Debbie McGuire, MBA
Executive Director (she/her/hers) More About McGuire
Debbie McGuire is currently serving as the Executive Director for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) in Huntington Beach, CA. She first became involved with wildlife during the American Trader oil spill (Huntington Beach) in 1990. Debbie has been actively engaged in responding to oil spills and in rehabilitating wildlife ever since the spill. She is a member of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network and is trained as an oil spill supervisor for Field Capture. She is certified for Hazing and Recovery of wildlife, as well as Stabilization and Treatment. Over the years, she has responded to numerous spills involving oiled avian and mammal species. Debbie is an original board member for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, formed in 1990. She worked for 25 years as Hospital Administrator for All Creatures Care Cottage, formed by the late Dr. Joel Pasco. As Executive Director for WWCC, she has woven a unique relationship with local animal control agencies, and county and city park rangers that allows for important cooperation to get wildlife in need into care at WWCC. |
Andrea Takla, JD
Board Chair (she/her/hers) More About Takla
Andrea Jacobs Takla is the Vice Chair on the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) Board of Directors. An Orange County native, Andrea grew up in San Clemente, playing four years on San Clemente High School's women's championship Varsity basketball team. Andrea graduated college cum laude, earning her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Washington. Immediately following college, Andrea received an academic scholarship to attend California Western School of Law in San Diego where she also graduated cum laude. In law school, Andrea participated in Law Review and published an article about prison guard abuse against inmates and the need for prison reform. She was also strongly influenced by a course in Animal Law where she learned about factory farming, animal testing, and wrote her seminar paper on the impact of sonar testing on marine mammals. Since graduating law school, Andrea has dedicated her life to ensuring equal justice for indigent individuals charged with federal criminal offenses, including financial crimes, firearms offenses, drug trafficking, and violent crimes. An avid animal lover, Andrea previously volunteered at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach as a docent educating public visitors and student groups. In her free time, Andrea loves to travel the world with her husband and cuddle with their two rescue dogs. |
William Simpson, JD
Vice Chair (he/him/his) More About Simpson
I graduated from the University of Virginia (with High Honors) and thereafter from the University of Virginia School of Law. I originally decided to go to law school so that I could work for an environmental organization. As environmental organizations would not hire lawyers right out of law school, I began working for a large law firm. Rolling forward the clock, I ended up as a corporate/M&A partner for 35 years at the international law firm of Paul Hastings LLP, where for many years I served as Chair of the Orange County office, Chair of the Firm’s Global Private Equity Practice Group and a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee. I retired from the practice of law in early 2024 and decided to pursue my passion for helping wild animals by joining WWCC. |
Kelly Kveton
Secretary (she/her/hers) More About Kveton
Kelly Kveton spent her childhood in Anchorage, Alaska, developing a strong ecological identity and love for observing the natural world. Kelly started volunteering with the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in high school. She started as a volunteer, was part of the “Under our Wings” teen volunteer program, and transitioned to a shift supervisor. Her hands-on experience developed into a love of birds, deep appreciation for local habitats, and an exploration of biology careers. She worked seasonally for US Fish and Wildlife in Maine doing avian population studies focused on banding ducks and American woodcock. Earning a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from University of California Irvine, she explored the fusion of biology and teaching through working at an outdoor science school in the San Bernardino National Forest. Here she found a passion for working in education which led to a teaching credential and a Masters of Science in Science Education through California State University, Long Beach. Kelly’s goals are to increase interest in, understanding of, and stewardship of the native organisms and landscapes. This is a focus within her classrooms, and in her personal life, encouraging her family to learn and enjoy nature through birding, hiking, camping, and being aware of urban nature. Being asked to join the Board for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center has been an honor, and a way to give back to an organization that has given so much to her for over 20 years. |
Dr. Elizabeth Wood, DVM
Medical Director (she/her/hers) More About Dr. Wood
