Staff

Suzanne West - Executive Director/Board Member 

please see bio under Board Of Directors section

Lesley Kovar, DVM - Consulting Vet and Sarvey Board Director

Dr. Lesley Kovar graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991, before moving across the country to settle in Seattle. Dr. Kovar has been practicing small animal medicine at Bothell Pet Hospital since 1993, and also has experience with exotic pets and birds. She spent several years working at a zoo in New Jersey, and has a passion for wildlife. She feels fortunate to be able to offer her services to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center and in January 2020, Dr. Kovar joined the Board of Directors. 

Amanda Baer-Peckham - Clinic Manager, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator

Amanda joined the staff at Sarvey in January, 2020 and is excited to have the opportunity to fulfill her passion of helping wildlife. She had been an intern during the 2018 Baby Season and returned as a seasonal staff member the following summer. Amanda graduated from Washington State University in December 2019, where she received a B.S in Earth and Environmental Sciences with a focus in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Sciences.

Amanda discovered her love of working with wildlife after completing a volunteer abroad program in Laos at an elephant conservation center. After returning from Laos, Amanda changed her major from Microbiology to Wildlife Ecology. In November of 2020, Amanda transitioned from a Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant to becoming a licensed rehabilitator. In the spring of 2024, she took on the role of Clinic Manager. 

Cathryn Gandy - Assistant Clinic Manager, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator 

Cathryn joined Sarvey’s staff as a seasonal wildlife rehabilitation assistant in the spring of 2020 after graduating from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science. Prior to working for Sarvey Wildlife Care Center, she completed summer internships at Wildlife Images in southern Oregon, and Center for Wildlife in Maine. In the spring and summer of 2018, she worked as a rehabilitation staff member at Elaine Conners Wildcare in New Hampshire. 

After baby season 2020 ended, Cathryn was offered a permanent staff position at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center, and recently earned her Washington State wildlife rehabilitation permit. In the spring of 2024, she was promoted to Assistant Clinic Manager. 

Although Cathryn enjoys working with all of the animals that come into the center, her favorite patients are the baby opossums and songbirds that come in for care in the spring and summer months. Her favorite part of the rehabilitation process is watching hand-reared animals grow up and finally be released back into the wild where they belong. 

Jonathan Pusateri - Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator 

Jonathan joined Sarvey full-time in 2019. Previously, he was a seasonal staff member in 2018 and an intern in 2017. He graduated from Washington State University Tri-Cities in 2017 with a B.S. in biology and concentration in environmental technology. 

Jonathan has interned and volunteered at several other wildlife facilities such as PAWS Wildlife Center, Blue Mountain Wildlife, and China Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu, China. In addition to this experience, he has worked as a veterinary assistant at The Bird and Exotic Clinic of Seattle.

Jonathan is excited to return to Sarvey, where he can contribute to the conservation of wildlife in his hometown area. His most cherished aspect of the experience is witnessing the journey of an animal from intake to eventual release.

Alise Rector - Wildlife Rehabilitator Apprentice 

Alise joined the team in October 2024 and is excited to contribute to the mission of Sarvey Wildlife Care Center. Alise holds a BSc in Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish from Western Washington University (2017) and an MSc in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation from the University of Bristol (2021).

Her background of wildlife experience includes seasonal wildlife rehabilitation roles, internships, and research projects both locally and internationally. Alise has worked with organizations such as PAWS Wildlife Care Center, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in San Antonio, Alturas in Costa Rica, and Wildtracks in Belize. In addition to her wildlife experience, Alise has served as a veterinary assistant at the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine in Bothell, and as an interpretive naturalist at Deception Pass State Park. Passionate about conservation medicine, Alise is committed to making a positive impact in the field. 

 

Kelley Goodrich - Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant 

Bio coming soon

Allie Scheifele - Wildlife Admissions Specialist

Allie joined Sarvey’s staff in January 2024 as the Wildlife Admissions Specialist. Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, she caught the nature bug early, falling in love with animals and the great outdoors. Allie’s academic journey led her to Montana State University, where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Sciences in 2020. Over seven years, she immersed herself in the captivating beauty of Montana, spending six years in Bozeman and one in the picturesque ski town of Big Sky.

In October 2023, Allie made the exciting move to Washington to chase her dream of working in Wildlife Conservation, eventually finding her way to Sarvey. Excited to be part of the team, her love for animals and the daily joy of learning new things make Sarvey the perfect fit for her. She is thrilled to contribute to the Sarvey mission and is particularly eager to play a role in releasing rehabilitated wildlife back to their natural habitats.