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Who is SAFE Worldwide?

Learn about us and our team of volunteers

SAFE Worldwide is Saving Animals Facing Extinction (S.A.F.E.) and committed to protecting endangered species and the environment through education, community programs, and partnerships with wildlife conservation organizations across the planet. We partner with local communities around the world to help with the survival of endangered species and reduce ecological threats in those regions. Our activities include, but not limited to:

Collaboration

Collaborating with local NGOs to provide programs that offer conservationally-sound alternatives for people who otherwise depend upon poaching and the bushmeat trade for their livelihoods.

Partnerships

Partnering with wildlife rehabilitation facilities that share our unwavering commitment to the welfare of each animal, by either ensuring the animal’s full release back into the wild, or providing a safe, natural, species-appropriate environment for the animal to live out its life.

Education

Organizing and conducting educational programs and initiatives in schools, through our website and within communities surrounding endangered species’ habitats, to foster the awareness and understanding that human survival is inextricably linked to the survival of other species.

Conservation

Working with wildlife researchers, conservation biologists, social-scientists, governments and community leaders to develop, implement and assess solutions focusing on the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts.

S.A.F.E. is Saving Animals Facing Extinction

SAFE Worldwide is completely volunteer-based and we take no salaries. 100% of your donations go to programs that help to save wildlife in danger of extinction.

It is our commitment to those other sentient beings that have the same right to live and walk freely amongst us.

SAFE Worldwide is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in California, USA  

Board of Directors

Click on Each photo to read more about each person.

Linda Lanzl

FOUNDER & President

Ruth Michiko Kahl

BOARD MEMBER & SECRETARY

Donna Dale

Donna Anne Dale

BOARD MEMBER

Stori Smith

BOARD MEMBER & Artistic Director

Team of Volunteers

Click on Each photo to read more about each person.

Charis Nick-Torok

Charis Nick-Torok

Director of Advocacy and education

Rachel Spaulding

Article Writer

Elaine Sheng

Video Content Creator and Sr  Writer

Victoria Mulcahey

Social Media Content Developer

Steve Fox

Sr Education Video Editor

Victor Lujan

Victor Lujan

Educational Video Content Developer

Samantha Hartery

Dir. of Digital Communication & Outreach

Stephanie Haugaard

Stephanie Haugaard

Educational Video Content Creator

Carol DeMoss

Sr Graphic and Fine Artist

Dylan Rose

Video animation manager

Catherine Palcic

Project Manager

Alex Williams

Senior article writer

Emma Flosi

Emma Flosi

senior article writer

Anna Mardis

Social Media Strategist

Vani Jaishankar

Article Writer

Rebekah Keating

Social Media Content Creator

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SAFE WORLDWIDE

SAFE Worldwide, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and within the limits of the law, 100% of your donation is tax-deductible in the United States of America. We are incorporated in the state of California.    

USA  EIN #81-3680190

SAFE WORLDWIDE © 2023 All rights reserved

Linda Lanzl

FOUNDER OF SAFE WORLDWIDE

My name is Linda Lanzl, founder of SAFE Worldwide, and I have been dedicated to the conservation of endangered species all my adult life. I decided that I could no longer just watch from the sidelines and do nothing.

My first trip to Africa in 1997 included an encounter with the Mountain Gorillas of the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda.  I felt an amazing connection with this incredible species and knew that we had to save the last remaining 550 that were left in the wild at the time. I have since traveled to many regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Borneo, the Arctic and China to understand for myself the plight of endangered species in those regions. I have made it a personal commitment to help save species that are close to extinction and need our protection to survive.

I believe that every species has a right to live on this planet without the fear of becoming a tourist attraction or ending up in a circus or the exotic pet trade industry.  We believe in the rescue of animals taken from the wild with the goal of reintroducing them back into their natural habitats and homelands, when possible.  We also partner with rescue and rehabilitation centers that are 100% committed to the welfare of each animal that is in their care, with the ultimate goal of either a full release back into the wild or providing them a safe and thriving environment when they can live out their lives without fear of their human guardians.

Ruth Michiko Kahl

BOARD MEMBER

My name is Ruth Kahl and my career has mostly been in sales and marketing in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley.
 
I have volunteered with various organizations including Catholic Charities, American Women’s Association in Hong Kong, Santa Clara Valley Medical Hospital, Habit for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, Petco’s Town Cats Adoption Center and I’m currently volunteering for Pathways Home Health and Hospice.
 
I’m also volunteering my time and efforts to SAFE Worldwide as I believe in Linda’s passion to help educate people about endangered species, donate money to provide the tools and teach individuals to be self-sufficient to give back to their communities and raise money to provide the means to rehabilitate and return injured and/or orphaned endangered animals back to a healthy habitat.
 
I am excited with the progress SAFE Worldwide has made in the few years it has existed as it is focused on those people and animals with the most needs.

Donna Anne Dale

BOARD MEMBER

I am a woman with a passion for transformation. I am committed to human beings waking to the reality of the precarious position of the planet that we have been so blessed to inhabit, and the plight of the animals who share it. In short, I love animals, and I love people. I was drawn to contribute and participate with SAFE Worldwide precisely for this reason — for the inspirational and innovative way it goes about improving the living conditions and survival odds of endangered species in part by contributing to the sustainable well-being of the humans living in close proximity to these animals. This is achieved through a program which partners with local associations to manage and distribute micro-loans to individuals seeking to start a business. I am proud to both serve as a board member of SAFE Worldwide, and to help oversee the micro-loan  program.

Stori Smith

Artistic Director, Senior Staff Writer

Stori Smith’s wildlife conservation journey began with an elementary school fascination with Animal Planet and Diane Fossey. Now, as a recent Montana State University graduate with a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology, she hopes to pursue her passion for animal welfare and environmental justice. She currently works at a veterinary clinic in Washington State and is training to be a wildlife sanctuary guide. Eventually, she hopes to work at a nonprofit where she can use creative work and public education to increase conservation science’s appeal to those unfamiliar with its technicalities. Her ultimate goal is to bridge the perceived gap between the human and natural worlds to inspire environmental empathy and action.

Stori is excited to join SAFE Worldwide’s efforts to better serve the entire planet’s population–people and animals.  She has joined us as one of our key writers on wildlife and environmental topics supporting our efforts on social media platforms and in fundraising efforts.

Charis Nick-Torok

PR, Policy & Education Program Dev. Director

‘If a lion could speak, we could not understand him’. Ludwig Wittgenstein 

All my life I’ve been guided by my passion for animals and an ever-evolving sense that as part of the animal kingdom, we are not the most important part, but we are the most dangerous. Discovering SAFE Worldwide is like arriving home when we are the most weary. The shared compassion, drive, commitment and passion for our living planet—human and animal—of everyone at SAFE provides a beacon of hope at a time when our world faces its greatest challenges. My hope, working with SAFE, is to facilitate the understanding that we walk with animals on sacred ground, sharing a sacred space, and embodying a shared and sacred spirit, but we are not Nature’s master. Our greatest strength is our ability to learn, protect and thrive together as Her students, connected by each breath in the web of life. 

In my role as Director of Public Relations, Policy and Education Program Development, I hope to capitalize on my extensive background as an attorney, educator and bioethicist to promote the importance of protecting our most vulnerable species, through education and productive collaborations with all stakeholders. In addition to my role at SAFE, I serve as Vice Chair of the New York State Bar, Committee on Animals and Law, and as Adjunct faculty in the Animal Behavior Graduate Program at Unity College in Maine. I have devoted much of my legal career to assisting grass-root animal rescues, and other animal protection nonprofits, as well as serving as a long time educator in healthcare ethics, U.S. and International wildlife law and the Human-Animal Bond for various academic institutions.

Rachel Spaulding

ARTICLE WRITER

Rachel Spaulding is an environmental engineering major in the honors college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is currently assisting in research on how hurricanes affect marine environments including coral reefs. She has always had a passion for helping people, animals, and the environment.

In her own words: “I knew that I wanted to volunteer my time to an organization, but I was particularly drawn to Safe Worldwide. Their goals of protecting wildlife and educating people, all while donating 100% of profits, is uniquely humanitarian and selfless. Through the use of social media, I hope to spread the message and goals of SAFE Worldwide, so others can get involved too”.

Rachel joined SAFE as our Instagram and Twitter Guru and is helping us with our social media presence so we can reach more young people who want to be a part of a movement for creating a better and kinder planet, believing that all species matter.

Elaine Sheng

VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR & SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Elaine Sheng is a writer with a passion for storytelling. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a major in creative writing, minor in journalism, and a certificate in women’s studies.  She enjoys works of prose and poetry.  Her love for animals and nature stems from childhood – she remembers watching Nova and Nature on T.V. and decorating her bedroom wall with pages from National Geographic magazines.  Being more knowledgeable and informed is necessary for progress. She hopes to raise awareness and enable others to be better equipped in dismantling current policies and practices that are destroying the planet.

She wants to amplify the voices of endangered animals, meanwhile highlighting the progress that continues to be made by activists, inventors, and organizations worldwide.

