Meet our team
Our program leaders include the following: Arts Curator Heather McMordie, Mentorship Director Derek Russell, Media Manager Alex Hopwood, Content & Networking Strategist Shiri Lev and Creative Consultant, Deanne Fernandes. All are paid part-time consultants.
Our Executive Director is Dr. Lucy Spelman, who founded the organization in 2015. Watch her TEDxProvidence Talk.
Our Board of Directors includes Melissa Torres (Chair), Dr. Bianca Brown, Nicole Merola, Nick Jainschigg, Samantha Dempsey, Maeve Donahue, Cameron Little, Sophie Niemann and Dr. Kate Smith. Dr. Lucy is an Ex Officio member.
Our Writer-in-Residence is Susan Tacent. Our Poet-in-Residence is Christopher Kondrich. Dr. Lucy, Christopher, and Susan are co-editors of Creature Conserve’s first book, to be published by University of Minnesota Press in January 2025, Creature Needs: Writers Respond to the Science of Animal Conservation. Pre-order here!
Our creative team (2024-25) includes design engineering student Carlotta Gessler, multimedia artist and Lizzie Brown, and graphic designer Roye Zhang.
Banner artwork by Chloe Bulpin, “Long Live the King”
Art Can Save A Panda, Dr. Lucy Spelman, TEDxProvidence.
Dr. Spelman gives a passionate talk about her work and research around animals and beyond, complete with the obligatory cute animal photos.