Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary Board of Directors

Lynda Sugasa founded Safe Have Wildlife Refuge in 1998 in rural Illinois to provide rehabilitative care to orphaned and injured wildlife in the Midwest.

Through the years, Safe Haven has cared for several hundred native wildlife that were eligible for reintroduction. And as the organization continued to grow, so too, did the placement requests for abandoned and surrendered exotics, resulting in the organization’s relocation to its current facility in northern Nevada.

Lynda is responsible for the management of the entire organization, fundraising and donor communication.

In 2006, David Sugasa retired from the McDonald’s Corporation, where he had developed the company’s Aviation Department and served as both a corporate pilot and Aviation Director for more than a decade. David’s skills and background knowledge have provided significant guidance in the development of Safe Haven’s northern Nevada location.

David has developed and implemented the facility’s infrastructure, including the solar power installation and inverter system, water system and habitat designs.

Lana Carter, P.E., owner of Carter Engineering, LLC has worked in Elko County as a professional engineer for the past 28 years.  She has been engineer of record for several residential, commercial and public works developments. Carter Engineering is dedicated to providing superior service and solutions in the fields of civil engineering.  Clients include government agencies, industrial businesses, commercial businesses, land developers, contractors and other engineers.

Stephanie Hallinan is an Environmental Superintendent with Kinross, a gold mining company in Northern Nevada. She has been working in the industry for mining and consulting companies for over 20 years. Stephanie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Nevada Division of Minerals, in large scale mining. She enjoys supporting local fundraisers, charities and has attended various community events. She is a member of Women’s Mining Coalition and Geological Society of Nevada.