Our Team

Staff

Emily Garrigan

Founder, Executive Director, Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator

  • Emily founded West Shore Wildlife Center in 2019. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from York College of Pennsylvania and was named Spartan of the Year in 2021. Emily previously served as a rehabilitator and educator with Raven Ridge Wildlife Center and Tamarack Wildlife Center, both in PA. Emily holds state and federal permits for rehabilitation of all native wildlife, including endangered/threatened species. She also holds permits for educational use of wildlife that allows WSWC to provide sanctuary to non-releasable animals. In 2020, Emily became a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator™ (CWR) through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and enjoys speaking at professional conferences around the country.

  • EmilyGarrigan@westshorewildlife.org

    *Please do not contact us by email regarding wildlife in need or in your possession. Instead, contact our hotline via call/text at 717-268-9574.

Chelsea Palmer

Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

  • Chelsea joined the center’s team in the spring of 2024. She has worked in animal rescue for the past 10+ years, caring for everything from off track thoroughbreds to feral kittens. She has gained large and small animal veterinary experience working in various shelter clinics. She has a huge passion for all animals and spends her free time hiking with her dog, riding her horse, and spending time with all her rescue animals at home. Her favorite part of working at WSWC is learning about all the critters that come through and seeing them get released back to the wild.

  • ChelseaPalmer@westshorewildlife.org

    *Please do not contact us by email regarding wildlife in need or in your possession. Instead, contact our hotline via call/text at 717-268-9574.

Abigail Thompson

Wildlife Rehabilitator

  • Abigail joined the center in 2022. She completed two internships and a wildlife rehabilitation assistant position with WSWC, gaining over 1,000 hours of wildlife experience between August 2022 and February 2024. She has a passion for working with animals and has gained additional animal care experience from veterinary clinics and animal shelters. Abigail has a Bachelor's of Arts in Biology degree from Hofstra University. Her favorite thing about being part of the WSWC team is that she is always learning something new and how rewarding it is to release an animal back into the wild.

  • AbigailThompson@westshorewildlife.org
    *Please do not contact us by email regarding wildlife in need or in your possession. Instead, contact our hotline via call/text at 717-268-9574.

Garrett Lamason

Education and Outreach Coordinator

  • Garrett joined the WSWC crew during the spring of 2024. He has been digging in the creeks of Pennsylvania looking for creatures for as long as he can remember. If not at the center, you can find him kayaking and looking for turtles, or walking the trails around The Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs. Garrett has a strong passion for animals of all shapes and sizes and especially has interest in snapping turtles. Heavily involved in all parts of our work, in 2026 Garrett earned his reptile and amphibians rehabilitation permit. His favorite part of working with WSWC is getting the chance to gain hands-on experience with the awesome wildlife that reside in ecosystems of PA.

  • GarrettLamason@westshorewildlife.org
    *Please do not contact us by email regarding wildlife in need or in your possession. Instead, contact our hotline via call/text at 717-268-9574.

Board of Directors

Jenna Reitz

President

  • Jenna is currently a Senior Community Engagement Coordinator with Members 1st Federal Credit Union. Within her career journey, Jenna has experience with nonprofits, seeking sponsorships, reviewing sponsorships, event coordinating, fundraising, volunteering, networking, and connecting within the community. Jenna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management from Lock Haven University. She has gone through two different leadership programs, Evolution Leadership Program and Evolve Leadership Training with Dame Leadership earning her certifications of completion for both. She also completed the Beyond Leadership Board Strong certification through Leadership Harrisburg Area. Jenna received the Women to Watch award for Central Penn Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2022.

    Jenna volunteers as Secretary for the Beacon Clinic’s Board of Directors and chairs their Fundraising Committee. She went on a conversation trip in South Africa with the Save Our Species Alliance organization in June 2025. After her conversation trip, Jenna’s passion, love, and care for animals led her to volunteering with WSWC. She fell in love with WSWC mission, passion, and care for our local wildlife and wanted to continue her support.

    On her free time, Jenna loves hiking, kayaking, camping, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and finding more ways to support our beloved animals. Jenna has two cats she rescued named Asher and Angelo.

Jessie Stockwell

Secretary

  • Jessie is a Central PA native and lover of animals and the outdoors. She currently works at the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center developing training curriculum. She also previously worked as a classroom educator and for the state government. Jessie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and recently earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh. Jessie also volunteers with Harrisburg Inspiring Connections Outdoors (HICO), a local Sierra Club youth outreach group. She hopes to use her background, skills and experience to help the center as it grows and expands its educational efforts to help humans coexist with wild neighbors.

