Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Melissa Hailey

Member, Board of Directors

Melissa Hailey is a lawyer practicing at the firm of Keating Wagner Polidori Free, P.C., in Denver, where she represents plaintiffs in civil cases involving personal injury, insurance, and environmental matters. Prior to moving into private practice, Melissa worked as a staff attorney for WildEarth Guardians from 2006 – 2010. Since then, she served for six years on the board of directors for the Southern Plains Land Trust. Melissa’s love of the West began when her family moved to Denver from Memphis, TN in 1991. She is a wildlife enthusiast and all around animal lover. In addition to her work with WildEarth Guardians, Melissa is an active member of the Colorado Women’s Bar, the Colorado Trial Lawyer’s Association, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. She also serves as pro bono counsel for the board of directors of High Country News.

Rebecca Vitale Mandich

Member, Board of Directors

Rebecca Vitale Mandich of Palo Alto, CA and Tesuque, NM, was called early to the environmental movement to give voice to the voiceless. An advocate since the 70s, she received her degree in Environmental Studies taught by some of the big thinkers of the time such as Paul Ehrlich, Stewart Brand, Dr. Richard Leakey, Alan Chadwick, and Dr. Donald Aitken, who founded the program at SJSUC as one of first in the nation.

Utilizing that education, coupled with commitment and inspiration, Rebecca started taking actions from working in one of the first solar energy homes to working on ballot measures for better public transportation systems in the Bay Area. She assisted in opening the first Spanish-speaking office for Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992 and registered many in the local Hispanic community, hosting then candidate VP Gore to discuss the environment and community issues.

In the meantime, she married Mitch Mandich and has two grown children, Matthew and Madeleine, and various dogs and cats have graced their lives. Having traveled extensively, her favorite escape is camping in our national parks and on public monuments and lands, where she has experienced all manner of wildlife and wild places.

She became acquainted with WildEarth Guardians about six years ago when she read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about their lawsuit against U.S. Fish and Wildlife services regarding wolves. She sent them a letter and a fast friendship formed over their mutual love of all things wild.

Rebecca sees much hope in the future of the environmental movement that began with “Save the Whales" to now promoting a food and energy paradigm for the sustainability of natural resources. A deep political will and an openness to examine new ideas dictate her thinking. She feels that embracing environmental changes through engagement, both politically and through grassroots efforts, are paramount for the evolution of a responsible species to continue the ride on, what she affectionately refers to as, Spaceship Earth.

Gay Dillingham

Member, Board of Directors

Gay has consistently juggled her passions for the environment, public policy and communication to deepen our human experience and success while on this marvelous planet.

Co-Founder, Co-CEO of Earthstone International, LLC. Earthstone is an environmental Intellectual Property (IP) company manufacturing recycled glass into an engineered "white foam glass" for surface abrasion, non-toxic cleaning technologies, agriculture products and building materials.

Dillingham owns her own production company, CNS Communications and is an award winning producer/director. Her feature documentary, “Dying to Know” is currently on Netflix.

2003-2010 Dillingham was appointed by Governor Richardson to serve on the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board. The EIB is responsible for environmental management and consumer protection for the state. She Chaired the Board for six years managing the passage of many important regulations including green house gas reduction regulations.

2001-2015 She served as part time executive director for the Livingry Foundation, focusing on sustainable development and long term progressive infrastructure.

Other charitable board service has included New Mexico Association of Grantmakers, Bioneers, New Mexico Community College, New Voice of Business, the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, and World Security Institute out of DC. Dillingham has traveled to North Korea twice: 2010 with Governor Bill Richardson as an energy advisor and in 2015 as one of 30 international women delegates www.womencrossdmz.org.

Gay grew up under the open skies and with her two sisters still owns/operates a working ranch in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The past few years Gay has been working with Wild Earth Guardians on their Greater Gila Campaign.

Lindsay Larris

Wildlife Program Director

Lindsay Larris joined Guardians in April 2019 as the Wildlife Program Director. She strives to protect all species, great and small, in the West. Lindsay grew up in New Jersey and headed west after law school, discovering a passion for all things outdoors during 11 years in Southern California.

She received a B.A. in Political Science from NYU and a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School. While a law student, Lindsay co-founded the Journal of Animal Law and Ethics and helped bring an animal law clinic to Penn Law. Lindsay spent seven years practicing civil litigation in the Los Angeles area, working on environmental litigation, trust and estate litigation, and international arbitration, while doing as much pro-bono work as possible. Seeking a more fulfilling career, in 2013, Lindsay quit private practice, fled to Argentina for six months, and came back committed to working in animal and environmental protection. Prior to joining Guardians, Lindsay worked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, drafting and advancing legislation and policy initiatives to protect the interests of all animals; wild, captive and domestic.

Lindsay lives in Denver and can be found exploring new trails with her dog, Willow.

Lindsay Biedel

Major Gifts Officer

Lindsay Biedel joined WildEarth Guardians in 2019 as our Major Gifts Officer. Lindsay grew up in Oregon but has lived all over the West including time in Montana, Washington, and Northern California before putting down roots in Boise, Idaho. Lindsay graduated from the University of Montana in Organizational Communications and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years as a fundraising specialist.

Lindsay is excited to be raising funds for critical conservation issues in the West, something she is deeply passionate about. Lindsay volunteers with several local nonprofits and is also involved with the Idaho Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Lindsay is most at peace when outdoors hiking, skiing, biking or floating magnificent rivers in Idaho, and all over the West, with her husband and two daughters. Her strong travel addiction also takes her to other interesting locations whenever possible!

Adam Rissien

Rewilding Advocate

Adam Rissien joined WildEarth Guardians as the ReWilding Advocate in March, 2019 where he previously worked before moving to Ohio in 2014 to be with his family. While in Ohio, Adam was with the Ohio Environmental Council fighting agricultural pollution to help stop toxic algae growing in Lake Erie, until starting his own business, Land Ethic Consulting, LLC. During this time, he served as a statehouse lobbyist for the Sierra Club to advance clean energy legislation, and he also provided technical support for a range of clients.

Before moving to Ohio, Adam spent 15 years in the Northern Rockies, where he focused on protecting and restoring national forest lands. This included working as the Policy Specialist with Wildlands CPR before the organization’s merger with WildEarth Guardians in 2013. Much of Adam’s career focused on protecting special places from off-road vehicle damage, and promoting an ecologically sustainable Forest Service transportation system. Adam earned a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana with an environmental policy emphasis, and currently resides in Missoula, MT with his wife and son.

Samantha Bruegger, M.P.P.

Wildlife Coexistence Campaigner

Samantha is a California native who fell in love with Colorado, relocating to the state in 2013. She possesses a BA in Women’s Studies from University of California Riverside and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University. Samantha’s past work experience includes work in local government & business relations, public affairs and environmental policy. Previously the Executive Director of the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce, Samantha founded their in-house nonprofit Outstanding Grand Lake Foundation, which focuses on sustainable travel and water conservation. Focusing much of her career highlighting the economic impact of conservation, she connects the need for wildlife management reform to research on ethics, efficacy and government expenditures. Samantha lives in Grand Lake with her family, where she enjoys rural living with ample access to the outdoors.

Daniel Timmons

Staff Attorney

Daniel Timmons joined WildEarth Guardians as a staff attorney in 2019, where his work focuses on halting fossil fuel development on public lands and protecting the imperiled wild rivers of the Southwest.

Trained in both law and science, Daniel earned his Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School, his Masters’ of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Northern Arizona University, and his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University. Prior to joining Guardians, Daniel was as an associate attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charleston, South Carolina, and he previously worked in private environmental law practice in Portland, Oregon. He is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington, and South Carolina (inactive).

Daniel lives in Santa Fe with his wife, where he enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and exploring the ever-inspiring American West.

Galen Hecht

Rio Grande Campaigner

Galen Hecht grew up in New Mexico and Colorado where he cultivated his affinity for wild lands, life, and water. Galen spent two years studying at United World College on Vancouver Island then earned a B.A. in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic in Maine. After graduating, he spent a year as a Watson Fellow studying the relationships between people and rivers in Asia, Scandinavia, and South America. His education and experience on international rivers guided his passion to work for social and environmental justice. Now with the Wild Rivers Program, he works on a campaign to support the Rio Grande and keep the watery heart of the Southwest a living river. When Galen isn’t campaigning, he is on the trail or water, skiing, running, paddling, and exploring.

Danni Gardner

Restoration Financial Administrator

Danni moved from Wisconsin to New Mexico 10 years ago where she continued raising her son and daughter. During that time, Danni also devoted four years to teaching English to Buddhist monks and she maintains meaningful relationships with many of the monks.

On a Saturday morning, you'll find Danni finishing up a hearty breakfast to fuel exploration of new areas or hikes into some of her long-standing favorites spots, like Tent Rocks National Monument and the trails in Cochiti Lake area. Danni's work as the financial maven for restoration projects at Guardians reminds her of the healing of her homeland Laos and the beauty and peace that have resulted from that work. Danni is excited to work with an organization whose mission closely matches her culture and personal values.