acupuncture. He is the region’s foremost vet in integrative medicine practices with blending cutting edge technology with ancient wisdom.
JOE TERZI
HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT – Joe began his career with Sheraton and was the GM for a diverse set of hotels. He was promoted to VP of Operations overseeing all Starwood brands in California and Nevada and promoted to Sr. VP where he remained until 2009. Joe was recruited as President and CEO for the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA). Under his stewardship, SDTA has received numerous industry recognitions. Joe was a founding member of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District and serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, CalTravel Assoc., Visit California and several other local organizations. (prospective)
LINDSAY NAHMIACHE
MARKETING CONSULTANT – Multi-award-winning co-founder of Jive PR + Digital, with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver. She bring extensive experience in all areas of modern marketing practices having worked for E! Entertainment in London and also Bollywood and with a truckload of communications experience, she is now the best in the business when it comes to helping companies create financial and social impact in the brand and entertainment industries. An adviser for UBC (University of British Columbia) on course curriculum for Digital Communications, a mentor for FWE (Forum for Women Entrepreneurs), and co-founder of the not-for-profit Projecting Change Film Festival as well as working tirelessly towards fostering entrepreneurship and financial literacy in youth.
REBEKAH HALL
BUSINESS PLANNING – Rebekah is a veteran business coach with over 15 years of experience and has worked with over 2500 companies. Her expertise is centered right in the middle of the action as an operations and systems expert. She spent 8 years running a company developing systems and processes around sales, marketing strategies, product
development, revenue modeling, scalability, and leadership.
Working with startups to multi-million dollar established companies, she has the skill set to work through most roadblocks that you may be experiencing in your growth to
success.
KEVIN BOYER
REGENERATIVE / SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONSULTANT – Founding Director of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation. Before starting RAF, he spent 5 years managing the Regenerative Rangelands and Composting programs at The 11th Hour Project of The Schmidt Family Foundation. Kevin has worked for several food and farm-related nonprofits, and he grew up in Tulare County, California (one of the agriculture capitals of the world) surrounded by conventional agriculture. He maintains an active role in a California citrus farm that is transitioning to regenerative practices. (prospective)
RHONDA PLACA MASCHKA
ANIMAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST – Rhonda brings over 20 years experience in animal welfare working in AZA accredited facilities. Her passion, wisdom and humor have made her well-known in the industry as a leading expert in animal education for children of all ages. She also specializes in community education and animal behavior and has been instrumental in creating programs for staff learning and development at the San Diego Humane Society.
MARY ROWE SAMPLE,ME
EDUCATION SPECIALIST – Mary brings two decades of enriching teaching experience. Renowned for her exceptional teaching prowess, Mary is not only a cherished educator among her colleagues but also a highly requested teacher by families themselves, with the privilege of instructing multiple siblings over the years.
Mary’s instructional style is a remarkable blend of innovation and compassion, uniquely tailored to inspire growth even among the most vulnerable and complex students. Her genuine passion for mathematics and her skill in fostering intellectual connections in children while nurturing their innate abilities make her an irreplaceable asset to our team.
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
