Meet the Staff of Peace River Wildlife Center
CEO/Executive Director
Tricia LaPointe – Executive Director
Originally from the La Crosse, Wisconsin area, Tricia and her husband Kevin fell in love with Punta Gorda in 2016 and made it home in 2020 after moving from the Chicago suburbs. She attended Viterbo University in La Crosse and graduated in 1995. She spent the last 27 years as a development professional with various not-for-profit organizations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida. Her career has focused on building foundation, corporate and individual donor relationships. While she has worked for organizations that assist individuals and families in reaching their full potential, her true passion has always been animals. At 10 years old, she began volunteering at local humane societies and is currently on the board of directors of the Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County.
Fun Fact: Tricia has been to Walt Disney World 22 times but only once since moving to Florida. She has performed in Disney’s Magic Music Days and she and Kevin were married at Disney World.
Administration
Tammy Gerringer – Operations Manager
In April of 2017, Tammy left cold winters and her 20 year career in healthcare administration behind and moved to Punta Gorda to become a full-time Floridian. A lifelong resident of North Carolina, Tammy, along with her husband, Andy decided it was time to head south for warmer temperatures, palm trees and sunnier weather. While taking long walks down to Ponce de Leon Park and trying to figure out the next steps in her life, her path led her by the Peace River Wildlife Center. In November 2017, she began volunteering as a habitat cleaner. As luck would have it, an opportunity to move out of the animal enclosures and into the office as an administrator and volunteer coordinator presented itself in July 2018. Now healthcare administration takes on a new perspective for her as part of the PRWC team. When she is not at PRWC, she enjoys boating with Andy, keeping in touch with her four sons and binge watching BBC shows.
Fun fact: Tammy is a Certified Specialist of Wine. She loves to learn and teach others about wine and especially enjoys the homework!
Jessika Weichler – Administrator
Jessika spent the early part of her childhood as an Air Force kid, living in Texas, Germany, and Fort Walton Beach before settling in Southwest Florida. She grew up in Port Charlotte, graduated from Port Charlotte High School, and was active in school musicals and the vocal performance group Enharmonics. She still enjoys singing when time allows, especially at local karaoke nights.
She began nursing school with plans to become a labor and delivery nurse, but life had other plans. Jessika shifted her focus to raising her family and worked for many years at Publix before stepping away to stay home full-time with her five children.
Jessika joined Peace River Wildlife Center in August of 2022, starting at our Education Center before transitioning into the hospital setting. This shift opened up a whole new world of hands-on experience with wildlife rescue, where she now plays an integral role in coordinating rescues, conducting intakes, processing donor records, and supporting daily operations. She’s continually learning and expanding her skills, especially now that she’s up close with the animals and the incredible rehab work being done behind the scenes.
Jessika is excited to see where the road takes her within the organization and remains eager to grow in this rewarding field.
Fun Fact: Jessika was captain of her high school swim team, where she specialized in the challenging 500 Freestyle.
Sandy Wright – Administrator
Sandy grew up in St. Louis Missouri. She left in 1979 and headed west to Arizona and then on to Nevada. She found herself missing the green landscapes and had taken up scuba diving in Lake Mead so she and her husband left the desert and moved to Homestead Florida in 1990, just in time to see their first hurricane, “Andrew” in 1992. After brief moves to West Palm Beach and the Florida Keys she accepted a job with Charlotte County Government and moved here in 2005. Sandy spent all of her adult working life in what is known today as I.T. and helped design Charlotte County’s first online employment application while working in the Human Resources Department. In 2015, while working at the county and after volunteering, her dream of working with animals came true and she started working part time at the Animal Welfare League as a Kennel Technician in the cat hospital. She continued working there on into her retirement until she joined PRWC in July 2019. She is now working as the Sunday Office Administrator where she takes calls and coordinates animal rescues and pickups.
Fun Fact: Sandy and her husband Glenn love to fish and dance. If there’s music playing and they are in the vicinity, you will very likely get to see some of their fancy foot work!
