Leadership – the Jane Goodall Institute

Leadership & Board of Directors

At the Jane Goodall Institute USA, we’re committed to advancing Dr. Jane Goodall’s vision of a better world for people, other animals, and our shared environment. Together with researchers, conservation practitioners, and field scientists, JGI’s leadership offers extensive experience in areas of long-term behavior research, animal welfare, habitat protection and restoration, and community-led development.

JGI USA Leadership

Anna Rathmann

Executive Director

Anna Rathmann has spent her career in conservation and has long focused on bridging science, conservation, education, and storytelling. In striving to inspire change in support of restoration and protection efforts, Anna is passionate about fostering collaboration, including with unexpected partners across multiple industries, which has allowed her to facilitate ongoing dialogues and revenue streams for conservation work with local communities, scientists, educators, media, private industry, and government partners.

Sarah Festa

Vice President, Development Marketing and Operations

Sarah drives fundraising growth, digital transformation, and operational excellence at JGI USA, where she leads the direct marketing program, operations and analytics, database management, and donor communications. With deep nonprofit fundraising expertise, she brings together technology, marketing strategy, and cross-functional leadership to deepen donor engagement and advance mission impact. Before joining JGI, she launched a philanthropic membership program at National Geographic Society, converting subscribers into committed donors.

Mary Ford

Vice President, Roots & Shoots USA

Mary leads JGI USA’s youth action program which has groups in all 50 United States. Mary applies her extensive background in education programming and volunteer management to empower young people to make a difference in their communities. Prior to joining the JGI team, Mary spent over a decade supporting K-12 students and educators at the National Geographic Society, and she additionally worked in education programming for World Wildlife Fund, the National Audubon Society, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

Erin Griffin

Vice President, Communications

Erin Griffin provides strategic communications leadership for the Jane Goodall Institute USA, enhancing engagement and conservation impact. Her role encompasses media relations, executive communications, brand management, digital strategy, and partnership development. Prior to joining JGI, Erin spent more than a decade at National Geographic, where she led communications campaigns for natural history films and television programs.

Carol Irwin

Vice President, Board Relations & Planned Giving

With a long-standing commitment to the Jane Goodall Institute, Carol has played a key role in advancing its mission through strategic relationship building and philanthropic engagement. In her current role, she oversees human-resources, board relations and planned giving initiatives, fostering strong partnerships with leadership and donors alike.

Daniel Kemp

Senior Vice President, Development

In his role as Senior Vice President of Development, Daniel is responsible for all private, institutional and government funding in support of JGI’s mission. He has over 30 years of experience in philanthropy, primarily in international conservation. Prior to joining JGI in 2017, Daniel held roles at The Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian National Zoo, and Conservation Biology Institute. He is a native Washingtonian and loves taking advantage of the many outdoor activities the region has to offer.

Mary Lewis

Vice President, Office of the Founder

Mary has served in a senior leadership role at the Jane Goodall Institute for more than 30 years, driving the growth and global impact of its programs. She managed the late Dr. Goodall’s complex global schedule and was instrumental in the development of Roots & Shoots and the expansion of JGI into a network of 30 offices worldwide.

She currently leads efforts to advance Dr. Jane’s Dream—the Goodall Centre for Hope in Arusha, Tanzania—and serves on the boards of the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation, the Jane Goodall Institute Global, and the Jane Goodall Institute UK. Prior to joining JGI, she spent 25 years at Conoco Inc.

Alice Macharia

Vice President, Africa Programs

Alice Macharia develops and implements community-led conservation strategies across chimpanzee ranges in Africa. As part of JGI’s signature community-led conservation approach known as Tacare, her work balances the needs of individual communities while encouraging them to become stewards of their environment. She regularly travels to all African regions where JGI works and is in constant communication with the executive directors for each country.

Dr. Lilian Pintea

Vice President, Conservation Science

Dr. Lilian Pintea leads JGI’s Conservation Science team and science strategy. A champion of community-led approaches to conservation, Dr. Pintea works closely with local communities and local governments across the chimpanzee range in Africa. His work leverages innovative technologies and tools like satellite imagery, ecoacoustics and geographic information systems to tackle some of the most difficult challenges in conservation — sustainable development, natural resource management, and climate change — through community-led approaches.

Rachel Strittmatter

Vice President, Finance

Rachel Strittmatter is the Vice President of Finance for the Jane Goodall Institute USA, where she oversees the organization’s financial strategy, budgeting, accounting, and compliance in support of JGI’s mission. A CPA with an MBA, Rachel brings experience from both the public and private sectors — prior to joining JGI, she worked as an auditor at Deloitte & Touche and in overhead cost management at Nestlé. She lives in Leesburg, Virginia, is a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and was drawn to JGI by her love of animals. Rachel is passionate about continual learning, strong financial stewardship, and building efficient, thoughtful processes that support mission-driven work