Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release
Help Keep Wildlife Wild
(530) 432-5522
Board Meetings
Board meetings take place on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, from 4-6pm at the WRR Intake Center, 133A Joerschke Dr., Grass Valley. For more information, please email us.
Injured Wildlife?
- Give no Food or Water
- Keep Warm
- Keep Quiet
- Keep in a Dark Place
- Call (530) 432-5522
Quick Links
Current Board Members
President
Donna Betz
Donna started working with the WRR Raptor Team in 2005. She is a medical doctor and had an internist practice in Walnut Creek until her retirement in 1991. She finds her scientific background very useful in animal rehabilitation. Donna finds working with raptors and WRR to be exciting and challenging. She was appointed to the Board in 2008.
Vice President
Laurel Gunderson
Laurel Gunderson began her volunteer work with Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release in 2007 and is a member of the Raptor Team. Laurel holds a B.S. degree in Zoology (Entomology) from San Jose State University and a second B.S. degree from U.C. Davis in Landscape Architecture. Laurel shares her passion for all wildlife, especially raptors and ravens, with her husband Eric.
Treasurer
Bev Myers
Bev Myers has worked as a bookkeeper/accountant for over 35 years, owning her own practice for about 25 years. She has an extensive background working with non-profit organizations. Her speciality at Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release is raptors.
Secretary
Laura Vanderpool
Laura is a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in the care of small mammals. She is also active on the fund raising committee. Laura's career has been in the IT industry for the last 25+ years (mainly in database management and networking) but her passion has always been with helping animals of all kinds. She obtained a B.S. degree from U.C. Davis in Psychology specializing in Animal Behavior, is a certified dog trainer, and received Vet Tech training at De Anza College.
Director-at-large
Kim Franza
Kim is an active raptor rehabilitator and co-raptor team leader with Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release. She began full time training in early 2004 with Mike Furtado, founder of WR&R. Kim has rehabilitated and released 18 species of raptors. Kim has previously been a director at large on the WR&R board. She is a member of California Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and National Wildlife Rehabilitator Association. She presently owns a small property management business in Arizona and California. Her husband, Bernie, has owned and operated Franza Enterprises, Inc., for 18 years, a paving and concrete company in Grass Valley.
Director-at-large
Janet Goodban
Janet has been a wildlife rehabilitator since 2007, specializing in raptors. Even though she’s worked in offices her whole adult life, she has loved nature, the outdoors and animals beginning at a very young age. She has always had a special affinity for birds, especially birds of prey. Janet’s nearly 3 years of volunteering at the raptor clinic/facility has included weekly emergency on-call (rescue/transport/intake) work. Janet is a trained and experienced educational bird handler, having handled two Red-tailed Hawks, a Screech Owl, a Peregrine Falcon and a Great Horned Owl. In October 2009, she attended a 4-day intensive workshop at the University of MN College of Veterinary Sciences Raptor Center, furthering her knowledge of, and experience with, raptors. Janet is also a long-time member of the National Audubon Society and enjoys writing stories about her bird experiences, many of which have been published in the local Audubon and Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release newsletters.
Director-at-large
Janet Helminiak
Janet Helminiak is a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in songbirds. Since joining the songbird team in 2008, Janet has cared for, on the average, almost 80 birds per year. She also mentors new songbird rehabbers. Janet's goal as a rehabber is to learn as much as she can so she can further her success in rehabbing and releasing songbirds. When Janet is not rehabbing, she is an active member of the WRR fund-raising committee, taking part in many WRR fund-raisers, festivals, yard sales, and other functions. Janet also serves as Tuesday and Wednesday morning Shift Leader for the WRR Intake Center. Janet and her husband, Bob, own a metals testing lab where she manages the general office duties.
If you are interested in serving on the WRR board,
please email wrr_sectreas@cawildlife911.org