Executive Director

Jenny DeSarro

Jenny comes to Wyoming Untrapped with a robust background in environmental education, conservation advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. A Wyoming native, her conservation ethic and journey toward weaving ecological understanding and cultural fluency stem from joining her dad in the incubation room to monitor bird eggs from around the globe as part of a broader effort to restore threatened waterfowl through captive breeding programs. Jenny holds a Bachelor of Science from Utah State University and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Lesley University. When off the clock, Jenny enjoys exploring nature with her husband, Matt Hall, and their labrador Ike.

Board of Directors

Lisa Robertson

  • President (Co-Founder)

Lisa is a co-founder of Wyoming Untrapped.  She has been involved with land and wildlife conservation projects for more than 40 years. She pilots her small Cessna aircraft, from which she takes big-picture images of the landscape to document wild places, often those at risk. She has provided pro-bono aerial radio telemetry and monitoring for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wolf Recovery Project and for various non-profit organizations, agencies and individuals researching and documenting populations of wolves, grizzlies, cougars, coyotes, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, moose, lynx, owls, falcons and other birds. Whenever possible, laughter is on the daily agenda.

“Wyoming’s wildlife management is not keeping pace with our modern society’s shifting views on the intrinsic value of our wildlife,” she says. “Programs and agencies need to transform to engage and serve broader constituencies, which will create a safe and humane environment for all our people, pets and wildlife. It’s time.”  With civility and compassion, we can succeed.

Debbie Reis

  • Director (Co-Founder)

Debbie Reis is a Wyoming Untrapped co-founder, and conservation advocate who heads our trap-release workshops. She has been a board member and Events Coordinator for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and a volunteer with other valley organizations. An admirer of the late Mardy Murie, Debbie was honored to meet Mardy at her 101st birthday party and came away aspiring to be the type of person who made a difference. She has volunteered for St. John’s Living Center, the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Conservation Alliance, and supports a host of animal and human rights organizations.

By working with Wyoming Untrapped, Debbie hopes to inspire others to join and help create a safe and humane environment for people, pets and wildlife. “We all deserve to feel safe when hiking on our public lands,” she says.

Whitney Royster

  • Secretary/Treasurer

Whitney Royster has worked as a natural resources reporter for most of her career. She graduated with a dual degree in English and Political Science from Duke University, then obtained a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She covered the environment for the state of Wyoming and for Teton County and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. When not chasing her two young children, she helps Wyoming Untrapped with media coverage and long-term strategy.

Leslie Patten

  • Vice President

Leslie Patten has worked with land her entire life. As a professional landscape designer in the San Francisco Bay Area, her gardens were featured in Garden Conservancy and local art tours. While living in Northern California, she worked with school-age children, helping them explore the unique ecology of redwood forests and coastal tide pools. In 2005, she moved to the Cody area where she spends summers backpacking throughout the Greater Yellowstone region. Leslie is passionate about changing laws to protect wildlife from the outdated custom of trapping. She believes education is key. Her own dog was caught in a leghold trap on public lands. She is the author of three books, her latest one on mountain lions entitled Ghostwalker: Tracking a Mountain Lion’s Soul through Science and Story.

Karen Hanson

  • Director

I received my BA in Zoology from UC Berkeley and my professional career was in college textbook publishing. I currently live in California (Mill Valley and Tahoe), but spent almost 20 years living part-time in Victor. I left the Tetons in late 2019, but return several times a year to enjoy the beauty, wildlife, and stay connected with friends. I love traveling and staying active with my beautiful dog Riley.

I am a passionate photographer and videographer, using my skills to help conservation organizations whenever possible. I’ve served as a judge for the Jackson Wild film festival for several years, and have won several major photo contests with my wildlife images and videos.

I served on the Board of Directors for Western Watersheds Projects for several years and while residing in Victor worked on a couple of media projects for the Teton Raptor Center and the Teton Regional Land Trust.  I have recently joined the Board of Directors for Rewilding Idaho. I am very excited to join the Board of Directors for Wyoming Untrapped to help this incredible organization move forward with their ambitious goals.

Advisory Council

Sharon Brown, Advisory Council

S Sharon Brown

Dr. Franz Camenzind, Advisory Council

D Dr. Franz Camenzind

Bernadine Craft, Advisory Council

B Bernadine Craft

Melissa Groo, Advisory Council

M Melissa Groo

J Jeff Hogan

Asher Jay, Advisory Council

A Asher Jay

Penny Maldonado, Advisory Council

P Penny Maldonado

Kristine O'Brien

K Kristine O’Brien

D Dave Pauli

Ashleigh Scully, Advisory Council

A Ashleigh Scully

Gary L. Shockey, Advisory Council

G Gary L. Shockey

WU Board Member Peggy Struhsacker

P Peggy Struhsacker

Our work has been generously supported and funded through individual donors,
businesses and the following organizations: