The vision of Elephanatics Foundation was created by co-founders Fran Duthie, Dr Jake Wall, Christina Toms, and Dr Andrea Duthie.
Directors
FRAN DUTHIE
President/Co-Founder – Fellow in The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Fran co-founded the Vancouver-based elephant advocacy group Elephanatics out of a fervent desire to address the African elephant poaching crisis. The organization is dedicated to achieving the long-term survival of African elephants through conservation, education, and action. Fran oversees the organization’s operations and champions a vital initiative: the Fran Duthie African Elephant Scholarship, which funds Kenyan students committed to working in conservation.
TESSA VANDERKOP
Vice President
Tessa is a lifelong animal lover. She believes in advocacy in action for all animals. Her passion for elephants motivated her to join Elephanatics. She identifies and advances policy positions. She also advances strategic opportunities and community collaboration.
DR RENE BEYERS
Director African Elephant Specialist
Dr. Rene Beyers is an Associate Researcher in Zoology at UBC and a leading voice in conservation. His work focuses on the decline of threatened wildlife and the resulting ecosystem consequences. Rene has extensive field experience, having worked as a conservationist in multiple African nations. Notably, he was instrumental in establishing the CITES-MIKE program, which is essential for monitoring elephant populations and tracking illegal killing across Africa and Asia. His academic expertise includes a PhD on elephant distribution in Central Africa. Additionally, he contributes to global policy as a member of the IUCN CEM Thematic Group and is an editor of conservation books.
Founding Members
DR JAKE WALL
Co-Founder, Director of African Elephant Conservation & Founder/CEO of Wildlife Dynamics
Dr. Jake Wall blends deep field experience with geospatial technology. After studies in physics and geography (remote sensing of the Canadian Arctic), he dedicated his focus to elephants, beginning work with Save the Elephants in 2003. His PhD (UBC, 2015) specialized in the geospatial analysis of African elephant movement. Jake was the Director of Research and Conservation for the Mara Elephant Project for five years. He is a co-founder of the EarthRanger platform and leads the Ecoscope project for the Allen Institute for AI. In 2024, he founded Wildlife Dynamics to provide technical training and expertise in geospatial analytics to boost conservation impact globally.
DR ANDREA DUTHIE
Director At Large/Co-Founder
Andrea is a companion animal emergency veterinarian. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia and her doctorate from Midwestern University. She’s committed to the wellbeing and equality of all sentient beings. Andrea volunteers her time helping both pets and wildlife and helped to co-found Elephanatics to raise awareness about the threats facing elephants worldwide. She enjoys supporting wildlife conservation initiatives and organizations.
CHRISTINA TOMS
Co-Founder
Christina is a graduate of UBC’s renowned Creative Writing and Film Production joint program with a Master of Fine Arts. Christina’s passion for the plight of elephants began with a visit to Kenya, where she got to meet many wild elephants, more than a few of whom were subsequently poached for their ivory. Upon returning to Vancouver, she was propelled to do everything she could to raise awareness about this problem.
Advisors
JETT BRITNELL
Consultant
Jett Britnell is a professional underwater, wildlife & expedition photographer, explorer, internationally published writer and speaker. He is a Fellow in the prestigious Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the exclusive Explorers Club, and London’s famed Royal Geographical Society. Jett is a lifelong wildlife conservationist who through his words and images seeks to inspire others to globally protect endangered species and preserve their natural habitats.
LYNN HOWARD
Education Coordinator Advisor for San Diego Schools
Lynn is a retired science prep teacher for the San Diego Unified School District. Her passion is for preserving cultures and those who understand the importance of working with the native flora and fauna to build a healthy ecosystem that is enhanced by biodiversity. Her desire to continue to volunteer in her area of expertise has granted us privilege by connecting us with valuable resources and teachers to further our goal of spreading awareness about the African elephant.
MELANIE REDING
Curriculum Developer / Classroom Presentations
Melanie is a high-performing and versatile educator. She has over 20 years of experience developing course materials. Time in Tanzania and Kenya made her extremely passionate about saving the elephant. She met Dr. Dame Daphne (David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust founder). She supports their work through adoptions and donations.
AMANDA SLATIN
Outreach Coordinator/ Educator
Amanda is a passionate Educator. She sparks curiosity in K-12 students. She holds a Master’s in Education. She has worked as a Curriculum Developer in four countries. A trip to Kenya made her love elephants. She believes in storytelling to inspire young minds. She fosters empathy, compassion, and community for conservation.
Volunteers
CHELSEY BOGACZEWICZ
Merchandise Coordinator
Chelsey has a Bachelor of Business Administration and works in the logistics industry. She has been a long-time lover of animals and has always had love and respect for elephants. This love and respect intensified after a week volunteering with elephants in Thailand in 2017. She is responsible for running Elephanatics Teespring t-shirt line.
CAROL-ANN AND BRIAN KUMINOTO
Fundraisers
Carol-Ann and Brian are extraordinary fundraisers for Elephanatics. They were a force at bringing awareness and fundraising to both our Global March for Elephants and Rhinos event and our Ride a Bike Not an Elephant campaigns. We are so fortunate to have their commitment and dedication and appreciate their value as part of our team.
LEANNE FOGARTY
Communications
As past Director of marketing and communications for Elephanatics, Leanne played an integral role in launching the #IvoryFreeCanada, #MakeItAMillion and #RideABikeNotAnElephant campaigns. We are very grateful for her outstanding work. She has certifications as a BC SPCA Cruelty Investigations Officer and founded the Society of Travelers Respecting Animal Welfare (STRAW), a non-profit that recommends facilities with high animal welfare standards to tourists.
MELISSA TORRES
Graphic Designer
Melissa is a multidisciplinary designer/artist who is passionate about animal welfare. She has been a long-time supporter of organizations like World Animal Protection and ASPCA. Her hope is to effectively apply her skills to bring awareness to the Elephant poaching crisis. She is very excited and grateful at the opportunity to be a part of Elephanatics.