Gift Shop
Lisa Gerrells – Gift Shop Manager
Lisa grew up in northern New Jersey and moved to Lake Luzerne, New York, at age 15. Two days later, she met Diane Clugston-Hime—her lifelong best friend, partner in crime, and sister from another mother. Over the next 50 years, Lisa’s life and career took her across the country. She returned to New Jersey in the late 1970s and welcomed her first son in 1979. In the early 1980s, she moved to North Carolina, and in the early 1990s, she moved to Colorado, where her second son was born. While raising her family, Lisa worked full time in the print and marketing franchise industry, using her marketing and sales experience to support nonprofits in her community. That work also gave her countless, meaningful, life long friendships with staff and volunteers. In fall 2019, Lisa returned to New Jersey once again. After leaving the print industry, she continued her creative career in retail, specializing in tile and flooring design and remodeling.
A New Chapter in Florida
In April 2023, Lisa’s best friend, Diane, invited her to spend a few days in Florida before she and John headed north for the season. Just three days into the visit, Lisa found her forever home and moved to Punta Gorda 30 days later. With its white-sand beaches, sea turtles, and lighthouses—and the chance to be near her best friend for six months each year—Lisa knew Punta Gorda was exactly where she was meant to be. Diane’s Connection to PRWC, Diane and John have been snow birding in the Punta Gorda area for more than 15 years. Diane is a New York State- and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator and a volunteer with NCWC. During the Florida season, she also serves as a volunteer handler and offsite outreach education volunteer for PRWC.
Coming Full Circle
In December 2025, Diane shared that PRWC was looking for a Gift Shop Manager with experience in retail, marketing, and nonprofit work. It was the perfect opportunity—and a true full-circle moment for two best friends, sisters from another mother, and longtime partners in crime.
Fun Fact: Lisa’s sons are 19 years apart. On her days off, she enjoys riding with Frank, taking in the scenery, and visiting lighthouses.
Fundraising
Beth Marcino – Director of Development & Communications
Hey there! I’m Elizabeth Marcino, your friendly neighborhood Graphic Designer and Marketing Specialist. I hail from a quaint little town in the southwest corner of Michigan, but in 1997, I swapped snow boots for flip-flops and moved to sunny Florida, where I graduated from Port Charlotte High.
My love affair with graphic design kicked off when I was 16, and it’s been a wild ride ever since. I graduated from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and made my way back to Port Charlotte in 2007, where I’ve been creating visual magic ever since.
My passion for animals? That started when I was just a kid, but working at a local nonprofit animal shelter truly lit the advocacy fire in me. Now, as a staff member at PRWC, I’m on a mission to be the voice for our animal friends who can’t speak for themselves. Let’s make the world a brighter place, one design and one animal at a time!
Fun Fact: I am the proud adopted fur mom for nine rescued guinea pigs!
Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialists
Valerie Wolfrey – Curator of Exhibits
Valerie started volunteering with PRWC in 1996 with rescuing wildlife. In 2014, she started volunteering in the hospital and was hired as a Rehabilitator in May of 2015, and is currently our Curator of Exhibits. She previously worked at Punta Gorda Animal Hospital from 2005 – 2016, and in the veterinary profession for over 14 years. She graduated from Desoto High School, has taken a few college courses as well as numerous veterinary continuing education courses. Her favorite part of the profession is delivering compassion and loving care to her patients. She has loved and cared for animals her whole life and truly loves what she does! In her spare time she enjoys going boating, hiking, horseback riding, and gardening. She has seven dogs, four birds, and two turtles. Besides her husband, her outdoor activity partner was Goldie, a rescued long-haired Dachshund who enjoyed everything about life!
Fun Fact: Although not a hoarder, Valerie has had over 65 rescue animals on her farm during the course of her marriage-a number that seems to constantly increase!
Jen Fick – Assistant Curator of Exhibits
Born and raised in Temperance, MI, Jen always had a passion for animals and the outdoors. She was constantly taking in strays or injured wildlife. At one point, her parents thought they owned a zoo—the animals seriously outnumbered the people. They had birds, snakes, geckos, ferrets, bunnies, guinea pigs, gerbils, monitors, cats, dogs, fish, turtles, hedgehogs, and hamsters. She always loved backpacking, camping, kayaking, boating, and the beach.
