Renée is the Director of the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. She studied Psychology at NYU and received a Master's in Clinical Psychology from the University of Indianapolis before changing her career focus to the field of conservation. She earned a Master's in Biology with a focus in conservation and education from Miami University where she travelled with the program to Baja Mexico, Namibia, and Mongolia to learn about conservation work in those countries. She has also often travelled internationally doing conservation work and research.