Bold Visions Conservation brings more than 35 years experience to protecting wildlife and wildlands. Our power is the team we work with, from varying wildlife organizations to the people who lobby, write our reports, and help define the lands we work hard to protect. Experience and passion means we can get to the root of an issue, helping to educate and inspire the public to fight for change! We are dedicated to wildlife conservation, while also protecting the wildlands that allow them to thrive!
STAFF
Stephen Capra
Executive Director
What sets Bold Visions apart is that we are a voice for wildlife and wildlands, and move forward with a history of success. Bold Visions exists to continue the fight Stephen has been involved in for over 30 years, leading campaigns that created two National Monuments: Rio Grande del Norte, and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico, multiple wilderness areas, and the creation of the Mexican Wolf Coalition. In Montana, he led Footloose Montana to prominence while fighting egress bills in the legislature, including lobbying to defeat SB-372; placing the fight for wildlife front and center in Montana. He works with Montana's influential conservationists and wildlife advocates to ensure success and will always be BOLD! stephen@bvconservation.org
Tom Rodgers
Washington DC Director
Tom Rodgers is a member of the Blackfoot Tribe and an advocate for Indian country and conservation. Tom has received academic ethics awards for his efforts. The Tom C. Rodgers O-tee-paym-soo-wuk Ethics in Government Scholarship by the University of Denver Strum College of Law was named in his honor. He was the main whistle-blower in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Tom is critical to our efforts to create a new national Monument for wildlife in the Custer-Gallatin and Caribou-Targhee national forests. He has worked with our Executive Director since the inception of our efforts. Tom is well-respected in Washington, D.C., and Montana. He has an MBA in International Business from the University McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, a Master of International Public Policy/Asian Studies/Civilization at the University of Denver, a Law and a Doctor of law from Strum College of Law, Denver, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Denver in Political Science and Economics.
Tricia Cook
Admin and Development
Tricia Cook hails from a wee hamlet due east of Washington's North Cascade Mountains, living simply in the company of two big dogs, one small cat, and a plethora of forest fauna. When she is lucky, from her front stoop she listens to wolves sing and coyotes yodel. Tricia grew up visiting her grandparents’ river cabin cozied up to Oregon’s Mount Jefferson Wilderness, and this is where her love for wildlands and wildlife was fostered. While adulting, Tricia has been an advocate for non-human animals and wild places, also bringing this passion to conservation nonprofit administration, outreach, and grant management. She is a freelance essayist and journalist, an infrequent poet, a frequent backcountry human-powered traveler, tree hugger, and recluse in training. tricia@bvconservation.org
Zach Van Niman
Bozeman Director
Zach grew up fly fishing with his grandfather on the beautiful streams of western Montana. This sparked a passion for all things outdoors including fishing, hunting, backpacking, skiing, biking, and foraging. These passions led Zach to participate in his local Trout Unlimited chapter and Boy Scout Troop. For his Eagle Scout project, he organized a creek restoration project, gathering volunteers from his Boy Scout troop and Trout Unlimited chapter. Zach attended the University of Idaho majoring in Environmental Science, where he participated in the Semester In the Wild program, living for 3 months at Taylor Wilderness Research Station in the heart of the Frank Church Wilderness. Zach’s lifelong relationship with the outdoors, along with his education, have empowered him to advocate for the health of the planet and given him a passion for making a difference via environmental conservation.
Matthew Wardell
Community Organizer
Matt was born in Manhattan NY, but he was blessed to be raised in the mountains of Pike County, Pennsylvania. He grew up hunting and fishing and camping in the Delaware Valley. He never questioned why people came from around the world to see the natural beauty of his hometown, Milford. But even immersed as he was in it, he never came to take it for granted. The time he spent there instilled in him a respect and appreciation for the natural world that could not be gained in any classroom. He has joined his family and colleagues at Bold Visions Conservation to fight in defense of the land he loves.
