Board of Directors

Courtney Gruber

Vice President

My name is Courtney Gruber and I am the Vice President of Keeper of the Wild.

I learned to appreciate and love wildlife from an early age, growing up on a horse farm south of Charleston on the Wallace Creek. I have had a lifelong interest in conservation and met Janet Kinser, Founder and Director of Keeper of the Wild around 2010. I started rehabilitating baby squirrels at my home under Janet’s supervision and guidance and have become increasingly more involved with the organization. I find the work difficult at times, from both a physical and emotional standpoint, but it is also highly rewarding to release animals back into the wild where they belong.

I am an attorney and practice law at Clement Rivers LLP when I am not cleaning cages and bottle-feeding baby raccoons. I enjoy an active lifestyle and my hobbies include cycling, exploring the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains and honing my marksmanship skills. I share my home with Tribble, a non releasable raccoon, 2 non releasable flyers, Stumpy and Flyer Bob, and Haddie, my German Shepherd.

Jan Malloy

Treasurer

My name is Jan Malloy and I am the Treasurer of Keeper of the Wild.

As the Treasurer, I make sure all expenditures are in IRS compliance. I account for all monies received and all expenditures and provide this information to our CPA for our taxes. I order all the supplies for the Center, medicines, assist in the training classes, fundraisers, etc. In the past, I also served as Vice President and Secretary. I have been with Keeper of the Wild for 23 years.

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and we moved every four years all over the continental United States. I continued to move even after marriage and lived in Tembagapura, Indonesia (Irian Jaya side of Papua New Guinea) prior to moving to Charleston in 1985. I retired from the Daniel Island Company as Corporate Human Resources for 250+ employees and was employed for 25 years. I am currently working part-time at Wild Bird Unlimited and loving working with nature and learning about birds. I have one married son and three granddaughters. I also live with a non-releasable, neurologically impaired 6-year-old raccoon named Charlie.

My hobbies include gardening, reading, crafts with granddaughters and spending time with friends and family.

Early Mitchum

Education Specialist

My name is Early Mitchum, and I am the Education Specialist for Keeper of the Wild.

I grew up in Hanahan, SC. As a child, I had the opportunity to see most of the continental United States; for eight years, my parents and I traveled across the country in a recreational vehicle for one month every summer. My summer jobs during high school and college included working for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Social Services. I graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in elementary education. I taught fifth grade in Berkeley County for twenty- nine and a half years. My hobbies include boating, nature hikes, and amateur photography. I am married, and I have one daughter and one granddaughter.

I have volunteered with Keeper of the Wild for twenty-seven years. My specialty is opossums, and I have released over twelve hundred opossums back into the wild. However, I have also worked with squirrels, raccoons, foxes, and other mammals. Although I am retired from rehabbing, I continue to present educational programs, train new rehabbers to care for opossums, and facilitate with fundraising.

Michele Galbraith

Center Representative

Michele Galbraith currently works with Keeper of the Wild helping with the care and cleaning of the animals and facility. She began volunteering with KOW in March 2020 after attending the Opossum class. Michele retired in September 2020 from Beaufort County EMS after a 32-year career as a Paramedic. She previously worked in retail/purchasing on Hilton Head.

Michele now lives in Allendale County with her dog, 4 cats and foster raccoon.

Carol Crawford

Secretary

My name is Carol Crawford and I am a volunteer working at the Center cleaning and doing whatever else needs to be done. I started volunteering here in 2020. I have also transported a few animals. I love all animals, even some of the ones others don’t such as snakes and spiders! I live in Charleston (West Ashley) with my three cats.

I was born and raised in West Virginia and came down to the lowcountry right after my college graduation. I taught school for three and a half years and then fell in love with EMS. I was a dispatcher at Charleston County EMS for eight years and then went on to dispatch an EMS helicopter and ambulances out of MUSC in Charleston. I retired in late 2019, right before the pandemic started. During this time, I adopted a Siamese cat from a coworker and that began my long-time love of Siamese Cats. After that cat died, I found Siamese Cat Rescue and adopted a second Siamese and began volunteering for that organization for the next 15 years. I was a Transporter and Transport Coordinator for the NC/SC Region. Unfortunately Siamese Rescue closed down right after the pandemic began, and that is when I found Keeper of the Wild! I have also volunteered at the Charleston Animal Society a couple of times.

I enjoy walking and hiking, working out, watching tennis, and reading in my spare time.

I am so honored to be able to help Keeper of the Wild a little more by serving on the Board of Directors, and I hope I can contribute in some small way.