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.

Treasurer

She/They

Email: nicole@reptilecenter.org

Nicole has been with RACR since it was originally formed! Her interest in reptiles began in youth, advocating for humane solutions to coexisting with the local garter snakes who occupy our suburban spaces. She acquired a few reptiles of her own as her interest developed, a California King Snake (Sir Hiss) and a bearded dragon (Laurel).

Her favorite thing about reptiles is how different they are from humans, and how there is always something new to learn about them. When she's not working with herptiles, Nicole spends her time crocheting and horseback riding.

Secretary

They/He

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.

Social Media Coordinator

She/Her

Email: stephanie@reptilecenter.org

Stephanie has been an avid animal lover her entire life. As a child, she would spend hours in her grandmother's garden obsessing over 'roly poly' bugs, snakes and other critters she crossed paths with. Spending time with animals and immersing herself in their world was a calming and important experience that has remained a big part of her life today.

Stephanie's background is in art and she has a BFA from Metro State University. Today she utilizes these skills to create animal artwork and pet portraits. Stephanie has also become certified as a Master Herpetologist via The Amphibian Foundation and she loves to combine her passion of art and animals in hopes of painting stigmatized creatures in a loving light.

Stephanie also keeps a wide variety of reptiles (and mammals) as pets - many of which are rescues. Her hopes in joining RACR is to support the mission of advocating for reptiles and to help people understand the importance of rescue, adoption, conservation, and education.

Adoption Coordinator

He/Him

chad@nreptilecenter.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

He/Him

Keith has always had a deep passion for herpetofauna, inspired in large part by Steve Irwin. Growing up in Alabama, he spent his childhood catching any reptiles and amphibians he could find, especially snakes, his favorite. From an early age, he knew his future would involve working with reptiles.

Though he doesn’t currently own any, Keith loves caring for the herpetofauna at RACR. He once had an iguana that was a beloved part of his family, further strengthening his connection to these incredible animals.

Recently, Keith was given an exciting opportunity to focus more on his true passion: wildlife conservation. While rattlesnakes hold a special place in his heart, he is dedicated to all conservation efforts that support herpetofauna. This opportunity has also led him to pursue a biology degree and enroll in venom programs with The Rattlesnake Conservancy.

Before fully committing to his work with wildlife, Keith served in the U.S. Navy until he was medically discharged. Now, he’s channeling his dedication and experience into protecting and preserving the reptiles he’s loved his whole life.

Outside of his work with wildlife, Keith is a devoted partner to Lorena and a proud father to two amazing children, Hezekiah and Carolina. His love for nature and conservation is something he hopes to pass down to them, inspiring the next generation to appreciate and protect the world’s incredible creatures.

Board Member

He/They

Email: info@reptilecenter.org

Marcus Glade is a Conservationist and Colorado Native. Born and raised in the Denver Metropolitan area, he transplanted to Fort Collins for educational purposes when he decided to study at Colorado State University in 2019. Several years later Marcus was introduced to the Reptile and Amphibian Center of the Rockies where he volunteered for roughly a year before becoming a board member as well. 

While Marcus loves helping out at the rescue, his passion for animals, and particularly reptiles, started much earlier in life. Marcus’ passion for herpetology started around the age of 5 when he decided he would become a herpetologist after housing his first pet snake. Fast forward nearly 25 years and in Spring of 2023 Marcus became certified as a Master Herpetologist with the Amphibian Foundation where he was also briefly a teaching assistant.

Additionally, Marcus has housed and cared for a menagerie of reptile and amphibian species. On the side Marcus operates a small marketing agency which accommodates all businesses but primarily supports environmental and animal welfare groups. Marcus is a valuable contributor to the RACR team and will continue to be a contributing force moving forward.

Advisory Board Member

They/Them

Neon has been working in animal welfare since 2020, and developed a particular fondness for the less furry and feathery creatures. From education to rehabilitation, their fascination with herpetology is a driving motivator for Neon’s dedication to RACR.

There is a significant need for empathy and advocacy within the herpetological field, and Neon thoroughly enjoys altering peoples' perspectives on these highly misunderstood creatures. 

In their spare time, you can find Neon flipping rocks and logs looking for elusive herpetofauna right here in Colorado.

Advisory Board Member

She/They

Hannah is a graduate of Colorado State University, where they received their B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology with a concentration in wildlife biology.

She is passionate about a wide variety of ecological sciences but has always held a special place in her heart for reptiles and amphibians. They enjoy spending time with friends, making art, and educating the community about science!

During her time at CSU, Hannah participated in field studies in southern Colorado working alongside professionals and other growing scientists to collect data on the Colorado Checkered Whiptail lizard (Aspidoscelis neotesselatus). She published this paper as part of her CSU senior honors thesis with the help of advisor Dr. Lise Aubry.

Hannah is currently living out of state working on converting a shuttle bus into an RV so she and her partner can travel the country and work on all kinds of ecological conservation projects!

Advisory Board Member

She/Her/Hers

Gaby has had a passion for science and biology from a young age. A recent graduate from CSU with a degree in Biology, her goal is to forward scientific study to help the world better understand animals and our environment to find a way to better coexist with them.

Gaby is passionate about forwarding scientific research for sea turtles in South America.

Advisory Board Member

Renee and Nicole are a mother-daughter team that have been part of the herpetological society since its beginning.

Renee, previously RACR’s Treasurer, has always always supported her daughter in everything she does. Renee has a Bachelors of Science in Math as well as a wealth of experience in rental management. In her free time she enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends.

Advisory Board Member

She/Her

Email: emma@nocohs.org

Emma is a graduate student at Colorado State University pursuing her Master’s degree in Ecology.

Her passion for herpetofauna stems from her previous work researching environmental impacts on amphibian populations and her experience captive-raising endangered hellbender salamanders for release back into the wild.

She loves talking about these unique and wonderful creatures. The world is tough for amphibians and reptiles right now, so she believes that we all can help spread awareness and excitement about herpetofauna conservation.

In her free time, Emma enjoys gardening and spoiling her three-legged cat, Aggie.

Volunteer Coordinator

Shey/They

Email: maryalice@reptilecenter.org

Mary Alice was born and raised in the Deep South and began volunteering with RACR after arriving in Colorado in 2019. She has always had an affinity for nature and animals of all types, but her herpetophilia began with her work with RACR and continues to flourish today.

Her professional background spans journalism, communications, and veterinary medicine, and she looks forward to providing education and medical care for exotic critters in rural areas as a veterinarian in the future.

When she's not coordinating volunteers, helping out at outreach events or snapping photos, Mary Alice can be found spending time with her dog Jack, playing pub trivia, and putting in miles on the trails of Colorado and beyond.