Joe Adair
IT and Social Media
Joe grew up in New Mexico and was an early computer user, writing his first BASIC program in 1973, when he was 12. He was in the country's first public school computer class at Grant Junior High. He went on to study at the world's first college prep computer program at Albuquerque's Career Enrichment Center, where he spent 3 extra hours a day in 1976-77, learning 6 additional computer languages. He attended New Mexico State University, studying computer engineering in 78-79, studied business at the University of New Mexico in 1980, and construction management at Pierce College in Los Angeles in 1982-83. Joe worked on the construction of the $1.2b (2024 $) Getty Oil World HQ (now NBC/Comcast) in Universal City, CA, from 1980-82 as a Project Assistant, then at The Getty Museum's (now called The Getty Villa) Art Restoration Facilities $300m remodel as Project Manager. He moved into the office in 1984 and developed an analysis system for paying contractors using early PCs for Fanny Mae's California projects. He worked with architects to reduce FNMA's 33% failure rate to under 5% in a year. Because of a massive high-rise building construction slump, Joe returned to the computer world as a consultant and salesperson at the world's top computer provider in Westwood, CA, two blocks from where the Internet began, at UCLA. In 1985, the LA Business Journal named Joe to the Computer 100 and named him Computer Guy to the Stars. His clients included celebrities as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Bob Newhart, and Wolfgang Puck. Over those years, Joe and his boss also collaborated to create crazy and trendy advertisements in the LA Times. Joe held many positions as the company grew, including Sales Manager, Marketing Director, and Operations Manager. After many years in the business, computers were no longer mysterious magic boxes to consumers, and Joe decided to start his own business, Softcenter, where he and his partner became the first online software distributors in the world in 1996. The business thrived, and they relocated to Seattle to gain more acceptance; at that time, buying things on the Internet was considered akin to throwing money out your window on the freeway, so being near Microsoft was a plus. They also became the first online Better Business Bureau member. Ironically, a dispute with Microsoft in 1998 would end that venture. Joe was heartbroken and sought solace in Phoenix with family. He became a designer at a large newspaper chain, where he advanced to the head of the design department. He moved back to Albuquerque in 2001 and met Bold Visions Conservation's founder, Stephen Capra. He hired Joe to remake NMWild!, the newsletter of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. He helped many other environmental organizations and works today with Bold Visions. Joe is a political printed publications expert, helping elect progressive candidates.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
VIRGINIA MARIA ROMERO is a visionary artist with works in public and museum permanent collections, as well as numerous private collections throughout the United States and abroad. Romero’s biographical artist profile is included on the New Mexico Office of the State Historian website: www.newmexicohistory.org. In 2013 Romero was recognized as a distinguished Artist and Poet by the American Council for Polish Culture. The earth is crying out for our help. We have lost close to half the species worldwide in the past forty years, and it will take champions, not just from the conservation world, but from artists whose work can open eyes and make statements by their power to make people think and be awed by the genius of their creative force. In Virginia Maria Romero we have found such an artist.” “Romero’s art speaks a language unlike any other…it is a language of the heart, of the soul, of life… Romero has taken an ancient art form and redefined it, reinvented it, and made it her own.”
ED LEVINE has been engaged in conservation and wildlife issues for many years. He is a gastroenterologist living in Missoula. Ed’s passion is spending time in the outdoors, and joined the Board of Bold Visions Conservation because, like so many, he has grown sickened by trappers and those who want to harm our natural world. He sees the reform of wildlife agencies as something long overdue and wants to have the ability to see wolves and grizzlies in the wild. Ed believes in the mission of this organization and looks forward to helping in support of our Bold Visions!
MICHELLE BLAKE, TREASURER is a former award-winning journalist with a passion for positive change, Michelle Blake has worked exclusively in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years. In addition to being on the founding boards of two successful nonprofits, she's worked in policy advocacy, communications, and fundraising and development for multiple organizations, including Fences For Fido, Phoenix Zones Initiative, and Mountain Lion Foundation. She's written $2 million in successful grants and helped pass bills at the state and federal level to protect wildlife and domestic animals. She and her husband, who are lovingly owned by their rescue dogs and cats, live in Oregon where they both work in animal-related nonprofits.
