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Steven Platt
WCS Herpetologist for Southeast Asia and China
Steven G. Platt, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, received his BSc. in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Louisiana State University (1986), MSc. in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University (1986), and PhD in Zoology from Clemson University (1996). Platt conducted his dissertation research on the ecology of Morelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) in Belize (1992-95) and then returned to the country and completed a nationwide survey of the endangered American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) for Wildlife Conservation Society (1996-98). From 1998-2001, Platt worked for Wildlife Conservation Society on crocodile and turtle conservation issues in various countries in Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand). In 2001 Platt returned to the United States and began a career in academics. He was an Instructor in the Department of Math and Science at Oglala Lakota College, a tribal institution on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota (2002-2006). From 2006-2011 Platt was an Assistant and later an Associate Professor in the Biology Department of Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Platt resigned from academics in 2011 to return to Myanmar with his wife Dr. Kalyar Platt, and now serves as the WCS Herpetologist for Southeast Asia and China. Most of his time is spent in Myanmar where he is involved in various turtle conservation projects, most notably efforts to reintroduce Burmese Star Tortoises (Geochelone platynota) into protected areas in the dry zone. Platt also spends much of each year on the upper Chindwin River working to save the Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) from extinction. Outside of Myanmar, Platt works closely with the WCS Cambodia Program on Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis) and Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) conservation. In China, Platt has been monitoring reintroduced Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) with Professor Lu Shunqing; together they are hoping to launch an ambitious reintroduction in the spring of 2016. Platt has co-authored numerous scientific papers on crocodilians and turtles, and in 2014 received the Castillo Award for crocodile conservation from the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group. In his spare time Platt enjoys reading, travel, bicycling, and walking the Earth.
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Alex Diment
Senior Technical Advisor, Myanmar
Alex Diment has broad experience in conservation, and combines in-depth knowledge of community-based development and conservation, with technical expertise in ecological monitoring, and skills in project management, strategic planning and programme development.
Alex has a degree in biology from Oxford and a doctorate in predator ecology from Sydney. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and active in the Society for Conservation Biology. He has lived and worked for many years in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, as well as in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. He has a particular interest in the management of invasive predators, and a fondness for medium-sized carnivores.
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ANOUSONG SINTHAVONG
Accountant
ANOUSONG SINTHAVONG serves as Accountant at WCS.
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Aphone Viengkhamhak
Program Coordinator – GIS
Aphone has worked extensively in the field of GIS with international non-governmental organizations in Lao PDR, particularly in conservation, land-use planning and forest management for more than10 years. She has experience in using different GIS applications and in conducting training in the field, for example on GPS and GIS for government and project staff. Aphone has worked for WCS as a Program Coordinator – GIS since 2014. Based in the Vientiane Office, her main responsibilities are providing maps, data analysis, technical database management and maintenance. She has also provided GIS training and coordinated with all GIS staff based in field sites as well as with government counterparts.
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Ben Swanepoel
Program Director: NEPL landscape & WCS Country Program law enforcement advisor
Ben completed his Nature Conservation studies in South Africa in 1987 and was involved in protected area management over a period of 22 years in the South African context. He has a wealth of experience in all aspects of protected areas management and community conservation projects. Ben has a strong mentoring and community engagement philosophy and was one of a two-person team instrumental in the design and implementation of one of the leading conservation services programs in South Africa, the "Working For Water" program. In 2003, Ben obtained his degree majoring in environmental management and industrial psychology. In 2009 Ben was seconded to WWF Laos as a protected areas management advisor, during which time he resigned from his South African position to work full time in Lao PDR. In 2011 Ben joined the WCS Lao country program as program manager for the Bolikhamxay landscape, later transferring to his current position as the Nam Et-Phou Louey landscape director.
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Bounthanom Sitthixay
Community Consultation Campaign Livelihood Technical
Bounthanom Sitthixay completed his Graduate Diploma of Agriculture and Forestry at Champasak Agriculture and Forestry College in 2007 and graduated with a Higher Diploma of Forestry at Bolikhamxay Agriculture and Forestry College in 2015. He now works with the IEWMP Project.
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Channapha Phouminh
Education and Outreach officer.
Channapha has started her work since she was in University of Laos (The faculty of Environmental and science) as a volunteer call SEED. After that she works as a fieldworker for 4 years for different organizations and companies such as PSI Lao, Environment-Sustainability-Livelihood, Earth Systems Co., Ltd, Lao social research, and Namthuen 2 Hydro Power Company. In 2019 she decided to join WCS as Administration Officer – Grants and Finance position, and since March 2020 she decided to join the ADB program of WCS Lao PRD as Education and Outreach officer.
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Chindavone Keomanykhod
Administrative Assistant
Chindavone KEOMANYKHOD completed her Master's degree in Business Administration and Finance from Santapol College in Thailand, following her bachelors degree in business administration from the National University of Laos. She has worked at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) since 2020 as an Administration officer at the Vientiane office before joining the Savannakhet Landscape Program team as the Finance and Administration Officer. Chindavone believes that, “Everyone can be a good conservationist regardless of gender, because all conservationists share the same values their hearts. Gender balance within teams is important as conservation work needs a good mix of strength and tenderness.”
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Dukky Phasavath
GIS Assistant
Dukky Phasavath graduated from Savannakhet University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Land management Degree in Faculty of Agriculture and Environment. He joined the WCS Savannakhet Landscape program In 2020 as the GIS and Database. He works with all of the landscapes technical staff and government counterparts providing special data and maps for diverse topics including participatory land and water use planning, biodiversity conservation, habitat change, and seasonal flooding patterns.
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Emily Denstedt
Regional Technical Advisor (Health Program)
Emily completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Guelph and also holds a Master of Public Health degree. She has worked with an array of both domestic and wild species on a clinical level in North America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. While completing her MPH, she worked at the human-wildlife interface with Docs4GreatApes and Gorilla Doctors building capacity in frontline healthcare workers in Rwanda. Emily is involved in One Health initiatives globally as an active member of the Program Development Committee for Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans frontières. She enjoys teaching and was recruited in 2019 to develop undergraduate courses in One Health for students at the University of Guelph. In 2019, Emily joined WCS and the Wildlife Health Program as the Veterinary Technical Advisor for Laos. She has a passion for conservation medicine and is driven to protect the health of both wildlife and humans by finding solutions using a One Health lens.
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