Janna Ragsdale - Executive Director - Founder

Like most reptile keepers, Janna will tell you that she had a passion for animals that started at a very young age.  Janna grew up in the Philadelphia area, and as a child, the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum was like her second home.  She attended summer camp there for several years, and was allowed to join the docent program in 1996 at the age of twelve.  Her volunteer work in the Outside-In and later the Live Animal Center was an amazing opportunity and gave her valuable hands-on experience working with reptiles as well as wild and domesticated mammals and birds.  After moving to Arkansas in 1999 at the age of fifteen, Janna continued to work and volunteer with animals in many different settings, learning as much as she could about a variety of species.  She worked at the Museum of Discovery as an animal caretaker and educator; a vet clinic; two different horse stables; and participated in a docent program at the Little Rock Zoo.  Most recently, she worked in a small local pet store as the Reptile Specialist.  You could easily say that Janna's life revolves around reptiles!  After founding the Reptile Rescue Center, Janna quit her job at the pet store and went back to school to get her degree and certification in Nonprofit Leadership Studies.  Through the Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program, Janna has learned a lot about management of nonprofit organizations, financial management, and strategic fund development - all skills she hopes to apply to running the Reptile Rescue Center.