Dr. Elizabeth Wood is the veterinarian and Medical Director at WWCC. Dr. Wood obtained her undergraduate degrees in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz. She obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Wood has had a lifelong passion for wildlife conservation and has experience working with wildlife organizations, zoos, and research projects throughout California, Oregon, Washington DC, Costa Rica, and Namibia. She had the recent honor of traveling to Midway Atoll to participate in a project in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the endangered Laysan duck. She enjoys fostering relationships with other wildlife centers and veterinarians, as well as teaching pre-vet and vet students about wildlife medicine. She is grateful to the WWCC team for their enthusiasm and desire to have a positive impact on our local environment. When she’s not taking care of wildlife you can find her having adventures outdoors; she loves camping, kayaking, biking, sailing, skiing, and exploring our beautiful natural world. |
Tom Gaccione
Facilities Director (he/him/his) More About Gaccione
Tom retired from a career in spacecraft and communications design in 2018, joining WWCC in 2019. In his current role, he is able to utilize his engineering and management skills on numerous projects in the facility to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of the animals in WWCC's care. He sees the organization growing significantly in the next several years due to growing human impacts on wildlife in California. He enjoys volunteering for several organizations in the community of Huntington Beach and finds working with animals and staff at WWCC to be very rewarding. Each day he learns new lessons and sees an organization, staff, and volunteers with a very bright future ahead of it. |
Diane Taylor, MBA
Treasurer (she/her/hers) More About Taylor
Diane (Bonfiglio) Taylor is the Treasurer of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center Board of Directors. Originally from Los Angeles, she has lived in Orange County for the past eleven years. Diane attended the University of California Los Angeles and received a B.A. degree in Economics & International Area Studies. While working full time, she attended the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and received an M.B.A. with an emphasis on Finance and Business Economics. Diane has over twenty years experience in financial services including banking, financial, and business analysis as well as commodity trading. Diane was responsible for conducting rigorous financial statement analysis and making lending decisions for multi-million dollar manufacturing businesses. Diane has been surrounded by animals her entire life. Her first wildlife rescue took place in her early teens when she rescued an opossum from a busy street and successfully released it with the Whittier Narrows Nature Center near her hometown. That started a lifetime of care and concern for the protection of all creatures. Currently, she has a 14-year-old German Shepherd, a rescued reptile, and a recently rescued 5-year-old toothless cat at home. Throughout the years, in addition to constant dogs and cats, her home has also included birds, two guinea pigs, and numerous fish. In her free time, Diane enjoys experiencing local culture and learning about native wildlife wherever she happens to be, at home in Orange County or traveling the U.S. or abroad. By far, her favorite activity is spending time with her husband and three adult children who share her compassion for animals and fostering kindness in the world. |
Dr. Jennifer Kumar, VMD
Board Member (she/her/hers) More About Dr. Kumar
Dr. Jen Dietz Kumar attained her undergraduate studies in biological sciences and French at Wellesley College, followed by a veterinary medicine program at University of Pennsylvania . She completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal and exotic medicine in Los Angeles, then spent five years working as an emergency clinician at a large specialty hospital in Fountain Valley. She has owned South Coast Pet Hospital in Santa Ana since 2012, Baker Bristol Pet Hospital since 2017, Seacliff Animal Hospital since 2020, and Brook-Ellis Pet Hospital since 2022. She volunteers on the Board of Directors of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC), as well as frequently appears at local school events as a guest STEM educator. She loves treating all animals but has a special interest in exotic pet small mammals. She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband, two daughters, and Cocker Spaniel named Iris. She loves downhill skiing, eating lobsters in her hometown of Cape Cod, MA, and traveling abroad with her family. |
Lisa Dietz
Board Member (she/her/hers) More About Dietz