After high school, she worked in the family business for 20 years. She enjoyed selling real estate and flipping houses, while still enjoying the outdoors every chance she could.
After moving to Florida with her husband Jeremy and their three kids, her passion for conservation and wildlife rehabilitation grew even greater. She decided to start a new career path and follow her true passion for animals and conservation. She began working toward her Florida Master Naturalist Certificate through the University of Florida IFAS program. She then started volunteering for the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association, where she patrols and documents sea turtle nesting activity. She is also on their sea turtle stranding team.
Jen began volunteering at PRWC on the rescue team, transporting sick and injured wildlife and helping with resident care. When she was offered an official position with PRWC, she couldn’t pass it up.
Jessica French – Assistant Curator of Exhibits
Growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, Jessica has always had a deep love for animals, wildlife, and conservation. From a young age, she dreamed of one day becoming a zookeeper and turning her passion for animals into a career. She attended zoo camp as a child and spent much of her free time diving into books about exotic animals. She also grew up surrounded by animals, including dogs, cats, and horses, which only strengthened her love and appreciation for them.
While completing her veterinary assisting program, she had the opportunity to complete her clinical internship at PRWC. That experience gave her the chance to work hands-on with wildlife and confirmed that caring for animals was exactly where she wanted to be. After graduating, she was thrilled to join the PRWC team as an Assistant Curator.
Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking and exploring the outdoors. When she’s not out on the water, she can usually be found curled up with her cats and a good book.
Fun fact: I met Bindi Irwin
Lauren Cunningham – Assistant Curator of Exhibits
Lauren has always had a passion for any type of animal, with her mom often calling her the animal whisperer. She grew up with dogs, guinea pigs, fish, turtles, birds; if you name it she probably took care of it. She would also beg her parents to take her to the zoo or aquarium anytime they spent time in another state. Growing up along the Georgia coast, Lauren spent a lot of time observing animals in their natural habitat, which inspired her passion for wildlife and conservation. She wanted to turn her love for animals into a career, so she pursued a biology degree with an emphasis in marine biology from the University of Georgia. With her degree, boyfriend, and cat, she moved to Port Charlotte to find a job where she could help take care of animals, that was also close to the beach. In her free time, Lauren likes to go to the beach, explore nature trails, bake, and hang out with her cats.
Fun Fact: I am scuba certified
Cassie Tessier CWR — Rehabilitation Manager
Cassie was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Jupiter, Florida. Her passion for wildlife began early, volunteering at wildlife centers and attending summer camps at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in Chemistry from Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
Cassie’s professional career includes nearly five years split between Busch Wildlife and Treasure Coast Wildlife Center, including a role as Volunteer Coordinator. She joined Peace River Wildlife Center as a Rehabilitator and now serves as Rehabilitation Manager.
Cassie is a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) and holds a Wildlife & Forestry Conservation Career Diploma. She is also a general-class Falconer with hands-on experience working with a variety of raptors, from kestrels to eagles.
At home, she cares for a diverse assortment of pets—including two rabbits, two cats, two dogs, three tortoises, 4 chickens, 4 goats, and a Ball Python.
Cassidy Carlson – Wildlife Rehabilitator
Cassidy was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She
was always outside as a kid, catching whatever she could fit in her
hands, whether that be snakes, or spiders. As the area she grew up
in became overdeveloped, she grew a passion for preserving
Florida nature and its wildlife. She then became determined to have
a career working with animals and conservation.
Cassidy graduated from Florida International University in
Miami with a bachelors in General Biology and Marine Biology. She
had a lot of fun as a tour guide where she brought tourists
paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkeling in Oleta River State Park.
Cassidy especially enjoyed educating the public about South Florida
flora and fauna; showing them how unique and cool each different
species was and why it was so important to protect them. Cassidy
then went on to care for the dolphins and sea lions with the Navy
Marine Mammal Program in San Diego California, and later moved
back to her home in Florida to start as a wildlife rehabilitator with
PRWC.