STEVE WEST was born in Carlsbad, NM, and grew up in neighboring Loving, where he explored rivers, canyons, prairie, farm fields, and open spaces. He attended New Mexico State University and volunteered for the Army, serving over three years. He has always loved and explored open spaces and the possibilities they offered. He taught school in Loving and spent a year in Bolivia. He returned to teach in Carlsbad and got his Master's in Science from New Mexico Tech. He became involved in environmental issues, served on the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance board, and later worked for the group. He has performed surveys for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the Bureau of Land Management dealing with endangered species and ecosystems. He also volunteered at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where he did a 40-year study by studying and banding Cave Swallows. Steve has also performed surveys of birds in many countries and had a stint in Egypt, where he taught their national park biologists how to monitor and survey wildlife. He founded the Chihuahuan Desert Conservation Alliance, which lasted for 20 years until he left New Mexico and moved to Arizona. Steve published a book, Chihuahuan Desert Wildflowers, and over 60 papers in science journals. He is committed to fighting for wilderness and wild things and envisions a sustainable future for plants, wildlife, and humans.
CAITLIN WARDELL Growing up in northeastern Appalachia and living nearly a decade in the beautiful state of Montana has instilled in me a lifelong love for the beauty our natural world has to offer. With love comes duty - a duty to nurture, shepherd, and foster wellbeing. As a mother of two young children, it is my duty to fight for the preservation of the life-giving land that we share with all animals - human and non-human. The protection of our precious public lands is essential for the future of all life. In my undergraduate studies, I interned for three semesters with MontPIRG, working on campaigns that resulted in the passing of a number of essential bills that ensured the preservation of some of Montana's waters, wildlife, and public lands. I also worked alongside a professor for an independent study, aiding in research on her work with the National Bison Range and in pursuing the nature of value-laden science. The health of our planet is essential to me, and to all of us - and I devote myself wherever possible to maintaining it.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
NORMAN A. BISHOP earned a BS in Botany at the University of Denver (1954), served 4 years as a naval aviator, then took Forest Recreation and Wildlife Management courses (1958-61) at Colorado State University. He was a national park ranger for 36 years, at Rocky Mountain NP 1960-62, Death Valley 1962-64, Yosemite 1964-66, Mount Rainier 1966-72, Southeast Regional Office 1972-1980, and Yellowstone from 1980 to 1997. He was a reviewer and compiler of 1990 and 1992 "Wolves for Yellowstone?" and the 1994 EIS, The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho, and was the principal interpreter of wolves and their restoration at Yellowstone National Park from 1985 until 1997, giving more than 400 talks, and responding by mail to thousands of requests for wolf information. He led about fifty field courses on wolves for the Yellowstone Association Institute from 1999 to 2005. He retired to Bozeman, Montana, in 1997. and still lives there. For his educational work on wolves, he received an NPS special Achievement Award in 1991, and a USDI honor award for meritorious service in 1997. He also received the National Parks and Conservation Association's 1988 Stephen T. Mather Award, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition's 1991 Stewardship Award, the Wolf Education and Research Center's 1997 Alpha Award, and the International Wolf Center’s 2015 “Who Speaks for Wolf?” Award. For several years, he volunteered as the greater Yellowstone region field representative for the International Wolf Center (Ely, MN). He has written a number of articles and book reviews for International Wolf magazine. He served on the board of the Wolf Recovery Foundation (Pocatello, ID). He is on the advisory board of Living with Wolves (Ketchum, ID). He served several terms on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Region 3 Citizens' Advisory Committee. Since 2015, Norm has been a member of the Colorado Wolf Science Team, providing background on wolf recovery in Yellowstone for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, a group that placed Proposition 114 on the 2020 ballot to restore wolves to Colorado, and for the Colorado Wolf Coalition. He is also on the board of the Southwest Colorado Wolf Cooperative.