Our Experts

Dr. Kyle Burks recently joined the Wilder Institute’s executive team as President and CEO in January 2025.

With more than 20 years of diverse experience in broad-based management, wildlife conservation, and animal care, Dr. Burks brings a unique combination of animal expertise and cutting-edge business principles. He has held executive and senior leadership roles at Sacramento Zoo, Denver Zoo, and The Walt Disney Company. Most recently, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. Dr. Burks earned both his doctorate and master’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.

A passionate advocate for conservation, Dr. Burks is deeply committed to advancing the Wilder Institute’s mission of restoring balance between wildlife and human life, together. He has long admired the Wilder Institute’s impactful conservation

Jamie Dorgan is the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. As a member of the Executive Leadership team, Jamie provides strategic oversight to the teams responsible for Animal Care, Health and Welfare, Guest Services, Brand & Engagement, Facilities, and Conservation & Science.

His career in animal welfare and conservation management has spanned more than 20 years. He sits on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Animal Population Management Committee, as well as served on several endangered species recovery teams and played a leadership role in initiating several conservation programs, including the greater sage-grouse program at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

Dr. Gráinne McCabe joined the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in May 2023 as the Chief Conservation Officer. As a member of the executive leadership, she is responsible for leading strategic development for conservation translocations and community conservation initiatives, strengthening connections with stakeholders and partners, and coordinating research for a wide array of international programs dedicated to saving species at risk of extinction. In this newly created role, Gráinne is also responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight to the Conservation & Science Department.

Gráinne’s career has been spent at the intersection of zoos and conservation, most recently as the Head of Field Conservation and Science for Bristol Zoological Society, United Kingdom, where she directed global conservation work in 10 countries and provision of six university degree programs. She brings a wealth of expertise in leading transformations, translocations and capacity building to increase conservation impact exponentially.

Gráinne is a member of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, as well as a member of the IUCN BIOPAMA Regional Advisory Committee. She received her PhD in Ecological Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her Masters in Primatology from the University of Calgary in Alberta.

Steven Ross joined the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in March 2020 as the Chief Development Officer. As a member of the executive leadership, he is responsible for leading development, fundraising, and external relations. When the Calgary Zoo Foundation rebranded as the ‘Wilder Institute’ in 2021, Steven played a critical role in overseeing its brand development and continues to provide strategic and tactical leadership to enhance and build on Wilder Institute’s fund development portfolio and community engagement initiatives.

Steven is a CFRE certified environmental professional with more than 15 years of experience working in fund development and cause-marketing specializing in the development of strategic partnerships for leading non-profit organizations. He brings a great level of expertise in strategic planning, fund development, marketing and engagement, sustainability, project management, and leadership.

Adrian Hamfelt joined the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in March 2020 as the Controller and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2023.

Adrian is a financial executive with over 15 years of international experience leading teams through strategic, collaborative leadership and proactive approaches to complex business issues. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (with honours) from the University of British Columbia and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Colleen oversees Animal Care operations and provides strategic leadership to the dedicated team of Animal Care professionals  responsible for the care, health and welfare of the animals at the zoo, as well as the conservation species at the offsite Wildlife Conservation Centre and Archibald Biodiversity Centre.

Her career has spanned almost 3 decades with respected expertise in caring for animals large and small from all geographic regions of the world at multiple accredited zoos across North America. A native Calgarian, Colleen has a Bachelor of Science degree from Thompson University and is proud to be part of the critical conservation work being done locally and globally by the zoo and Wilder Institute, together.

Brandi provides strategic and operational leadership to the Wilder Institute’s Conservation & Science team across both the Conservation Translocation and Community Conservation portfolios. She works closely with the Animal Care, Health & Welfare team and numerous other stakeholders and partners to support, resource, communicate, and action the incredible conservation work of our team of scientists.

Brandi has over two decades of experience and a unique three-pronged background in ecology, science communication, and research operational management. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Behavioural Ecology from Simon Fraser University, honours BSc in Ecology from University of Guelph, graduate diploma in Science Communication from Laurentian University, and Creative Writing and Leadership certificate programs from University of Calgary. Her career has included ecological research in boreal forest and marine ecosystems, developing and leading programming for science centres and other STEM-based outreach organizations, teaching undergraduate courses in Ecology and Evolution as a sessional instructor at Canadian universities, and project and operational management of research programs in engineering and the neurosciences. While Brandi has worked in a range of STEM fields, her first passion has always been wildlife conservation.

For more than 20-years, Doug has played a key role in the care of the animals and the important conservation work we do. Doug leads the operation of the Animal Health Department, and oversees the Zoological Records and Animal Relocations. He is also an Associate Professor of Conservation Medicine at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and his Doctorate in Veterinary Science (Pathobiology) from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.

Doug is an internationally recognized specialist in zoological medicine, a field which integrates conservation, ecology, and veterinary medicine. His collaborative research focuses on One Health interactions through a conservation lens, and on bridging knowledge gaps between wildlife under human care and free ranging wildlife with the aim of improving the welfare and success of wildlife conservation efforts. He contributes regularly to the scientific community through presentations and publications, and is an Associate Editor for two international journals – the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.