About Our Founder

Kimberly Stroud – Founder & Executive Director

Kimberly Stroud’s decades long commitment to wildlife began with her passion for conservation and a calling to protect the natural world. While working at Patagonia in 1992, she took her first step into the world of wildlife rehabilitation by training with the Raptor Rehabilitation and Release Program. That experience sparked a lifelong dedication to raptors and their vital role in our shared ecosystem.

In 1994, Kimberly co-founded Wildlife Care of Ventura County, where she helped secure the necessary state and federal permits to legally care for wildlife—an important step that laid the groundwork for more specialized rehabilitation efforts in the region. Recognizing the unique needs of birds of prey, she went on to establish the Ojai Raptor Center in 2000.

For the past 25 years, Kimberly has served as ORC’s Executive Director, guiding the organization with an unwavering commitment to the animals and vision for a better world where humans and wildlife coexist. Under her leadership, the Center has grown into one of California’s most respected raptor rehabilitation and education facilities, treating hundreds of birds each year and providing critical outreach to schools and communities throughout Ventura County and beyond.

Her leadership and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the ORC’s mission: to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned birds of prey, while also inspiring public appreciation for wildlife through education and advocacy.

Kimberly's dedication continues to influence every aspect of the Center’s operations, and her legacy is felt in every successful release and every life touched by the ORC’s work.