Founding Directors

Steph Durno Karns is a wildlife biologist and former wildlife officer.  Steph spent nearly 20 years in the Rocky Mountains, managing the “fur & feathers” species, including moose, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, black bear, pronghorn, sage grouse, waterfowl, and mountain lions and enforcing wildlife laws.   She also investigated human-wildlife conflict incidents and worked with local landowners and communities to reduce and mitigate these situations. After leaving the mountains, Steph served as Assistant Chief of Wildlife for a state agency in the southeastern US, and is now the Executive Director for Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance. 

As the Executive Director, Steph manages administrivia, logistics, and course preparation.   She also ensures that our trainings are grounded in wildlife science and relevant to local species and ecosystems.  She is a certified instructor in First Aid, CPR, and AED and a certified Wilderness First Responder, and teaches wildlife management, crime scene investigation, evidence handling, basics of anti-wildlife trafficking, time of death estimation, officer safety, community engagement, and conflict mitigation.  

Shawn Karns has been a Wildlife Criminal Investigator for over 28 years. Shawn graduated with honors, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. As a Criminal Investigator, his primary responsibility is investigating wildlife crimes in covert and overt capacities.  

Shawn specializes in complex investigations involving commercialization, transportation, and excessive harvest. He has participated in over 1,000 wildlife investigations across the US and has led multiple long-term international investigations into wildlife trafficking.  Shawn also has extensive training and experience in digital evidence seizure and recovery.   

Shawn routinely employs digital forensic tools to expose criminal networks.  He is passionate about teaching wildlife officers investigative techniques and has instructed at the US-national level since 2001. 

He annually provides training to state and federal investigators across the United States and abroad.   His courses include Developing Undercover Identities, Storefront Operations, Informant Handling and Case Management.  Shawn served on the board of the US national wildlife investigators’ academy for 20 years.  

Shawn has extensive experience in personal training, physical fitness, and officer well-being, which he incorporates into courses that highlight Ranger Safety and Wellness.   

As the Director of Training & Investigations, Shawn develops customized curricula for each training, identifies and coordinates with training partners, and ensures that WITA provides the most current law enforcement investigative techniques to all our class participants.