"The cause should lead the organization, not the organization leading the cause." 
~ Jeffrey Wilcox, The Non-Profit Leader of the New Decade

Patrick Valentino, President, Visionary Leader
Attorney at Law, Northwestern School of Law
  • Partner, Rodriguez Wright LLP
  • Board of Directors, Community Housing Project
  • Former Executive Director and Board Member, California Wolf Center
  • Founder, Mexican Wolf Fund; a partnership between agencies, NGO's, and Livestock producers
  • Founder, California Wolf Recovery program, California Wolf Center
  • Member of the California Wolf Management Stakeholder Working Group
  • WC Co-founder and partner since 2014
Over 25 years experience in wolf conservation bringing innovative and visionary ideas to fruition.  Patrick's leadership and years of forwarding a better way for wolves, livestock, and people laid the foundation for the WC model to be born.   
Christina Souto, Vice President, Communications and Development Officer
B.S. Environmental Systems; Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, UC San Diego 
M.B.A., UC Davis
  • Director of Individual Giving, Girls Inc. of Alameda
  • Development Manager, Playworks
  • Wolf Behaviorist, Oakland Zoo
  • Director of Marketing and Communications, California Wolf Center
  • Animal Husbandry Lead, California Wolf Center
  • WC Partner since 2015
Nonprofit development & marketing professional with over a decade of experience including creating/executing diverse marketing campaigns, increasing revenue by expanding relationships and securing new sources, and strategic organizational planning. Christina's passion for WC' vision combined with her fundraising experience will help ensure WC sustainability long-term.  
Amy Unterreiner, Secretary, Horsemanship Specialist
  • Over 20 years experience in horsemanship; training, teaching, and partnership development
  • Experienced in stockmanship
  • Owner of Dibs Zero Waste
  • WC partner since 2019
Amy's unique combination of skills and experience working with horses and people brings a tremendous resource to WC and our rancher partners. Amy's passion and holistic vision for a better future for people, wildlife, working lands, and the earth along with her tangible strategies provides for a powerful combination in forwarding the WC efforts. 
Nathan Atkins, Treasurer, Field Team Leader
B.S. Cinema and Photography, Ithaca College
  • Writer and producer
  • Communications expert
  • Avid outdoors man and wildlife conservationist
  • Experienced Wildlife Tracker
  • Passionate supporter of the WC vision to support ranchers and bring people of diverse values and perspectives together in understanding and respect
  • WC partner since 2020
Nate has written and produced feature films, innovative ad campaigns, TV movies, and has served as an executive story editor on a series. His body of work spans genres, having been shown in theaters and on networks such as Netflix, Lifetime, Hallmark, and Syfy.  Nate is also experienced in wildlife and landscape surveying, and has led and participated in several on-the-ground WC projects. 
Joe Engelhart, Herd and Rangeland Management Advisor 
  • Livestock Producer and Ranch Manager, Alberta, Canada
  • Stockmanship and wolf-livestock conflict specialist
  • Working Circle partner since 2016 
From a multi-generational ranch family living and working in wolf and grizzly country, Joe recognized from an early age that in order for ranchers to keep ranching in the modern world, an evolution in herd and range management was key. Joe became an avid student in stockmanship strategies that include: Bud William's low-stress livestock handling, rekindling the herd instinct, and prescribed grazing practices. Joe also took it upon himself to better understand predators' behavior and ecology in order to make better herd management decisions.  Joe has successfully learned to combine his knowledge of the land and wildlife to not only successfully work around wolves and other predators but increase his ranch sustainability, resiliency, and economic viability.  
Dr. Diana Tomback, Science Advisor
B.A. and M.A. at University of California Los Angeles and Ph.D. at the University of California Santa Barbara.
  • Professor of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Denver
  • Recipient of the U.S. Forest Service Centennial Conservation Award, 1991 
  • Co-founder, Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation
  • Author of more than 125 publications
Diana impressive science background includes her renowned work around the whitebark pine. 

 In 1986, she was invited to join a federal inter-agency research team to study the decline of whitebark pine. And as a result of her pioneering studies, she was elected Fellow of the American Ornithologists’ Union in 1994.  Diana was awarded a Charles Bullard Harvard Forest fellowship for a 9 month residency at Harvard University in 2014. Her publications are a primary information source for the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service status review of whitebark pine under the ESA.  
 
A long-time Yellowstone National Park researcher, Diana more recently advocates for science-based wolf conservation in Colorado. She currently serves as a member and science advisor for several wildlife/organization teams in Colorado. as well as serving on the editorial board of several scientific journals. 

With her a strong and solid science perspective and foundation, Diana's role as science advisor to Working Circle is invaluable to ensuring a solid science based effort. ​
Hilary Zaranek Anderson, Advisor, Clinician, Project Leader
M.S. Wildlife Biology, University of Montana, 2008
Livestock Producer, MT, Crazy D Ranch
  • Regenerative agriculture practitioner 
  • Predator-livestock conflict reduction innovator and clinician
  • Co-founder, Tom Miner Basin Association, MT
  • Committee Leader, Centennial Valley Association, MT 
  • Working Circle partner since 2018
Hilary is internationally recognized for her pioneering work in predator-livestock conflict reduction via herd management.  A leader and innovator, Hilary is passionate about ranching and wildlife and believes that conserving both go hand-in-hand. With a focus on ranch resiliency, Hilary is also a visionary force in forging practices in regenerative agriculture and bringing diverse voices together to forward a new and better path for wolves, livestock, and people.  Her experiences as both a rancher and biologists is invaluable to forwarding Working Circle's mission.