Becky Niemiec, Co-director, Animal Human Policy Center; Associate Professor, Colorado State University
Kelly Dunning, Timberline Professor of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, University of Wyoming
Eric Odell, Wolf Conservation Program Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Tim Ritschard, Rancher and President, Middle Park Stockgrowers Association
Becky Niemiec
Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Niemiec is co-director of the Animal Human Policy Center and an Associate Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University. She has served as the manager of the Bureau of Animal Protection for the state of Colorado, where she and her team addressed domestic animal mistreatment throughout the state. She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has led stakeholder processes and conducted social science research focused on the human dimensions of conservation and animal protection. Dr. Niemiec has a PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University and B.A. in Ecology and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.
Kelly Dunning
Dr. Kelly Dunning is the Timberline Professor of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. She holds a PhD from MIT in Natural Resources and Conservation Planning, an MS from Oxford University in Environmental Policy, and a BA from the University of Florida.
Her research focuses on conservation policy in places where tourism is an important part of local identity. Dunning looks at vulnerable ecosystems, like coral reefs, that are popular among tourists and determines the best management policies for biodiversity and livelihoods. Dunning works hand-in-hand with rural communities, such as Colorado ranchers working on wolf reintroduction challenges, providing environmental dispute resolution insights. Dunning is an Affiliate Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, an NCAR Early Career Innovator, a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Early Career Fellow, and has received funding from places like the National Science Foundation.
Prior to her lab at Wyoming, she ran the Conservation Governance Lab at Auburn University. Dunning currently advises the Congressional Sportsmen and Women’s Club at the University of Wyoming, runs the New to Hunting program with Delta Waterfowl which teaches faculty and students to hunt, and runs a veterans mentoring program called Green to Green.
Eric Odell
Eric Odell has been working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for over 25 years. In that time he has worked in nearly all ecosystems throughout the state, from the eastern shortgrass prairie to the western mountain landscapes. His focus has been on work prioritizing the conservation of rare or imperiled species. This has included black-footed ferrets, river otters, Canada lynx, wolverine, and most recently gray wolves.
He is the Wolf Conservation Program Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In this role, he led the development of Colorado's Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. After the Park and Wildlife Commission's unanimous approval of the Plan in May of 2023, Eric led the field implementation of the restoration of wolves to western Colorado. He is the biological and technical lead on wolves for the agency.
Tim Ritschard
Tim Ritschard is a 5th generation rancher and President of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association. Middle Park was the first location of where wolves were released.
Tim was the voice for Middle Park producers during early wolf reintroduction, sharing ranchers' experiences of what was going on with wolves on the ground with the general public. Tim's involvement with the Colorado wolf reintroduction was driven by a desire to advocate for the agricultural industry through wolf reintroduction, a challenge producers had not faces in almost 80 years. Tim hopes to share the true impacts that are happening on the landscape.



