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, my two German Shepherds, Haddie & Logan.
Jan Malloy
Treasurer
My name is Jan Malloy, and I am the Treasurer for Keeper of the Wild Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc.
As the Treasurer, I ensure all expenditures are in IRS compliance. I account for all monies received and expenses and provide an accounting to our CPA for our taxes. I also order all the supplies and medicines for the Center. In the past, I also served as Vice President and Secretary. I have been with Keeper of the Wild for 25+ years.
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and we moved all over the continental United States throughout my childhood. I lived in Tembagapura, Indonesia (Irian Jaya side of Papua New Guinea) before moving to Charleston in 1985. I retired from the Daniel Island Company as Corporate Human Resources for 250+ employees and was employed for 23 years. I currently work part-time at Gretchen’s Hallmark on James Island. I have one married son and three granddaughters. I was also privileged to care for Charlie, a neurologically impaired raccoon, for 9 years until his passing in February 2024.
My hobbies include gardening, doing crafts with granddaughters, and spending time with friends and family.
Early Mitchum
Education Specialist
My name is Early Mitchum and I have volunteered with Keeper of the Wild for 27 years. My specialty is opossums, and I have released over twelve hundred back into the wild. I have also worked with other species such as squirrels, raccoons, foxes, and other mammals indigenous to this state.
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.
Laurissa Akers
Center Director
Hi, my name is Laurissa Akers, and I am the Center Director of Keeper of the Wild.
I grew up in Warsaw, New York, in a small country town. When I was 10, my family moved to Summerton, South Carolina, where I got to experience the amazing wildlife. From a young age, I wanted to work with animals but always thought it would be with cats and dogs, until I found a baby squirrel when I was 16. From then on, I had a new passion for wildlife! I went to Central Carolina Technical College in Sumter, South Carolina, and earned my associate’s degree in wildlife management and conservation. At that point in time, I was planning to join the Department of Natural Resources. I graduated at the end of 2016 and had my son in 2017. At that time, I was working in construction because the hours fit my schedule while raising a young son. One of my jobs involved painting, installing floorboards, and installing kitchen cabinets at KOW’s Center. That was when I realized I wanted to do more within the organization, so I started volunteering as much as I could. I slowly learned about each species and fell more in love. I have been a part of this amazing organization for 9+ years.
In my spare time, I enjoy going out on the boat, fishing, and taking my son to the trails to ride his four-wheeler.
Samantha MacDougal
Education Director