ORCA CONSERVANCY STAFF

Shari Tarantino
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

  • Shari joined Orca Conservancy as a volunteer Board President in 2011 and became Executive Director in 2020, where she also leads development and fundraising initiatives to support the organization’s mission.

    She directs strategic efforts to protect and recover the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whale population through science‑based advocacy, robust regulatory engagement, and steadfast public accountability.

    With a focus on addressing the root causes of SRKW decline; including insufficient prey availability, toxic contamination, vessel noise, and gaps in environmental oversight, Shari ensures decision-making is guided by evidence, integrity, and long-term stewardship.

Tamara Kelley
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

  • Tamara joined Orca Conservancy in 2012 and has held many different roles in the organization including Secretary and President prior to moving into the role of Director of Development.

    Tamara graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts and has 10 years experience in eCommerce, digital marketing, and content creation. Tamara has been instrumental in producing thought-provoking videos as well as managing our mission statement and branding across all social media channels.

    In 2021, she successfully completed and became a member of the Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAM).

    Tamara enjoys the outdoors, videography, surfing, snowboarding, whale watching, and traveling.

Zoie Tingstad
FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR

  • Zoie began volunteering with Orca Conservancy in 2025 as Fundraising Coordinator, working to secure grants, cultivate donor relationships, and bring in the resources that make this work possible. For anyone who wants to give to Orca Conservancy, she works to make that as meaningful and seamless as possible.

    A Pacific Northwest native, Zoie was born and raised on Whidbey Island before spending two decades in Los Angeles and Las Vegas building a professional career and living adventurously along the way. When she returned home, she made a deliberate choice: to direct everything she’d learned toward something she truly cared about. For Zoie, that’s always been the Southern Residents.

Chloe Kotik, PhD Student
ASSOCIATE RESEARCHER

  • Chloe is a doctoral candidate at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she researches the life history and anthropogenic contamination of Bigg’s killer whales. She joined Orca Conservancy's board of directors in 2023 and moved into a staff role as an Associate Researcher in 2024.

    Chloe earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and has been researching the health, behavior, and population dynamics of killer whales in the eastern North Pacific ever since.

    She is passionate about conducting research that can be directly incorporated into the conservation and management of free-ranging cetaceans and is thrilled to extend the scope of that work alongside the Orca Conservancy.

Silver Hubble
FULFILLMENT COORDINATOR

  • Originally from CT Silver moved west and settled in CO for almost 20 years where she earned her A.A.S in Veterinary Technology and worked a number of jobs in the veterinary field.

    The water was always calling, and she and her husband made their way to Bellingham in September 2021. Her work consists of long days handling equines for veterinary surgeries.

    When she’s not working or taking care of her animals she is by the water with binoculars for long hours looking for whales.

    Her first time out in 2022 looking for whales in Saratoga Passage is where she met Tamara Kelly from Orca Conservancy. Before she knew it she began absorbing and learning all she could about the orcas In this area. Silver has the super power of being able to spot whales, even when it seems none are around. She has been known to have lengthy conversations with strangers by the water visiting the area and is always happy to share knowledge and answer questions they may have about the whales in the area as well as tell them how they too can spot some!

    There is always so much to learn and in the future she would like to continue to find ways to become involved and continue volunteering on habitat projects and is interested in bridging the gap between Bellingham and the South Sound with additional projects and community outreach.

SALMON HABITAT RESTORATION STAFF

Samantha Hazard
SITE DIRECTOR

  • As a lifelong resident of Western Washington, Sam is very passionate about maintaining and restoring local ecosystems and the habitat features that are unique to the Pacific Northwest, particularly as it relates to salmon.

    Sam loves spending solitary time in nature, and her favorite place on earth is along the banks of the Nooksack River near Mt. Baker.

Andrew Schnereger
TECHNICIAN

  • Andrew Schnereger is a restoration project planner and manager who restores the Green River and its tributaries along the Green River watershed to create better habitats for the native salmon populations by using adaptive management prescriptions to meet the unique challenges of each project site.

    Andrew believes that in order to bring back and stabilize the salmon population, a healthy, thriving watershed is key to their survival.