Fun Fact: : For Christmas when Cassidy was 6 years old, her parents
gifted her a pet rose-haired tarantula named Rosie who lived for 14
years.
Kirsten Coleman – Wildlife Rehabilitator
Kirsten was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She has a passion for ocean and wildlife conservation. She has always been fascinated by sharks, even from an early age and loves to watch Shark Week. While pursuing a higher education she unlocked a love and admiration for sea turtles. Kirsten has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and a Minor in Marine Biology from Nova Southeastern University. While studying at NSU she had multiple opportunities to work with Florida’s native wildlife. When Kirsten isn’t working with her favorite critters you can find her reading, line dancing, or exploring Florida’s beaches looking for shells and shark teeth. She is SCUBA certified and loves to dive down and see all of Florida’s amazing marine life.
Fun Fact: She was a competitive dancer for 17 years
Yocelyne Figueras – Wildlife Rehabilitator
Yocelyne spent her childhood in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and has since lived in Cape Coral, Florida for just over a decade. Growing up, she told all her friends and family she was going to be a Veterinarian when she got older! She dressed as a vet for Halloween in second grade, made her mom pretend to bring her stuffed animals in for a check up, and told everyone all the fun facts she read about animals in her library books. It was clear that Yocelyne always wanted to work with animals as a career! After earning her Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) certification, interning at a Veterinary Clinic and eventually working as a Veterinary Technician, Yocelyne interned at our PRWC location and soon became a member of the team. Currently, she is also a student at Florida Gulf Coast University working towards her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Ecology & Environmental Assessment.
Fun Fact: Outside of work, Yocelyne enjoys cuddling with her two cats, dogs, and lovebird, playing on her drum pad, and reading.
Anthony Olea-Romo – Wildlife Rehabilitator
Anthony grew up in California’s High Desert and remained in the state for most of his life. Most recently, however, he has explored opportunities to work with wildlife out of this desert and became a raptor trainer/rehabilitator in both Ohio and Wyoming. As a trainer, he had a lot of experience handling owls, hawks, eagles, and other predatory birds in an educational setting, teaching the public about raptor conservation along the way. However, he found that rescuing wildlife and giving them a second chance was far more compelling as a career, so he is working toward being more versatile in the world of wildlife rehabilitation, which is how he ended up here in Punta Gorda, FL. Anthony is excited to learn all things rehab (beyond birds of prey) at PRWC and get well acquainted with Florida’s large set of wild animals.
Fun Fact: Favorite Raptor is the Red-Shouldered Hawk.
Habitat Enrichment
Robert Warren – Maintenance Supervisor
Robert was born in Minster, KENT, ENGLAND and joined the Royal Navy at 16, becoming a fully qualified nuclear submariner at age 17. He spent seven years in the Navy but left after meeting his soon-to-be-wife on a trip to NATO’s missile firing base off Cape Canaveral, Florida. He immigrated to Vermont, where he and his wife raised 2 children. He has had a varied career as an electrician, furnace repairman, odd job man, theatre set builder, and most important, “Mr. Mom” duties when the children were small and in grade school. Above all, Rob is a fisherman. He doesn’t mind what kind of fishing it is- ice fishing, deep-sea fishing, surf casting, from a kayak or walking through muddy brooks, looking for that rainbow trout prize!
Rob and his wife vacationed in Florida for several years before deciding to purchase a house for retirement in Punta Gorda Isles. Rob came down from Vermont and as he was getting the house ready for a rental, realized that after spending over 30 years there, the cold winters of Vermont were enough. Okay, it was REALLY his wife who wanted to move here full time, but being an amenable soul, Rob agreed to move. They have been here since February 2019. Rob began volunteering at PRWC in February and has become very fond of the inhabitants.
Fun Fact: He is an awesome cook- he loves to bake cookies and makes wonderful caramels, truffles and other treats for Christmas. You will consider yourself lucky if you get to taste them!
