Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nathou Attinger (she/her)

Founder & Executive Director

Nathou’s great love has always been non-human animals. With a BA from UVA, Nathou has owned a landscaping company for 29 years, and currently shares her home with four dogs, three cats, one cockatoo, and a bunch of chickens, pigeons, rabbits, and doves…and her partner! Starting RWS 20 years ago allowed Nathou to care for even more animals, and thus far it has succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Nathou holds a category IIB permit to rehabilitate wildlife and train other rehabbers, as well as a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service that allows RWS to rehabilitate migratory birds. She loves to garden, read, spend time with dogs, cats, her cockatoo and her partner. When she can be found, she is very often covered in Virginia clay and mulch.

Anju Grover (she/her)

Vice-President

Anju works in the non-profit finance industry to make a living. Outside of that, she sleeps a lot and when she’s not sleeping, she’s cooking. She’s a fabulous chef according to her kids, furry and human. Most importantly, she has a deep love for nature and specifically, animals!

Patty Wallens (she/her)

Patty is one of the founding board members and her specialty is writing grants for RWS. She is grateful for the generosity of this community in supporting RWS and loves hearing about how hard people work to rescue wildlife. Patty lives with her husband, Jeff McCormack and their beloved dog, Maisie, in Albemarle County.

Mary Haines-Johnson (she/her)

President of the Board

Mary is a retired teacher, having taught at Nelson County Middle School with 27 years of experience. She is the sponsor of the Environmental Leadership Club and enjoys providing outdoor experiential learning for her students. As an avid adventurer and volunteer, she has traveled to assist with research on crocodiles of the Okavango Delta and bats of the Brazilian Pantanal. When not skirting the globe or engaging with students, Mary enjoys curling up on the couch and reading adolescent fiction surrounded by her fur family.

Charlotte Rea (she/her)

Charlotte is a native Virginian, retired USAF Officer, and life-long nature lover. She lives with her rescue dog Maggie on about 30 acres of mostly forested wetland full of wildlife in northern Nelson County. She loves poetry, gardening, word puzzles and transporting wildlife to and from RWS.

Liz Courain (she/her)

Liz has focused her career on volunteer and non-profit management. She lives in Charlottesville where she tends a pollinator garden. A birder who also loves to travel, Liz and her husband David have visited 25 National Wildlife Refuges - and counting! Liz also enjoys running, reading and cooking.

Karen Walker (she/her)

Treasurer

Karen has lived in Charlottesville for 27 years and now lives on a farm in Albemarle county. She loves nature, both floral and fauna. She helped start Wild Virginia back in the mid-90's in her friend's living room. She has traveled the world in pursuit of culture and biodiversity. Her favorite native species is the red fox. She is so happy to be a part of the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary.

Nancy Nuell (she/her)

Nancy retired from a long career in fundraising and higher education leadership in 2020 and has since been enjoying retirement living as a full-time "nature freak" at her woodland home in Nelson County. She and her partner John McLean live a stones throw away from RWS with their dog Porter and cat Bo and Fargo. Nancy enjoys hiking, travel, music and fostering kittens for the Almost Home Shelter. Her favorite local wildlife is the Northern Long-eared Bat.