Devin Brown

Treasurer

  • Devin is currently a Senior Manager with Brown Plus Accountants + Advisors.

    As a certified public accountant, he is a trusted advisor and specializes in audits, reviews and compilations for non-profit organizations and local governments. Devin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and business administration from Lebanon Valley College and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas Permian Basin.

    Devin is a member of the Harrisburg Young Professionals and the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club. In 2024, he received the Harrisburg Young Professionals 20 in their 20’s award. Devin is on track to graduate as part of the Leadership Harrisburg Area’s Community Leadership

    Series Class of 2026. Devin also volunteers as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for the Beacon Clinic’s Board of Directors, and he is the Vice President of his homeowner’s association.

    Devin has been a volunteer with WSWC since April 2022 and enjoys attending education and outreach events. He believes that all animals deserve another chance at life in the wild. In his free time, Devin enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, and hanging out with his friends and family.

Gretchen Knaub

Board Member

  • Gretchen worked for over 20 years in the non-profit world fundraising and educating youth and adults.
    She obtained her Bachelor of Science in psychology and sociology from York College.

    One of her proudest accomplishments was starting the first week-long camp for children with epilepsy in Central PA allowing them to experience summer camp with their peers. In 2012, she received the YWCA Tribute to Women of Excellence award for her efforts.

    Gretchen has always been an avid animal lover, an advocate, and has volunteered at Speranza Animal Rescue since 2017. As a board member of the West Shore Wildlife Center, she is eager to be part of efforts to save even more animals.

Dr. Elizabeth Dailey

Vice President

  • Coming Soon

Dr. Valerie Miller

Board Member

  • Dr. Valerie Miller, the founder of East York Veterinary Center, now retired from clinical practice, graduated from Ohio State University with a B.S. in Animal Nutrition and Chemistry, and her D.V.M. degree.

    She has a special interest in avian medicine and wildlife rehabilitation.

    Dr. Miller has been on the Board of Directors for the York County SPCA since 1989, and the West Shore Wildlife Center since 2023.

    Dr. Miller lives on a small farm with her fiancee and numerous adopted / rescued animals, including horses, donkey, alpaca, sheep, peacocks, honey bees, dogs, cats, and parrots, and of course, fish.

Dr. Bridgette Hagerty

Board Member

  • Bridgette is an associate professor of biology at York College of Pennsylvania where she teaches biostatistics, conservation biology, animal behavior and a project-based course that allows students to propose and implement solutions to local environmental problems. In 2017, she received the York College Presidential Award for Teaching and Mentoring. Bridgette earned her bachelor’s in biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and her Ph.D. in ecology, evolution and conservation biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. For more than 20 years, Bridgette has studied the ecology and conservation of reptiles and amphibians. While living out west, she investigated the movement ecology and population genetics of the federally threatened Mojave Desert Tortoise. Additionally, she had the opportunity to research chuckwallas (western toads) and the newly-listed Dixie Valley Toad. Currently, she works with York College students to understand human threats to local wildlife and habitat. Bridgette enjoys volunteering for the York County Parks and sharing her enthusiasm for conserving the amazing biodiversity of Pennsylvania. She is excited to support the mission of WSWC to inspire coexistence with all our scaled, feathered and furry neighbors.

Cassidy DeCosmo

Board Member

  • Coming Soon

Catherine Putt

Board Member

  • Cassie is a lover of all animals. Yes, even spiders, snakes, millipedes, moles, ants, hyenas, vultures, wombats - you name it and she loves them all the same. Cassie is a world traveler who is always ready for a great outdoor adventure. Whether going on a safari in Kenya, hiking the Colorado Rocky Mountains or snorkeling in Thailand, she loves to see the world and all its creatures big and small. But her adventures don't blind her from the beauty found in her home state of Pennsylvania where she loves spending as much time outside as possible. Cassie graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in journalism and is currently a Principal Technical Writer for Northrop Grumman. As a board member of WSWC, Cassie is using her writing skills and passion for wildlife to support the center's ambitions and projects in the coming years.

Volunteers

Volunteers and Interns

Volunteers make our work possible! Our annual reports contain a list of current volunteers.