If you need a yardstick to measure the quality of an organization, look at it’s people. No great company was ever created without great people. No amazing accomplishment has been completed without the unswerving dedication of the people behind it.
Snakes-N-Scales is all about animals and kids, but the engine of our success is the wonderful people that work here.
Why Choose Us?
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Pete Signorelli joined the Snakes-N-Scales family in June of 2008. But ever since he was a young boy, he has always had a love and interest in animals. From the first time he saw the movie “The Jungle Book,” he made it a mission in his life to learn as much about animals as he could.
Besides his love of animals, Pete has a special connection with children. He spent six years working at the Chester (N.Y) Park and Rec Summer Camp. He also worked for the Dutch Hollow Education Foundation, and volunteered at the Head Start Program.
Pete graduated from East Stroudsburg University (P.A.), in 2007. Prior to his current job, he spent six month working at The Little Gym in Middletown, N.Y. where he taught gymnastics classes.
Pete takes pride in his job and performs with energy, enthusiasm and great geniality. He has studied extensively, becoming an expert in his own right, on the habits and lives of the animals he teaches about and cares for so much. He has overcome many obstacles, including bites, to his great satisfaction. He has learned a great deal about the animals and himself while working at Snakes-N-Scales.
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Erin Mellini got “hooked” on marine life at the age of 4 when she won a goldfish in a bowl at a carnival. It was the first in a long line of family pets having everything from fins to fur. At an early age, she knew that working with animals was the only career she’d ever consider.
To achieve that goal, she attended Rider University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and animal behavior. During her four years of study, Erin worked at a number of jobs all involving the care of animals. Whether it was pet-sitting for neighbors or friends, helping to maintain the school’s, or her own, salt water or fresh water aquariums, or instructing others in the wonders of marine life, Erin has always enjoyed working with all types of animals.
During school breaks, Erin found jobs that would add to her
experience. She was employed by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery. She also completed an intensive internship as an aquarist at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. In order to get
an even closer look at the ocean life she has always found so
fascinating, Erin became a PADI-certified scuba diver.
After graduation, Erin hoped to find a job that would give her
more hands-on experience with a greater variety of animals.
Recalling an educational program on reptiles presented by Snakes-N-Scales during an animal behavior class in high school, Erin began her job search by contacting the company’s owner, Bill Boesenberg, who had presented that informative and fun program. Erin joined the staff of Snakes-N-Scales in 2008 as a zookeeper, aquarist and educator. She created two shows for Snakes-N-Scales, "Fish Tales and Ocean Oddballs," and "The Clown Fish Birthday."
When she’s not tending to the Snakes-N-Scales critters, Erin is back at home in northern New Jersey with her family, fish and four-legged best friend, Emma, a 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier.
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Keke Hammell has been a fan of Snakes-n-Scales since the age of 9 when she first saw Bill and his menagerie as a camper at the Somerset County Environmental Education Center. She has always had a love for animals of all kinds, and thought that Bill had the coolest job in the world. She maintains that he still does and she is thrilled to now share in that job.
Keke attended Green Mountain College, an environmental liberal arts college in Vermont, aka hippie school. She graduated with a degree in environmental education and theater combining her love for the outdoors and her passion for storytelling.
Keke has always loved working with kids and has held jobs as a camp counselor at the same environmental center camp she attended, a children’s leader at Silver Bay YMCA conference center in NY, babysitter extraordinaire, and most recently, a preschool teacher. One of her other interests is fantasy literature, especially The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter. She combines multiple talents at Snakes-N-Scales and teaches our Magical Creatures programs.
Keke loves imparting her knowledge of animals to children of all ages in an entertaining and engaging way. Using her skills as a storyteller and teacher she hopes to instill the same environmental awareness and passion for animals that she has
always had.
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Other dedicated educators:
Debora Davidson, is Director of Education for Tenafly Nature Center.
Lisa Randolph, is a high school biology teacher at Barringer HS in Newark.
Our invaluable support staff:
William H. Boesenberg, Business Manager
Joe Boesenberg, Photography & Computers, is a meteorite expert at the American Museum of Natural History.
Philip DiSenso, Enclosure Builder Extraordinaire & Computers, is a computer network consultant.
Dan Oostdyk, PT Zoo Keeper and fellow Herpetologist, a reservist in the NJ National Guard.
Jeff Randolph, our lawyer.
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