Staff

Suzanne West - Executive Director/Board Member (please see bio under Board Of Directors section)

 

  

Jessica Paolello - Clinic Manager, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator 

Jessie joined Sarvey in December 2013. She graduated top of her class as a Veterinary Assistant at the Great Lakes Institute of Medical Careers and in her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Geography at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. 

While attending college, Jessie started volunteering at Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Pennsylvania working with birds of prey.  This experience led her to pursue other opportunities in caring for wildlife. She worked as an intern with Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Bellingham, WA (now known as Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Center) and The Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples, Florida.

Jessie also spent time volunteering at the FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Johannsonburg, South Africa. Before accepting the position at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center, she worked as the Avian Care Specialist at the Center for Birds of Prey, in Mt. Pleasant, SC. During her time there, she furthered her knowledge of raptors, as the center boasts 120 different species from around the world. 

As Clinic Manager, Jessie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Sarvey Wildife Care Center. She has helped to incorporate new medical techniques, husbandry, and wildlife care to our hospital. Her favorite animals are beavers and porcupines.  She enjoys teaching the public about co-existing with wildlife and how to humanely and non-violently remove unwanted wildlife from their homes.

 

Jonathan Pusateri, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator

Jonathan joined Sarvey full-time in 2019. Previously, he was a seasonal staff member in 2018, and a baby season intern in 2017. He graduated from Washington State University Tri-Cities in 2017, where he received a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Technology. 

Jonathan has worked with wildlife at several other facilities. In 2016, he was a PAWS Wildlife Center intern working primarily with baby songbirds. He was a volunteer at Blue Mountain Wildlife where he learned about working with raptors. He also traveled to China for several months to work with moon bears rescued from bile farms. Jonathan is happy to be back at Sarvey helping wildlife in the area where he was raised. His favorite part of the rehabilitation process is being able to see the transformation of an animal from intake to release. 

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 - Assistant 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. She passed the state exam this fall and we are happy to have her on the team. During the spring of 2021, Amanda was promoted to Assistant Clinic Manager.  

Cathryn Gandy - 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. 

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. 

McKenna Merrifield - Office Assistant