Central MS Turtle Rescue's Staff and Board of Directors
CMTR Staff
The staff of CMTR are all unpaid volunteers who generously donate their time to help the turtles of Mississippi!
Christy Milbourne (Executive Director/Founder and Head Rehabber)
Luke Milbourne (Co-Executive Director/Founder)
Christy and Luke have always had a passion for animals. After marrying in 2006, they took in two three-legged turtles a neighbor had rescued. Not knowing much about turtles, the couple took to the internet to research proper care. This led them to an online discussion board called the Turtle Forum (www.turtleforum.com). They didn't know it at the time, but the information they would learn on this website, the lifelong friendships that would form, and the mentors that were found there would all go on to form the basis of our rescue operation. Even today, Christy and Luke consult with and rely on the information and guidance from their friends whom they originally met on this internet forum.
In 2010, a friend they'd met on the Turtle Forum was looking for a permanent home for a severely deformed redfoot tortoise. The Milbournes took one look and knew they could help that poor animal. That tortoise, Booboo, came to live with them and quickly became not only a much-loved family pet, but also an internet star. Christy and Luke learned so much from this little misshapen tortoise, and they used this knowledge to help other pet owners understand how important proper husbandry and diet are for turtles and tortoises. Sadly, Booboo passed away at the end of 2012. But his life, and eventual death, would be the catalyst for the formation of the Central MS Turtle Rescue. Booboo's legacy carries on in the lives of every single turtle or tortoise that ends up here for care. (You can read more about Booboo's story here.)
Booboo's life, and the joy the Milbournes received by giving turtles a helping hand whenever they'd see them injured, quickly turned into passion to help all the injured or sick turtles in Mississippi. The Milbournes received an administrative wildlife rehabilitation permit from the MS Department of Wildlife in 2013, and set out to make this "hobby" a nonprofit organization so that they could help as many turtles as possible around the state. In 2017, they saw their dream realized, when they were approved by the State of Mississippi and the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, and officially became the Central MS Turtle Rescue.
Christy and Luke live in Florence, Mississippi (Christy's hometown) with their ever-changing number of turtle and tortoise "patients", 4 dogs, 5 snakes, 2 geckos, 1 redfoot tortoise, 1 leopard tortoise, 1 hundred-pound sulcata tortoise, 1 jumping spider, 1 golden blue legged babboon spider, and 6 goats. Luke and Christy both also work for the state government, but hope to fully retire one day and do nothing but help turtles and tortoises in need (and maybe travel a little).
Luke Milbourne (Co-Executive Director/Founder)
Christy and Luke have always had a passion for animals. After marrying in 2006, they took in two three-legged turtles a neighbor had rescued. Not knowing much about turtles, the couple took to the internet to research proper care. This led them to an online discussion board called the Turtle Forum (www.turtleforum.com). They didn't know it at the time, but the information they would learn on this website, the lifelong friendships that would form, and the mentors that were found there would all go on to form the basis of our rescue operation. Even today, Christy and Luke consult with and rely on the information and guidance from their friends whom they originally met on this internet forum.
In 2010, a friend they'd met on the Turtle Forum was looking for a permanent home for a severely deformed redfoot tortoise. The Milbournes took one look and knew they could help that poor animal. That tortoise, Booboo, came to live with them and quickly became not only a much-loved family pet, but also an internet star. Christy and Luke learned so much from this little misshapen tortoise, and they used this knowledge to help other pet owners understand how important proper husbandry and diet are for turtles and tortoises. Sadly, Booboo passed away at the end of 2012. But his life, and eventual death, would be the catalyst for the formation of the Central MS Turtle Rescue. Booboo's legacy carries on in the lives of every single turtle or tortoise that ends up here for care. (You can read more about Booboo's story here.)
Booboo's life, and the joy the Milbournes received by giving turtles a helping hand whenever they'd see them injured, quickly turned into passion to help all the injured or sick turtles in Mississippi. The Milbournes received an administrative wildlife rehabilitation permit from the MS Department of Wildlife in 2013, and set out to make this "hobby" a nonprofit organization so that they could help as many turtles as possible around the state. In 2017, they saw their dream realized, when they were approved by the State of Mississippi and the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, and officially became the Central MS Turtle Rescue.
Christy and Luke live in Florence, Mississippi (Christy's hometown) with their ever-changing number of turtle and tortoise "patients", 4 dogs, 5 snakes, 2 geckos, 1 redfoot tortoise, 1 leopard tortoise, 1 hundred-pound sulcata tortoise, 1 jumping spider, 1 golden blue legged babboon spider, and 6 goats. Luke and Christy both also work for the state government, but hope to fully retire one day and do nothing but help turtles and tortoises in need (and maybe travel a little).
Breanna Sanchez (Graphic Designer and Social Media Director) Breanna grew up idolizing wildlife conservationists like Steve Irwin as a child and drawing pictures of her favorite animals. As she got older she never lost the childlike wonder that nature inspires, and she never stopped drawing pictures. She started volunteering in 2023 after visiting the CMTR booth at a local reptile show, and spent a year working two days a week in the rescue's turtle hospital. After moving out of state, she now lends her visual art and design skills to making graphics and illustrations for CMTR's social media platforms, and occasionally designs merchandise.
Breanna now lives in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband, two cats, a bearded dragon, and two blind box turtles adopted from CMTR. You can often find her hiking mountain trails, birdwatching, reading books about biology and ecology, and creating art inspired by her love of the natural world.
Breanna now lives in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband, two cats, a bearded dragon, and two blind box turtles adopted from CMTR. You can often find her hiking mountain trails, birdwatching, reading books about biology and ecology, and creating art inspired by her love of the natural world.
