About Friends of the Island Fox, Inc.

Friends of the Island Fox, Inc. is the joint effort of conservation professionals and concerned private citizens striving to create public awareness about the endangered island fox and to raise funds to support education, research and conservation measures to ensure the island fox’s survival.

The organization received 501 (c) (3) status (from the Internal Revenue Service) as a charitable and educational corporation in March, 2005.

To reach us:

Friends of the Island Fox, Inc.
3760 Groves Place
Somis, CA 93066

by phone: (805) 386-0386

e-mail: admin@islandfox.org

Photo Coming
(from left to right: Patricia M. Meyer, Catherin A. Schwemm , Keri F. Dearborn, Alan Varsik)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Patricia M. Meyer, President
Born and educated in England, Pat immigrated to Canada, and then to the United States, settling in Los Angeles where she completed her MBA through the University of Redlands, California. Following employment in advertising and marketing, the remainder of her career was spent as Vice-President of Personnel and Administration for a nationwide property-casualty insurance company, handling all aspects of human resource management and the administration of the company’s five corporate offices.


Catherin A. Schwemm, Secretary
Graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Master of Science in Biology. Currently a PhD student in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Catherin has worked as a park ranger and biologist at several national park sites including Channel Islands National Park. As the park's wildlife biologist she coordinated the initiation of island fox monitoring in 1992, and from that time until January, 2006 worked as a biologist and geographic information systems (GIS) specialist, focusing on issues relating to terrestrial vertebrate ecology.


Edna W. Moore, Treasurer
Graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BS in Business Administration, Accounting Emphasis. Edna is a CPA. With nearly thirty years of experience in finance and accounting, Edna began her career as a staff auditor at Arthur Young, progressing to the level of Senor Auditor with a focus in computer audits. Following her time in public accounting she began her career in industry working in various industries including construction (Taft Electric), biotechnology (Amgen) and most recently, agriculture. Her experience at Amgen included accounting, cost accounting, auditing, financial reporting and financial planning and analysis.



Keri F. Dearborn, Vice President
Graduated with a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1983. Keri is a nonfiction writer and a contributing author for a number of textbooks, teachers’ guides, and state literacy tests. A graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting (2000), Keri has also written for documentary films and studio marketing presentations. She has administered conservation and educational programs for the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Wild Birds Unlimited in Woodland Hills.


Alan Varsik, Vice President
Graduated with a BS in Environmental Biology from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. Worked as a keeper of a wide array of animals, earning an MA in Conservation Park Management from DePaul University. Since 1999 Alan has been the General Curator of the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens. Currently he serves on the expertise group to the Island Fox Recovery Coordination Group and is the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Island Fox studbook keeper and population manager.


Updated 02/01/08