World Elephant Day Team

Patricia Sims, Founder, President

World Elephant Day was co-founded by Canadian filmmaker and conservationist Patricia Sims, and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand on August 12, 2012. Since that time, Patricia continues to lead and manage World Elephant Day as its Founder and is the Founder, President and Executive Director of World Elephant Society, which is World Elephant Day’s  501(c)(3) public charity . As a passionate and dedicated conservation filmmaker, Patricia has produced and directed over twenty-five documentaries and series for international television networks and organizations. She is a Fellow International of The Explorers Club, Fellow of Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and has collaborated with some of the world’s leading conservation celebrities, scientists and explorers, with a specialization in wildlife and oceanographic productions, and the interrelationships between humans and animals. Patricia has produced, directed and written two award-winning documentaries about the plight of endangered Asian elephants in Thailand: Return to the Forest, which was released on the inaugural World Elephant Day in 2012, and the feature-length documentary, When Elephants Were Young, released on World Elephant Day 2016. Patricia is currently developing a documentary series about the elephant conservation world to be released in 2026.

Graeme Wheeler, Digital Media & Marketing Director

A self-proclaimed “jack-of-all-trades,” Graeme holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Media Management from Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom. He joined the World Elephant Day and World Elephant Society team for the 2020 campaign and has continued to work closely on every campaign since. With over five years of experience in digital platform management, social media strategy, and web design, Graeme brings both his professional expertise and deep passion for animal welfare to each year’s campaign.

Gloria Trujillio, Administrative Director

Gloria Trujillio has over 30 years of experience in management, corporate compliance, investor relations and marketing in the natural resources, international trade, fine art, and graphics sectors within the private, public, government and non-profit environments in Canada. Gloria was a co-founder, administrator and curator for The Foundation for the Study of Objective Art.  She has worked with the boards of The Children’s Own Museum, and the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization. Gloria joined the World Elephant Society board in 2020, and brings her love of conservation and the arts, and her international corporate experience to assist in the administrational management of the organization.

Lance Gould, Communications Director

Lance Gould is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Story Lab (BSL), a media-strategy firm that teaches purpose-driven organizations how to be more effective storytellers, particularly around their SDG-related work. In 2016, Lance received a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award for his editorial work related to the SDGs. In 2017, Lance was named to the Leadership Council for the UN’s Media for Social Impact Summit. He is on the Board of World Elephant Society since 2020 has been a volunteer commissioner for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Commission on Education and Communications.

Sharron Mollenhauer, Director

Sharron Wetmore-Mollenhauer completed a Masters in Environmental Studies at the University of Toronto in 1987. She was involved with many philanthropic causes over the last 40 years. She spent many years helping create Gifts of Light at CAMH, a remarkable organization that helps patients experience dignity, purpose and kindness during their stay. She also helped Ovarian Cancer Canada with major fundraisers bringing in over $500,000,  and was involved with fundraising for the St. Felix Center in Toronto, a facility which helped the most marginalized people on the street. With a specialization in aquatic entomology, Sharron has spent many years studying the lakes and wetlands in Ontario, Canada.  Sharron joined the board of World Elephant Society in 2019 and has always had a passion for nature and conservation.

George Doherty, Secretary-Director

After an apprenticeship in traditional Japanese building including the styles of the Tea House and operating a construction and renovation business for 20 years in Berkeley, California, George entered the United States Merchant Marine as a ship’s officer with Lindblad Expeditions where he was instrumental in the development of vessel operations, passenger services and safety procedures  as Master and Chief Mate operating in the coastal wilderness areas of North America and collaborating with prominent scientists, explorers, engineers, artists, and educators.  Following his life at sea, George spent 13 years living in Yucatan, Mexico, which led him into a deep dive into Mexican culture, and the restoration of a  450 year old Moorish era colonial house.  George has always had a keen passion for the preservation of wildlife and wild places.  He met his first elephant in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, and from that point onwards he was hooked.  Since that time he has dedicated his efforts to the protection of elephants and  joined the World Elephant Society board in 2024.

World Elephant Day Advisory Board

Ron Thaler

Ron Thaler has been a prominent figure in the global Arts, Innovation, and IP space for over 30 years, with a career spanning music publishing, record production, business leadership, and immersive technology. After earning his degree from the University of British Columbia, he moved to New York, where his passion for music led to collaborations with artists like Alicia Keys, David Guetta, and John Legend, earning him 3 Grammy© wins and 11 Billboard© number 1’s. His licensing and publishing work has featured on major platforms including NBC/Universal, Netflix, Sony Pictures, and in gaming. Ron currently leads SoundSphere® and Lysten 360o Systems®, co-develops music IP platform DCIBL.com, sits on the board of SDECB, and teaches at The Sound Collective NYC. A founding member of Haus of Owl, he is also a passionate advocate for animal welfare and is honored to support World Elephant Day and its conservation mission.

Malcolm P. Burke

Malcolm Burke is a respected Vancouver based Canadian businessman.  Mr. Burke’s career spans over 5 decades in the private and public company sectors and he has been instrumental in raising significant capital across a  broad range of industries. He has developed an international network of senior business  and corporate contacts and valuable political and policy experience. Mr. Burke has a background of charitable support and civic activity, and recognizes the enormous value and global impact of World Elephant Day  in the elephant conservation world.

Michael Clark

Michael Clark is a multi-award-winning editor, creative director, animator, and cinematographer.    He has hundreds of editing credits for documentary features, series, and commercials, produced for Canadian and international networks, most notably the international award winning feature doc “Sharkwater”, directed by Rob Stewart, “Return to the Forest” and “When Elephants Were Young”, both directed by Patricia Sims, and narrated by William Shatner.  Michael was part of the original founding team in Thailand for World Elephant Day in 2012.  Since that time, Michael has continued to support the annual World Elephant Day campaign and World Elephant Society in its global mission to bring awareness to the plight of elephants.