Jennifer Gordon

Founder & Executive Director

Jennifer Gordon is the founder and Executive Director of Carolina Waterfowl Rescue (CWR), a North Carolina nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and protection of birds and other animals in need. With more than two decades of experience in wildlife rehabilitation, animal welfare, nonprofit leadership, and humane animal care, Jennifer has devoted much of her life to creating better outcomes for animals while helping people develop a greater understanding of the wildlife and domestic species that share their communities.

Jennifer's path into wildlife rehabilitation began long before Carolina Waterfowl Rescue became the organization it is today. A lifelong animal lover, she became particularly interested in the ducks she observed at local ponds. Over time, she began noticing domestic ducks—often recognizable by their white plumage—appearing at these ponds and then disappearing. As she learned more, she discovered that many had been abandoned by their owners and were poorly equipped to survive predators, weather, inadequate nutrition, and other hazards of life in the wild.

Wanting to do more than simply witness the problem, Jennifer sought out experienced wildlife rehabilitators and began learning how to care for injured and orphaned animals. Her early rehabilitation experience included work with Animal Rehabilitators of the Carolinas beginning in 1999, as well as years of volunteer service with Carolina Raptor Center. She initially gained experience rehabilitating small mammals, but increasingly recognized a significant gap in resources available for waterfowl and other birds.

In 2003, that need led Jennifer to establish what would become Carolina Waterfowl Rescue.

What began as a small rescue effort grew dramatically. CWR cared for approximately 300 birds during its first year; two decades later, the organization has grown into a major rescue and rehabilitation operation caring for thousands of animals annually. Its work has expanded beyond waterfowl to encompass a broad range of wild and domestic birds and other animals requiring rescue, rehabilitation, sanctuary, placement, or specialized care.

As Executive Director, Jennifer's responsibilities extend far beyond animal rehabilitation. She oversees the complex operational infrastructure necessary to sustain a large nonprofit rescue organization, including animal welfare and rehabilitation protocols, staff leadership, regulatory compliance, organizational policy, fundraising, facility development, public education, community outreach, and long-term strategic planning.

Her professional education and specialized training reflect that broad range of responsibilities. Throughout her career, Jennifer has completed training and earned credentials in areas including wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary technology, humane animal care and enforcement, wildlife damage control, disaster response, and chemical immobilization. Her training has included programs through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, NACA Humane Officer certification, North Carolina Wildlife Damage Control Agent certification, FEMA disaster-response training, Safe-Capture International chemical immobilization training, and veterinary technician training.

Jennifer has also contributed to the broader wildlife rehabilitation community through organizational leadership and education. Her experience has included board service with wildlife organizations such as Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary and involvement with Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina. She has presented educational programs for fellow wildlife rehabilitators, including instruction on using social media effectively within wildlife rehabilitation and nonprofit organizations.

Over the course of her career, Jennifer's contributions to animal welfare, conservation, nonprofit leadership, and her community have been recognized by numerous organizations. Her honors have included the North Carolina Wildlife Federation Governor's Conservation Award, a Proclamation and Key to the City from the Town of Indian Trail, 107.9 The Link's Leading Lady Award, a Women of Animal Welfare Award, recognition among Charlotte Media Group's 50 Most Dynamic Women, and selection as a Woman to KNOW by KNOW Charlotte. More recently, her own community of Lake Park recognized her with its Hometown Hero Award.

While those honors recognize Jennifer individually, she considers the growth and impact of Carolina Waterfowl Rescue to be among the most meaningful accomplishments of her career. Building CWR has meant creating not simply a place where animals can receive care, but an organization capable of responding to thousands of animals in crisis while educating the public about responsible animal ownership, wildlife conservation, humane coexistence, and the realities of animal rescue.

Jennifer believes successful rescue work requires addressing both sides of the equation: helping the animal immediately in front of you while working to prevent the next animal from needing rescue. Education, advocacy, responsible stewardship, and changing the way people understand and interact with animals are therefore integral parts of CWR's mission.

Despite the administrative responsibilities that come with leading a growing nonprofit, Jennifer remains deeply connected to the animals and to the purpose behind the organization she founded. More than two decades after CWR's beginning, her work continues to be guided by the belief that individual animals matter and that compassion is most powerful when it is paired with knowledge, responsibility, and action.

That connection to animals and the natural world doesn't end when Jennifer leaves work. An avid traveler, she frequently plans her travels around opportunities to find and observe birds and other wildlife in their natural habitats. Exploring new places offers another opportunity to experience the diversity of the natural world that has fascinated her throughout her life.

Jennifer is also a certified scuba diver. While much of her professional life is necessarily fast-paced and filled with constant demands, she finds something very different beneath the surface of the water: peace, solitude, and stillness. Scuba diving gives her an opportunity to disconnect from the noise of everyday life while experiencing wildlife and an environment entirely different from the one above.

Whether she is helping an animal in crisis, building an organization capable of caring for thousands of animals, watching birds in another part of the world, or quietly exploring beneath the water's surface, the common thread throughout Jennifer's life has remained remarkably consistent—a fascination with animals, a deep connection to the natural world, and a determination to protect the creatures with whom we share it.