Victoria Mulcahey

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT DEVELOPER

Victoria, also going by Tori, received her undergraduate degree at California State University, Long Beach for Music History followed by a Master’s degree at University of North Texas for Library and Information Science.  She works as a librarian and enjoys connecting people to the right information for their wants and/or needs.  In her free time, Tori enjoys watching animal documentaries (especially ones with David Attenborough), reading, and traveling with her husband and dog, Sven.She joined SAFE Worldwide because she wanted to make a difference in the world for humans and animals.  With her skills of research and talking with people of all ages, she hopes to inform people of the importance of the planet and endangered animals. She would like to reach as many people as possible by creating information that can go on social media and newsletters.

Steve Fox

Senior Education Video Editor

As a retiree, Steve Fox enjoys giving back to my community. He was a volunteer member for over 15 years with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He currently does work with local senior citizens, helping them with tech products. He also assists in recording audio books for the blind.

During his professional career, he was a finance and accounting executive in the cable television industry.

Steve was interested in photography and videography, and has taught himself video editing. Looking for a way to apply his newly acquired skills, he came across an opportunity to assist SAFE Worldwide with its outreach through videos and social media. It has been a very rewarding and educational experience.

Steve has learned a lot about the plight of endangered animals through SAFE Worldwide, and now wholeheartedly support its unique approach to trying to save endangered species.

Victor Lujan

EDUCATIONAL VIDEO CONTENT DEVELOPER

Victor is a college graduate from Grand Canyon University with a degree in Biology. He became a Biology teacher for high school students in Arizona.  He has a passion for education, biomedical research, and animal welfare.    

All of these interests led him to join SAFE Worldwide. Being self taught in video editing,  he has been able to combine his love for education and editing skills to help people understand the amazing animals that inhabit our world.

Victor thrives to create diverse content for young students too learn from and inspire them to find ways to become active in conservation

Samantha Hartery

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION & OUTREACH

Sammy has been involved in animal welfare and conservation work for nearly two decades.  

Before launching her career in nonprofit communications and outreach, she traveled all over the US and across the globe to study, rescue, and care for wildlife of all kinds.  She’s worked directly with whales, seals, sea turtles, and manatees, and still can’t stop talking about the rescued elephants she met in Thailand. 

Sammy is an animal person through and through, loves all things wild, and is passionate about getting nonprofits all over the world the attention and funding they need to do great things.  She joined SAFE Worldwide in 2022 to do just that.

Stephanie Haugaard

EDUCATIONAL VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR

Stephanie has been sharing her video editing skills to our organization since 2021 and has helped create awareness for endangered species and the environment and how their absence can affect the human race in the long run.  

Stephanie has a passion for film creation and has a dream to pursue a career in directing and creating film content. 

Even though she is going to school full time, she has been an integral part of our team and we are exciting to see more of Stephanie’s work with us as we develop a greater presence on YouTube and TikTok. 

Carol DeMoss

SENIOR GRAPHIC AND FINE ARTIST

Carol has worked as a graphic and fine arts artist for over 20 years with non-profit educational organizations around the US.  Among them is the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts, Gorgas Science Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation and Education Society of South Texas.   has designed and produced murals, signage,  newspaper and magazine advertisements, storyboards, graphic novels and comic books.

Carol has also served as President of Brownsville Beautification Committee and is a founding board member of Sea, Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, Texas.

Carol has been instrumental in driving the SAFE Worldwide kids educational , along with many other projects and is an integral member of the SAFE Worldwide team.

Dylan Rose

Video Animation Manager

My name is Dylan Rose. I am a student of film and animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design. 

Since I was young I have always been crafting and telling stories. For me, film and animation have become the ultimate mediums for creating stories that have an impact. Filmmaking has helped to build connections, communities, and enrich my life. I want to use the medium to give back. 

While I have always loved and taken an interest in animals, it wasn’t until a series of events that my world was opened up. I saw a silent puppet show called “Chimpanzee” that told the heartbreaking story of one chimp’s life in a lab cell. A few weeks later I found myself traveling up to north Georgia to see a sanctuary for ex lab-tested chimps. These events were a realization that there was a real place in the art to advocate for the protection of animals. 

That led me to eventually come across SAFE Worldwide and begin assisting in the development of a chimpanzee short film. I have already learned so much. I am continually excited as my work with SAFE Worldwide advances.

Catherine Palcic

Project Manager

Hello! I’m Catherine Palcic (she/they) and I am a collaborative strategist and mission-driven leader currently residing in southern Connecticut.  During my 20+ years within the telecommunications industry, I discovered my true talent was connecting strategy to operations to drive thoughtful and deliberate change through communication and education.

