Executive Director

She/They

Email: kate@reptilecenter.org

Kate Boyd grew up with a deep connection to animals and nature. She is inspired by Steve Irwin and Sir David Attenborough to continue to learn about the amazing animals that share our world and to find ways for humans to better respect and coexist with them.

Kate became particularly interested in herpetofauna while pursuing her degree in Zoology from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she participated in an internship at a Reptile and Amphibian Zoo and she was hooked. These often misunderstood animals needed a voice for their respect and conservation that she wanted to give to them.

Kate has been working in animal welfare since 2015 and can often be found presenting at our education and outreach programs, providing daily car for our rescues, and treating wildlife patients as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. She now lives with her large scaly and furry rescue family in Northern Colorado.

Vice President
Adoption Coordinator

She/Her

Email: rachel@reptilecenter.org

Rachel has always had a love and appreciation for reptiles and amphibians. Much of her childhood was spent caring for a variety of pets or exploring nature and looking for frogs and turtles in every pond or ditch.

This love for animals and the environment led her to pursuing a degree in Biology, and she is hoping to become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the future. Rachel loves meeting people who are unfamiliar or misinformed about herptiles, and educating them about these misunderstood animals.

Conservation of our wild species as well as providing proper husbandry and enrichment for our rescue animals and pets are two of her biggest passions.

When not working or volunteering, Rachel’s free time is spent much like it was in her childhood - taking care of her pets, enjoying nature, and admiring wildlife.

Secretary

They/Them

Email: axel@reptilecenter.org

Axel grew up in Buffalo, NY. They received their bachelor's of music in music education at Nazareth College of Rochester, and spent their early career teaching orchestra in the public school systems in New York and Colorado. Now, they are a road rep and instrument repair technician for a local music store, and are happy to have time to devote to RACR.

Axel’s love of reptiles started when they held their first snake, Nagi (Ball Python). They knew she just had to come home with them. Since then, they have acquired four more pet snakes. While their passion mainly centers around snakes, they have enjoyed working with many reptile and amphibian species as a RACR volunteer. They have witnessed the need for proper care and husbandry education for reptiles and amphibians, and are also excited to contribute to programs teaching young kids and adults alike about these amazing animals.

Adoption Coordinator

He/Him

chad@reptilecenter.org

Growing up in Florida, Chad always had a love and fascination with the abundance of wildlife around him, particularly the reptiles and amphibians. He spent many of his sick days home from school watching Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin on TV, which also fueled a passion for conservation which has carried with him through life.

Chad was beyond excited when his partner, Rachel, informed him about the Reptile & Amphibian Center of the Rockies (formerly the Northern Colorado Herpetological Society), and they both began volunteering in the beginning of 2022. The organization provides wonderful opportunities to share his passion for herptiles with the community. Chad believes that advocacy, education, rescue, and rehabilitation are all key to keeping our ecosystems healthy. He is aspiring to become a licensed animal rehabilitator so he can continue to make a positive impact on our local wildlife, while also continuing to make an impact helping the displaced pets of our community. 

When Chad is not volunteering, he likes to spend his spare time hiking and taking photos of our beautiful state, along with the wildlife we share it with. At home, his time is spent making music, and caring for his own cold and warm blooded pets.

Board Member

She/Her

theresa@reptilecenter.org

As a lifelong animal nerd, Theresa grew up catching horned lizards and finding garter snake friends in her backyard. Inspired by figures like Steve Irwin, Jane Goodall, and anybody who works in a zoo, her dedication to science and wildlife preservation has been a driving force throughout her life.

Theresa’s passion took her down the medical route and she became a Registered Veterinary Technician(RVT) in 2017 while also raising two incredible and compassionate humans. Theresa trained specifically in exotics medicine for several years combining clinical work and teaching veterinary students. She now serves as an educator for veterinary students to continue to guide the next generation of veterinarians, and helping some pursue their passion for exotic animal care.

Theresa believes that through proper education and positive interactions, we can help our community keep their reptile and amphibian pet companions healthy, and co-exist with native species happily.

When not volunteering, Theresa loves to spend time with her husband and two kids. Her family also includes a California Kingsnake, a Bearded Dragon, and a goofy Lab/Great Dane mix. When she finds free time, she loves to be crafty and spend time in nature.

Board Member

She/Her

anna@reptilecenter.org

Anna inherited a love for wild herpetiles from her dad whose excitement over finding snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and turtles makes every trip into nature extra special. From an early age, she learned a respect and admiration for wildlife that she continues to carry and share today. 

After college, Anna worked as a seasonal wildlife technician on a variety of monitoring projects across the country, including reptile and amphibian projects in the southeast. She is especially interested in research related to small vertebrate conservation and challenges to wildlife on the human-wildland interface. Today, she is a science educator in Fort Collins, drawing on her background in wildlife science to create place-based learning opportunities for students of all ages. She continues to share the excitement of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, and hopes that this experience will inspire folks to protect animals and the spaces they call home. 

In her free time, you'll find Anna riding a bike, watching a movie, or enjoying one of the amazing outdoor spaces Northern Colorado has to offer!