ABOUT THE SANCTUARY
Staff
All staff members are chimpanzee caregivers in addition to their other duties.
Sarah Baeckler, Executive Director
Sarah Baeckler read about Dr. Jane Goodall when she was nine years old and never looked back. At 18 she left home in New Jersey to spend a year in East Africa to teach little kids, but really her desire was to be where free-living chimpanzees were found. Standing on a trail in front of Fifi, a chimpanzee made famous by Dr. Goodall, she couldn't believe she'd already fulfilled a lifelong dream. She returned to the states looking for her next dream, and ended up studying captive chimpanzee behavior and communication at Rutgers and then Central Washington University. She completed undergraduate degrees in anthropology and primate behavior and a graduate degree in primatology. From there she took a tough job - working undercover in the entertainment industry, witnessing and reporting on the systematic abuse required to make chimpanzee "actors" perform (download her written testimony). She stayed in Los Angeles after her undercover work ended and gained fundraising and nonprofit administration experience. Empowered by the rescue of the chimpanzees she worked with while undercover and inspired to do more for captive chimpanzees, she went to law school. She now combines her skills and experience as Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest's Executive Director, where she has helped to grow the organization from its early roots to a team of over 50 volunteers and staff with a half million dollar annual budget.
J.B. Mulcahy, Director of Operations
J.B. Mulcahy began working with chimpanzees in 1998. His initial fascination with ape language studies led him to the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University, where he eventually earned his MS in Primate Behavior. Upon learning about the plight of chimpanzees in laboratories, J.B.'s focus quickly turned from research to advocacy. He went on to work for the Fauna Foundation, the first sanctuary to rescue HIV-infected chimpanzees. In addition to his experience with chimpanzees, J.B. has also worked in the fields of construction and farm animal welfare. As Director of Operations, J.B. is responsible for overseeing the care of the chimpanzees at CSNW. He has also designed and built many improvements to the facility, including Young's Hill, the chimps' 2-acre habitat.
Diana Goodrich, Director of Outreach
Diana Goodrich has worked for nonprofit organizations since 1996 and has MS degrees in psychology and animals & public policy. Her career in the nonprofit world has included a diverse range of experiences, including working with children with special needs, managing volunteers, leading research projects focusing on gestural communication in chimpanzees, and coordinating outreach efforts for a nonprofit film production company. She also spent three years as a caregiver and executive assistant for the Fauna Foundation, a sanctuary in Canada for chimpanzees who have been "retired" by laboratories and zoos. Her passion for animal protection has led her to volunteer for numerous organizations, including emergency response during Hurricane Katrina. Diana began working for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest as the Director of Outreach before the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees arrived. In her position she has produced increasingly successful fundraising events, overseen a growing social media presence, expanded the CSNW merchandise, and brought national and local media attention to the sanctuary. Aside from directly caring for the chimpanzees, connecting with individual supporters is the most fulfilling aspect of her job.
Jackie Buckner, Caregiver
Jackie has been working with chimpanzees since 2003. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arkansas State University and her master’s degree in primate behavior from Central Washington University. Her research was published in the journal Interactional Studies and focused on the behavioral effects of the caregiver’s use of chimpanzee behaviors. Prior to joining Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Jackie worked with captive chimpanzees in a number of different sanctuaries. She has been involved with CSNW for years – before the Cle Elum Seven, and even before ground was broken for the sanctuary building.
Elizabeth Kuykendall, Volunteer Coordinator
Elizabeth began working with chimpanzees in 2001 while studying primate behavior as a graduate student at Central Washington University. Some of her research focused on gestural dialects in free-living chimpanzees and on captive chimpanzees' use of American Sign Language to respond to questions from caregivers. Elizabeth began her relationship with CSNW as a volunteer before transitioning to a staff position in early 2009. As Volunteer Coordinator, Elizabeth oversees the on-site volunteer program by screening, orienting, educating, and training new volunteers, and by acting as a point person for volunteer needs or concerns.
Debbie Metzler, Caregiver
Debbie began working with chimpanzees in 2005 while she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Central Washington University. She continued on to earn a master's degree in primate behavior, and her thesis research focused on vocabulary growth in adult signing chimpanzees. Her involvement with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest began as a volunteer caregiver soon after the Cle Elum Seven first arrived, and then transitioned to staff in 2011. In addition to her caregiver duties, she is working on an advocacy program to help put an end to the exploitation of other chimpanzees.
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