MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

Presented in Alphabetical Order  

McKenna Chao, CPBT-KA is the Curator of Birds at Carolina Raptor Center. She manages the training of avian ambassadors and helps to ensure the proper care and treatment of the department's animal life. McKenna has experience working with a variety of different birds including raptors and parrots. McKenna has been in the field since 2016 learning and implementing the most up-to-date training practices for dynamic shows, educational programs, and daily husbandry tasks.
Sunny Cooper is the Director of Raptor Rehabilitation and Operations at Carolina Raptor Center and has been working with raptors since 2013. She oversees the Raptor Hospital, which admits 800-1000 wild patients each year and oversees the medical needs of the ambassador birds who call Carolina Raptor Center home. Sunny has served on the Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina (WRNC) board for 4 years and currently holds the Vice President position. Sunny enjoys teaching from the intern level to fellow wildlife rehabilitators through webinars and hand-on labs. 

Kristin Dean, CPBT-KA, is the Director of Avian Operations at the Carolina Raptor Center. She has been working with birds, primarily raptors, for since 2005. Currently, Kristin oversees the Raptor Rehabilitation Program and avian ambassador programs at the Carolina Raptor Center. Her experience in rehabilitating, training, and caring for raptors has resulted in a depth of raptor specific knowledge. She has worked alongside Avian Veterinarians and has performed thousands of physical exams, diagnostics, lab work, medical procedures, and necropsies, routine coping, equipment changes, talon trims and feather exams. She uses information gathered from health examinations to improve raptor welfare by suggesting habitat improvements, treatment options, and training plans. Kristin is driven to help improve the welfare of animals in human care. She shares information through CRC seminars, NEI’s TEC Talks, and IAATE papers, presentations, and articles. She currently serves as a general board member on IAATE Board of Directors and serves on the Conservation Committee and Professional Development Committee. 

Cas Daum is a Raptor Medical Specialist at Carolina Raptor Center. Along with daily patient examination and care, they oversee the necropsy and biofact lab, diagnostic lab, and surgical suite. They have worked in raptor medicine since starting as a Carolina Raptor Center hospital volunteer in 2020 and have worked hands-on in the diagnostic and biofact laboratories since 2022, reading diagnostic samples and preparing biofacts critical to educational programs, tours, demonstrations, and nestling patient care.  
Colleen Hartman, CPBT-KA is the Director of Ambassador Programs and Education at Carolina Raptor Center. She has been working with a variety of species of raptors since 2014. Colleen is responsible for the care and management of the collection of avian ambassadors at the Carolina Raptor Center as well as implementing the most up-to-date training practices. She has experience working with birds of prey in dynamic show settings as well as training foundation behaviors for husbandry and educational presentations. Colleen has been hosting raptor training and husbandry seminars since 2016 and has aided other facilities in their understanding and application of raptor behavior, training, husbandry care, and overall welfare through the teaching of formal classes, workshops, and consultation work.
Sydnie Matda is the Raptor Rehabilitation Coordinator at Carolina Raptor Center. She is dedicated to patient care and welfare while also managing hospital volunteer and internship programs. Sydnie graduated from Elon University in 2023 with a B.S in Environmental Science and a B.A in Biology. Since then, she has completed multiple fellowships at wildlife centers across the East Coast and has experience working with a variety of species. 
Keeley Mesler is the Education Manager at Carolina Raptor Center with over 15 years of experience in the animal care and education field. She has worked with all types of animals, focusing on raptors for the past 3 years at Carolina Raptor Center. She oversees private educational programs both onsite and offsite while participating in the husbandry and training of avian ambassadors to provide an interactive and educational experience that also supports state curriculum standards. Keeley is also a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation as well as a member of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation.
Hailey Patton is the Welfare Coordinator at Carolina Raptor Center. She has been working with a variety of species including raptors and non-raptor birds of prey since 2018. Hailey assists in training and husbandry of avian ambassadors and helps to ensure the proper care and treatment of the department’s animal life. She also manages and trains volunteers in the Avian Ambassador Team department. Hailey has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in Wildlife Rehabilitation from Lees-McRae College, NC.
Ron Shema has served as the Raptor Hospital Manager at Carolina Raptor Center since 2025. In this role, she oversees daily hospital operations, patient care, and the management of staff, interns, and volunteers who support the rehabilitation program. Ron earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Texas A&M University and previously spent five years at Austin Wildlife Rescue as a Senior Wildlife Care Technician. During her time there, she gained extensive experience treating and rehabilitating a wide variety of native wildlife species. Passionate about wildlife rehabilitation and raptor medicine, Ron is currently pursuing her Certificate of Wildlife Rehabilitation and is committed to advancing the care and conservation of birds of prey through both rehabilitation and education.