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Spokesperson Bios

Will Travers is the Chief Executive of Born Free USA. Will has dedicated most of his life to wildlife issues since living as a child in Kenya while his parents, actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, made the classic wildlife film Born Free (1966). In 1984, he co-founded UK-based wildlife charity, The Born Free Foundation, where he is also Chief Executive.

Will is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, a founding member of the Captive Wild Animals Protection Coalition, and a member of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Species Survival Commission Reintroduction Specialist Group.

Since 1996, Will has been President of the Species Survival Network international coalition of organizations committed to the promotion, enhancement, and strict enforcement of the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Through scientific and legal research, education, and advocacy, the SSN is working to prevent over-exploitation of animals and plants due to international trade. Will has also helped Born Free develop a unique community conservation initiative called Global Friends which seeks to deliver benefits to communities in developing countries that live alongside wild animal populations and share their habitat and eco-system resources.

Adam M. Roberts is Executive Vice President of Born Free USA and is based in Washington, DC. He helped found the organization in 2002 to bring the UK-based Born Free Foundation's message of compassionate conservation to the American public. Adam has significant expertise in international wildlife trade and captive wild animals and serves on the Board of Directors of the Species Survival Network where he chairs the SSN Press Committee, Financial Committee, Bear Working Group, and Animals in Captivity Working Group. Adam is also a Member of the Board of Humane USA, and in 2003, he founded The $10 Club, a charity to fund poverty alleviation projects in developing countries. He runs the organization singlehandedly, and as a volunteer. To date, the organization has supported work in nearly 50 countries. Adam is a graduate of Vassar College.

Tim Ajax is the Director of the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Dilley, TX, which provides lifelong care for hundreds of monkeys in as natural an environment as possible. Tim has more than 17 years of experience working hands-on with numerous species of wildlife including old and new world primates, and brings extensive immobilization, enrichment, animal care, and enclosure design experience to the sanctuary. Prior to joining the Born Free USA team, Tim held multiple positions at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc., including Assistant Director and Director of Veterinary Services, where he managed the daily operations of more than 300 sanctuary residents and more than 5,000 wild patients yearly. Tim is a strong advocate of providing a high quality of life for captive animals with a focus on space, companionship, and enrichment.

Monica Engebretson is Senior Program Associate for Born Free USA and is based in Sacramento, CA. She has worked professionally in the animal protection movement since 1999, specializing in several issues including wildlife conflicts, trapping, exotic birds, pet shops, and animals used in agriculture and fur production. A frequent speaker on these issues, Monica has also authored multiple articles and publications on many of these subjects. She also has experience in undercover investigation design, coordination, and implementation. Monica is also a Member of the Board of the Midwest Avian Adoption and Rescue Services (MAARS) and the Avian Welfare Coalition and serves as an advisor to the Indonesian Parrot Project. Monica is a graduate of Humboldt State University where she majored in wildlife with an emphasis on environmental ethics.

Barry Kent MacKay is Born Free USA's Canadian Representative, and has been associated with our organization for nearly three decades. Barry wrote a weekly nature column for The Toronto Star for 25 years, and has authored numerous articles, essays, reviews, and three books, all dealing with nature or wildlife, especially birds. Barry is a founding director of Zoocheck-Canada, Animal Alliance of Canada, and Species Survival Network, and recently helped start a federal political party in Canada, dedicated to protecting animals and the environment. He has won several awards for his work as a writer and conservationist and his wildlife studies have taken him to Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, and throughout much of North America.

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