    Andrew has successfully eradicated non-native/invasive plant species from a restoration site and replaced them with native plants conducive to the area. Currently, he is working on his first solo restoration site that encompasses both a stream and a wetland.

    Andrew is trained in native plant identification, stream and wetland monitoring, and many hours working in the field. Andrew earned his AAS with honors in Natural Resources with an emphasis on park management and forestry from Green River College.

    When he is not outside restoring watersheds, Andrew can be found with his wife and two crazy young kids watching football, tasting craft beer, and grilling quality meats. He loves building things with Legos with his 6-year-old son Cassius or taking his 3-year-old daughter Xochitl for walks in the woods

Madison Brown
TECHNIICIAN

  • Madison Brown is studying Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation science at Oregon state university. She worked with the Washington Conservation Corps as a technician and assistant supervisor for two years and bring knowledge on large scale restoration projects and the techniques needed to organize and lead them.

    Madison combines hands-on fieldwork experience with education in visual communication using art to inspire local stewardship and protect native ecosystems. I bring expertise in visual communication and stakeholder collaboration, having worked alongside local governments, and community organizations like the Pierce Conservation District.

    Driven by a passion for biodiversity and ecological justice, Madison believes in empowering communities to restore and sustain healthy, thriving environments.

ORCA CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steve Christianson, J.D.
PRESIDENT | ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

  • Steve, Orca Conservancy’s Board President, works to advance the protection and recovery of the Southern Resident killer whales and their habitat.

    He has played a key role in policy and advocacy efforts, including Orca Conservancy’s petition to list Southern Resident killer whales under the California Endangered Species Act.

    Steve brings expertise in policy, science, advocacy to support science-based decision-making, regulatory engagement, and collaborative initiatives that safeguard this critically endangered population and the ecosystems on which they depend.

Matt Gundred
TREASURER | ACCOUNTING

  • Matt joined Orca Conservancy in 2020 and was formally employed with Pacific Whale Foundation as their Accounting Director in Maui, Hawaii. Matt is also a Director on the Pacific Whale Foundation Australia’s board.

    Matt holds an BA from University of Puget Sound, an MBA in Accounting from the University of Phoenix, and has 30+ years of corporate accounting/tax experience.

    Matt grew up in a U.S. Navy family stationed at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and he graduated from Oak Harbor High School. Matt has resided in San Diego, California since 2023.

    In his free time, Matt enjoys hiking, water sports (surfing, paddling, rowing), team sports (baseball, softball, volleyball), & snowboarding.

Kendra Nelson, BSC
SECRETARY

  • Kendra joined Orca Conservancy in 2022 and has worked in communications roles for environmental nonprofits in British Columbia.

    Growing up in Texas and Arizona, Kendra had a deep love for orcas that drove her to pursue studying marine science. While in university, she worked as a lab and teaching assistant for genetics, marine biology, animal behavior, and invertebrate zoology courses. During this time, she began to advocate for policy change and education for Southern Residents via social media and working with environmental nonprofits based in Washington. After graduating with a BSc in marine biology in 2020, Kendra moved to British Columbia to work for Salish Sea conservation organizations, over the years working for organizations focused on the Fraser River, salmon, orcas, estuaries, eelgrass, and the intertidal. She also resides on the board for the Adam’s River Salmon Society. Kendra advocates for a watershed wide lens when it comes to conservation and restoration work, as what occurs upstream impacts everything below. She brings a wealth of knowledge about salmon and current affairs in British Columbia to the Orca Conservancy board. 

     When Kendra is not working, she may be out watching whales, reading, exploring the eelgrass meadows, or looking for salmon.

Sara Madura
BOARD DIRECTOR

  • Sara joined Orca Conservancy in 2021. 

    Originally from Michigan, she has loved orcas since childhood. After having many encounters with the Southern Resident killer whales during a college internship she became passionate about protecting them. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Grand Valley State University.

    Upon moving to Washington, she has participated in beach cleanups, habitat restoration, and educational events in support of the orcas. 

    Sara currently resides in Seattle, working within the veterinary medicine field. She loves photography, reading, paddleboarding, and cold plunging in her free time. 

Nichole Novak
BOARD DIRECTOR

  • Nichole joined Orca Conservancy in 2022.