 

Prior to joining SAFE Worldwide, I served as a Zoo Guide at the National Zoo in D.C., an Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo, that focuses on species conservation.  For 5 years my role as a volunteer was to share the conservation stories of animals in the collection, and the zoo’s leadership and participation in conservation projects across the globe, with visitors from around the world.  Seeing the hearts and minds of zoo-goers react to the plight of species, that will likely become extinct in the wild in their lifetime, and to the success stories of re-introductions, it became clear to me that when people know, they care.  

 

SAFE’s focus on conservation and education aligns with how I conduct my life and provides an opportunity for me to use my skills to raise awareness and drive a lasting impact on our planet.

Alex Williams

SENIOR aRTICLE WRITER

My name is Alex Williams and I studied Community and Regional Development at the University of California, Davis, finishing top in my class. While it took me some time to unearth my interests, my most memorable class, environmental justice, changed my worldview as I began pursuing the intersection of climate change and social justice.  For this reason, I was drawn to SAFE Worldwide’s commitment to sustainable community development whilst pursuing animal conservation. Working side by side with humans and animals, SAFE Worldwide’s mission encourages the healthy and sustainable future I dream to be a part of. I hope to be a part of the change seeking a regenerative relationship between humans and the environment.
 
I grew up camping with my family any time we had the opportunity. Because of this, many of my friends say I belong outdoors and thrive in nature like a plant. In my free time I’m an avid reader, aspiring amateur home cook, and dedicated board game player. I recently discovered a passion for volunteering after spending my summer in Gallup, New Mexico with AmeriCorps, helping with food scarcity in the Navajo population. I am looking forward to continuing my relationship with the environment with SAFE Worldwide!

Emma Flosi

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

My name is Emma Flosi. I’m currently a third-year medical student, living in Chicago. Over the past few years, I’ve traveled to many places across the country and have spent most of my free time in nature..  The more time I spent there, the more I felt the need to protect it and all the living things that call it home.  I believe that it is of the utmost importance to address climate change and its effects on animals’ habitats.

I joined SAFE Worldwide because, as a lifetime animal lover, I wanted to be part of an organization that is truly fighting for endangered animals and addressing the environmental issues that are affecting these animal’s ways of life.  Social media is such a powerful tool. It gives us the ability to use our voices and our words to reach millions of people.  Education and awareness are critical steps to making a change, and I’m excited to play my part in it.

Anna Mardis

Social Media Strategist

My name is Anna Mardis. I currently reside in San Francisco Bay Area, though I have lived across the U.S. and South Korea. I am a graduate of the University of Maryland Global Campus in Osan, South Korea . My major was in communication studies with a concentration in public relations, and my minor in political science with focus on international human rights. I have utilized my skills and education in other nonprofits, building their voice to help the local community.

 

My love and respect for wildlife started when I was a child. My family spent much of our time outdoors, from camping in Canada to the Florida Everglades. My parents taught me to respect nature and leave no trace of our presence. I grew a passion for solo traveling and backpacked through South Korea, Thailand, and parts of Europe. My time in Thailand was spent learning from locals and spending time at an ethical elephant sanctuary. From that point I knew I wanted to use my voice to promote ethical and sustainable travel, to help preserve communities, culture, and wildlife around the world. I joined Safe Worldwide as it is an organization whose values and mission align with my own.

Vani Jaishankar

Article Writer

My name is Vani! I am an online student working toward earning my Bachelor of Science in Journalism at the University of Florida. I have had a passion for writing since I was a child. In the future, I would like to pursue a career in journalism specifically, investigative journalism. I would be open to writing about other topics as well. I hope to take my photography skills to the next level and include photojournalism in my future career. I am a huge animal rights and animal conservation, environmental, criminal justice reform and prison reform, mental health and an “adopt don’t shop” advocate. 

Rebekah Keating

Social Media Content Creator

I’m Rebekah Keating, and I graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s in Wildlife Management and a concentration in conservation. I’ve recently worked with the endangered Mexican gray wolf in New Mexico and Arizona, and I am currently a conservation educator in Kentucky. I love working with kids and helping them to develop a positive view of wildlife and to respect the importance of every species in our ecosystem. My goal is to eliminate the perception that many species are meant to be feared.

I found SAFE Worldwide and feel the mission of creating sustainable solutions is what we need most right now. I’ve always loved wildlife and felt a responsibility to help protect our biodiversity, and I hope to help others make that same connection. We are a part of nature and this ecosystem, so I think it is important for society to not view wildlife as something separate from ourselves. I think raising awareness of how our daily actions can impact this system is crucial for making that change.

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