Lisa Dietz is a senior fundraising professional with more than 18 years working in the international NGO sector, dedicated to advancing the well-being of nature and people across the globe. With extensive experience leading high-impact initiatives in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, Lisa has successfully mobilized more than $150 million in support of international sustainable development and conservation efforts. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and is especially passionate about Latin America, having spent several years living in Ecuador—first as a Peace Corps volunteer and later as a professional—where she deepened her commitment to locally-led conservation and cross-cultural collaboration. A Massachusetts native, Lisa graduated from Brown University with a BA in Hispanic Studies and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University. Driven by a lifelong passion for animals and their welfare, she has championed innovative approaches to conservation that prioritize the interconnectedness of people and wildlife. Her leadership has contributed to the protection of critical habitats and species, increased decision-making power of local communities, and the advancement of policies that foster a harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world. When she is not working or volunteering, Lisa enjoys spending time with her nieces, her orange tabby cat named Miguel, and exploring new places in the US and abroad. |
Ann McCarthy, MBA
Board Member (she/her/hers) More About McCarthy
Ann McCarthy grew up primarily in San Diego, but as the daughter of a Naval Officer, she had the opportunity to live in several areas of the U.S., as well as abroad in Japan. Her proclivity to volunteer started early, teaching swimming lessons through the Red Cross. Ann participated in Girl Scouts throughout her childhood, hiking and backpacking throughout the Sierra Mountains of California, earning her Silver Leadership Award, and living the Girl Scout motto: "Leave each place better than you found it." Ann went to California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, where she graduated with a B.A. in business. At Cal Poly, she was a lifeguard with the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol, working in beautiful and rare coastal areas, with the Morro Bay State Marine Reserve under her watch. Ann went on to earn her M.B.A. at the University of La Verne. Ann has worked in commercial real estate for over 30 years, overseeing large commercial portfolios including office, retail, and marine properties. Ann has continued her volunteer work throughout her adult years. She has been a Board Member and the Treasurer for the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy for over 20 years, instrumental in the organization's operations and three major restoration projects. Ann recently joined the board of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. Ann looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experience she has gained through her volunteer and professional careers. In her free time, Ann enjoys travel and nature, having recently hiked in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, completed the Haute Route through the Swiss Alps, and the Fira to Oia trail in Santorini, Greece. |
Dave Guido
Board Member (he/him/his) More About Guido
David Guido got involved in local environmental issues in 1999 when talk of an old abandoned oil tank farm near his neighborhood get reactivated began. Getting his neighbors involved and working with the City of Huntington Beach helped prevent that from happening. Since then, he got appointed to the Huntington Beach Environmental Board and served for six years. He later joined the Board of Directors of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy and is now the Board Chair and has been on the WWCC Board since 2022. He considers himself fortunate that he has had an opportunity to positively affect the local environment working in the HB Wetlands and with the wildlife that makes it their home. The missions of HBWC and WWCC fit well together and meshing those missions is one of his goals being on both Boards. Dave has had a long career in commercial air conditioning and acts as Project & General Manager of a local mechanical contracting company. He has a wonderful wife, two grown sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and two fun grandsons. In his spare time, he sings with his wife in a semi-professional choral group and enjoys wine studies (but enjoys drinking it more!). |
Dori Dutton
Board Member (she/her/hers) More About Dutton
With over 15 plus years of sales experience in sales, Dori is dedicated to adopting a client-centered approach in every position she undertakes. Her career in sales has equipped her with essential skills in clear communication, negotiation, and problem-solving. Dori’s talent for cultivating strong relationships and effective communication enables her to identify common interests, which is crucial for promoting community engagement and establishing partnerships. In addition to her professional endeavors, Dori has a profound passion for wildlife. This love has influenced her understanding of balance, sustainability, and the interconnectedness of communities-principles she integrates into both her personal and professional life. In 2000, she embarked on an 18-day journey to South Africa, where she had the opportunity to volunteer at a cheetah rescue. This experience ignited a lifelong commitment to supporting initiatives that protect and rehabilitate wildlife. Dori has actively volunteered with local conservation organizations throughout Orange County and has consistently advocated for wildlife preservation. “If We Save Our Wild Places, We Will Ultimately We Save Ourselves” Steve Irwin |