Jessica Pearson (Facilities Director)
CMTR Board of Directors
Dr. Frank R. Hensley, Ph. D. (President) is Professor of Biology at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. He received his undergraduate degree at Baylor University and his graduate education at the University of Florida, conducting research at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. His primary focus is teaching undergraduate students, but he finds time for long-term studies of reptile ecology. Lately he has been studying Gray Ratsnakes, but he has worked on various other projects including a 10-year study of Sonoran Mud Turtles in Arizona. He holds the dubious distinction of being the last person to ever see a Costa Rican Golden Toad before the species went extinct. At home he cares for two rescued Three-toed Box Turtles. In his spare time he enjoys nature photography and eating other people's cooking.
Pam Gigac (Vice President) Pam is a long time turtle keeper known for rehabbing and providing sanctuary to turtles that have been given improper care from prior owners. She is a mother of 4 daughters, married to a VERY understanding man. She has two degrees from Penn State University, but has chosen to leave the official workforce to run a child daycare to help local families raise their children at affordable prices. Pam is also an artist and does custom paintings as well as designs nearly all of our t-shirts and other products used for fundraising. In her spare time she also helps her husband run his general contracting business.
Pam is very passionate about turtles of all kinds. Her turtles are primarily kept outside in very large, naturalized, enclosures. Her goal is to allow turtles to live their lives as naturally as she can provide, while keeping them safe and healthy.
Pam lives in Lancaster Pennsylvania where she keeps multiple species of turtles and has permits from her state to keep native species. The species she keeps include (common names): 3Toed Box turtles, Eastern Box Turtle, North American Wood Turtle, Eastern Painted turtles, Southern Painted turtles, Razorback Musk Turtle, Belize Slider turtle, Spotted Pond turtle (hamiltonii), Diamondback Terrapins, and Russian Tortoises. Pam also keeps other reptiles such as a blue tongue skink, gargoyle gecko, leopard gecko, and a ball python.
Pam is very passionate about turtles of all kinds. Her turtles are primarily kept outside in very large, naturalized, enclosures. Her goal is to allow turtles to live their lives as naturally as she can provide, while keeping them safe and healthy.
Pam lives in Lancaster Pennsylvania where she keeps multiple species of turtles and has permits from her state to keep native species. The species she keeps include (common names): 3Toed Box turtles, Eastern Box Turtle, North American Wood Turtle, Eastern Painted turtles, Southern Painted turtles, Razorback Musk Turtle, Belize Slider turtle, Spotted Pond turtle (hamiltonii), Diamondback Terrapins, and Russian Tortoises. Pam also keeps other reptiles such as a blue tongue skink, gargoyle gecko, leopard gecko, and a ball python.
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Angela McCallum (Secretary) Angela is CMTR's longest volunteer, having started here in 2018. She quickly became Christy and Luke's "right hand man" and the success of our organization owes a lot to her contributions and work.
Angela works in finance with a specialty in consumer fraud protection, but she has had a passion for animals all her life, having had many dogs throughout her lifetime and now, a turtle adopted from CMTR. Angela lives in Florence with her fiancé, her dog, her cat, and her turtle, Mable. |
Mary McNair (Treasurer)
Miranda Goss-Piefke (Member at Large) Miranda Goss-Piefke (pronounced pif-key) is a Research Wildlife Biologist located in the Ecological Resources Branch of the Environmental Lab of the U.S. Army’s Engineering Research and development center in Vicksburg, MS. Prior to her career with the Corps, Miranda worked to complete her B.S. and M.S. in Biology and Conservation Biology, respectively. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at Mississippi College and her Master’s thesis at Central Michigan University, where she studied the foraging behavior of water snakes on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan.
At EL, she leads and assists with various military and civil research efforts including work in the fields of herpetology, mammalogy, conservation, and threat assessment. Some of her current projects include: studying how reservoir water level management decisions affect hibernating turtles, studying the proteins dirt daubers use to build their nests, and working to help create an automated system for soldiers that can assess the biological threats that caves may pose to soldiers fighting in the field.
In her free time, Miranda enjoys hanging out with her husband and her dogs, making pottery, and playing overly-complicated board games.
At EL, she leads and assists with various military and civil research efforts including work in the fields of herpetology, mammalogy, conservation, and threat assessment. Some of her current projects include: studying how reservoir water level management decisions affect hibernating turtles, studying the proteins dirt daubers use to build their nests, and working to help create an automated system for soldiers that can assess the biological threats that caves may pose to soldiers fighting in the field.
In her free time, Miranda enjoys hanging out with her husband and her dogs, making pottery, and playing overly-complicated board games.
Carrie Moyers (Northern Region Director/Member at Large) Carrie Moyers serves as the Director of the Northern Region for Central MS Turtle Rescue. She is a Certified Mississippi M aster Naturalist, a Master Herpetologist, and an author.
Carrie's passion for turtles began in her childhood while growing up on the east coast of North Carolina. The Pamlico Sound, located in her front yard, was home to many different types of turtles, which she frequently brought home to share with her family.
Deeply committed to conservation and wildlife, Carrie advocates for the belief that nature belongs to everyone and that we all have a responsibility to contribute to its preservation.
Carrie's passion for turtles began in her childhood while growing up on the east coast of North Carolina. The Pamlico Sound, located in her front yard, was home to many different types of turtles, which she frequently brought home to share with her family.
Deeply committed to conservation and wildlife, Carrie advocates for the belief that nature belongs to everyone and that we all have a responsibility to contribute to its preservation.
Ryan Ladner (Southern Region Director/Member at Large)