    Nichole has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

    She is passionate about conservation and sustainability and serves on the Green Team at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, where she works as a Volunteer Coordinator.

    Nichole moved to Washington from California in 2019 and loves to spend her free time hiking, exploring on her paddleboard, reading, and volunteering.

Kayley Pingeon
BOARD DIRECTOR

  • Kayley graduated from Green River College in 2021 with an associate’s degree in Natural Resource Management for Parks and Recreation Management, Water Quality Management, Forestry Management and Geographic Information System (GIS). Kayley just recently completed her double major at the University of Washington in Environmental Studies and American Indian Studies.

    Fall of 2023 Kayley will be continuing her education in graduate school at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Much of her educational goals are centered around her passions for the Southern Resident orcas, environmental justice, sustainability, biodiversity, and native plants.

    Kayley grew up in Washington which has led to her passion for the Southern Resident killer whales. Her passions have grown to include salmon and all things related to their conservation and to how humans can coexist with all living and non-living things on this planet, which directly relates to the protection of the SRKWs.

    Kayley is also working with the Green River College managing a group of Student interns called Free the Green, doing restoration work along salmon-bearing streams and rivers in the Green River watershed. She also works with the Green River Coalition helping to manage high school and middle school interns on stream restorations along the Green Duwamish River as well as helping lead community habitat restoration events that help to support the salmon, local biodiversity, and orcas.

    Recently, Kayley has been looking into ways that traditional foods can be incorporated and prioritized when planning restoration sites, and is looking to continue that journey with her graduate work.

Additional Team Members

Aly Kohlman
VOLUNTEER | WRITER & NATURALIST

  • Aly spent most of her life in the prairies of Alberta, Canada, but her lifelong passion for whales caused her to pack up and move her entire family to Vancouver Island, BC. There she studied biology for several years with Vancouver Island University, but is currently taking time away from school to focus her attention on other projects.

    Aly is a marine naturalist who works on the water, educating the general public about marine mammals and the Salish Sea. She believes that the easiest way to convince people to conserve and protect a species is by creating an emotional attachment to an individual. Aly loves storytelling and strives to tell compelling stories about individual whales in hopes that it will spark a desire to protect that animal as well as its kin.

    When Aly is not on the water, she is a content creator who focuses primarily on orca-related content, allowing her to extend the reach of her message. She is also a married mother of two and enjoys hiking and hanging out with her family.

Mary Kate ‘MK’ Rosack
CONSULTANT

  • MK joined Orca Conservancy in 2020 and is a strategic marketing and fundraising leader with a passion for protecting whales and our oceans. She brings a unique perspective with diverse experience in corporate sales, marketing, and communications, as well as nonprofit board governance and higher education fundraising.

    MK currently serves as Executive Director of Annual Giving at Vanderbilt University. Prior to Vanderbilt, she was a corporate marketer at Fortune 500 companies such as Procter & Gamble and Darden Restaurants. A native of Florida, MK earned her MBA and BS in Advertising from the University of Florida. MK is a lifelong learner, recently completing her M.Ed. in Leadership and Organizational Performance and currently working on her Ed.D. in Leadership and Learning in Organizations at Vanderbilt's Peabody College.

    MK is passionate about volunteering, assisting with the recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale population, and protecting the wild places on which it depends.

Kylo
ORCA CONSERVANCY K-9

  • Kylo is an 8-year-old rescue border collie mix. He loves playing fetch and going to the beach to look for whales with his owner Tamara.

    Kylo is a very observant dog, and when whales and cetaceans are close enough for him to hear, he enjoys watching them and sometimes trying to chase and keep up with them from shore.

    He saw his first ever orcas in the summer of 2022, when J31 Tsuchi, J56 Tofino, and J46 Star passed close to shore. Since that encounter, Kylo now recognizes the sound of whale exhales, and when he hears them he immediately looks to the water and watches the whales.

    After his first encounter with a few of the J11s Kylo has been quite a lucky pup to have had multiple close passes with members of the J11s. Kylo has also had some close passes with transients, where he saw the T46s, T36As, T34s, and T37Bs.

    The J11s (Kylo's Version) graphic in the Orca Shop was designed custom for Kylo to celebrate his promotion from "unofficial Orca Conservancy volunteer" to the official OC dog.