Board of Directors


Cheryl is a licensed rehabilitator who has been with the Wildlife Department of the SPCA of Erie County since June of 1999. She is also a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. Cheryl has received her certificate for oil spill training and RVS training. In addition, she took the basic training for and joined EARS. She has been actively involved with the Board of Directors of NYSWRC since January 2002 and has assisted in the arrangements for the annual NYSWRC conference each year since that time. In 2003 Cheryl was nominated for and accepted the position of Secretary for NYSWRC.

In addition, Barbara has a nuisance wildlife license, is certified for Chemical Immobilization, Oil Spill Training, and Rabies Vector Species. One of her tasks as a board member, in conjunction with the NYS DEC Special License Unit, is to conduct the NYS Rabies Certification Course each year.
Barb has a Masters of Science in Adult and Public Education with a Certification in Human Resource Management from Buffalo State College. She has been a Veterinary Technician since 1985 in multiple animal realms. She currently works for the Webster Police Department in the Animal Control Unit, at Rochester Community Animal Clinic as a surgery technician and an Associate Professor for Medialle College in Veterinary Science.

Having earned a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State University and an MBA from the University at Buffalo, he serves as the Director of Business Operations for a large law firm in the Buffalo area. When not taking care of wildlife he spends a good portion of his free time flying around New York State as a licensed Private Pilot.

In April of 2003, Eileen became the Wildlife Clinic Supervisor at Volunteers for Wildlife. In 2005, Eileen stepped into a new role as the organization’s Executive Director. During her seven year tenure as executive director, she was a key part of the successful move of Volunteers for Wildlife’s long-time home to a new property in Nassau County.
Eileen holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Veterinary Technology Management from SUNY Delhi as well as a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Stony Brook University. She is now a Veterinary Technician at an animal hospital. Eileen is an active weekly volunteer, rescue transporter and rehabilitator with Volunteers for Wildlife. She holds a Class I Wildlife Rehabilitation license and is an IWRC Certified Wildlife rehabilitator. Eileen joined NYSWRC’s Board of Directors in November, 2016.


Matt oversees Hawk Creek‘s facilities, the barn owl propagation program, and animal care. Hawk Creek rehabilitates several hundred animals a year and permanently houses non-releasable birds of prey and other carnivores. Matt is also an environmental educator, reaching thousands of children annually. Hawk Creek currently presents over 2,500 educational programs in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. He is currently working on becoming a Falconer.

Ginnie has successfully completed both the IWRC’s Basic and Advanced Skills Seminars. She is a N.Y.S. Certified Euthanasia Technician, N.Y.S. Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator (Class 2) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Permit Holder for the Rehabilitation of Migratory Birds. Ginnie is also a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Permit Holder for Possession of Live and Dead Specimens.
Ginnie’s story “Nice Bird,” regarding a goose she once rehabilitated, appeared in the top selling book Chicken Soup for the Nature Lover’s Soul.” She was also featured in an article in People Magazine regarding animal heroes.

Lauren graduated from Connecticut College with a Bachelors Degree in Zoology in 2006 and obtained her Master’s degree in General Education from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY in 2008.

After several years of rehabbing squirrels, bunnies, woodchucks, possums, hawks and owls, she rehabilitated her first fawn and never looked back. She now specializes in white-tailed deer and the Virginia opossum.
She has been on the NYSWRC Board since 2006, is a member of NWRA and the National Opossum Association. She has been the neonatal care specialist for the Lakeshore Humane Society since 2008, is a foster mom for the Erie County SPCA, and a board member for the Tango Fund, which was established in 2012 and offers complimentary physical therapy for animals in need.
Terri is a graduate of Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations and spent 24 years as office manager for the Williamsville Teachers Association and Executive Assistant for the New York State United Teachers.

She was pleased to join the NYSWRC board in 2017.



Maggie earned a BA degree in psychology and special education from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY. She is a member of NYSWRC and NWRA and served on the NYSWRC Board of Directors from 2013-2015. She lives in Carmel, New York (Putnam County, Reg. 3)

Since then Cathy has worked, volunteered, and completed internships at other wildlife centers such as Wild Bird Fund (NY), The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, and The Progressive Animal Welfare Society (WA- her current home). Cathy is a former board member and current committee member of NYSWRC.
Advisory Board

Andrea was previously affiliated with Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, in the firm’s litigation department, before leaving to form The Sammarco Law Firm, LLP. She is admitted to practice in New York as well as the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Western District of New York.
Andrea is past Chair of the Erie County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Committee, and a regular presenter at CLE accredited regional and statewide conferences on topics of general interest, including alternative dispute resolution, labor and employment, and other issues. In addition to being a long time member of the Erie County Bar, Andrea has held memberships in the the Labor and Employment Relations Association of New York, the New York Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the New York Sate Bar Association. Andrea is also a certified mediator through the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Andrea received her law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with a Certificate of Concentration in State and Local Government Law. Andrea served as Attorney for the Town of Pendleton, New York from 2004 – 2013. More recently, Andrea serves as local counsel for class-actionwage and hour litigation on behalf of Buffalo Bills cheerleaders.
She is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Niagara Hospice, Inc., as Board Member of The Hospice & Palliative Care Group. Inc., and as Advisory Board Member and legal counsel to the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.
Andrea is a New York State licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and has volunteered for numerous charitable organizations, including the Bless the Beasts Foundation, the Erie County SPCA Wildlife Department and others, and served as in-house counsel for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a national animal rights/welfare organization. She lives in Clarence, New York with her husband Scott.

Jay Hyman Professor of Wildlife Medicine, emeritus
Research/Clinical Interests
Wildlife Health and Conservation, specifically Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, Reintroduction Medicine
Education and Training
1982 University of California, PhD
1974-1976 University of California Davis, Residency in Wildlife/Zoological Medicine
1972 University of Missouri, DVM
Westcott Hospital for Animals, Detroit, MI, Intern, Small Animal Practice
Board Certification
American College of Zoological Medicine


Diplomate – American College of Zoological Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor, Section of Zoological Medicine
Section Chief of Zoological Medicine
Research/Clinical Interests
Anesthesia
Elephant Medicine
Education and Training
1989-1991 University of Florida, Residency in Zoological and Wildlife Medicine
1988-1989 University of Florida, Combined program: Third year residency in Veterinary Anesthesiology and Training in Zoological and Wildlife Medicine
1986-1988 University of Florida, Residency in Veterinary Anesthesiology
1986 University of Montreal, Master of Sciences (Veterinary Clinical Sciences)
1984 University of Montreal, DVM
Board Certification
2004 American College of Zoological Medicine