Team

Tom LaRock

Chief Exploration Officer and Founding Partner

As the former Executive Director of the Friends of the National Zoo, Tom has an understanding and love of wildlife and helps manage sustainable and responsible travel for his clients. To help potential travelers identify their personal priorities, Safari Professionals relies on Tom’s extensive knowledge of wildlife, safari guides and accommodations to craft an itinerary that meets or exceeds expectations.

“My fascination with Africa really began in elementary school when East Africa was the subject of geography class. I still remember those first photographic images of abundant African wildlife and colorfully dressed people. Visits to a small, nearby zoo focused my interests on the animals of these far-away lands, especially lions and elephants. I still have the same reaction to a male lion’s roar that I had as a child – the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

My adult career eventually led me to a city with a great zoo. Starting as a volunteer fund-raiser, I got involved and, in time, I changed careers to become the zoo’s marketing and fund-raising director. As part of a zoo travel program, I conducted my first African safari to Kenya in 1983 and have enjoyed helping others experience the wonders of Africa’s wildlife ever since.

In addition to African wildlife viewing safaris, my experience includes designing and conducting tours of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and Venezuela. As fascinating as these places are, I’m always drawn back to Africa with its unique wildlife and engaging people.

Africa is the best place in the world for wildlife photography. Having worked and traveled with professional wildlife photographers, I love helping people bring home that “perfect shot” – whether they are experienced photographers or simply want a great record of their adventures.

As Managing Director of Safari Professionals, my responsibilities include the daily operations of the company, as well as our relationships with our teams throughout Africa, some of whom we have worked with since 1983. After helping potential travelers identify their personal priorities, my extensive knowledge of wildlife, safari guides and accommodations enables me to help them craft an itinerary that meets or exceeds their needs and expectations. I’m grateful that several of our travelers have chosen me as their personal safari guide, giving me the opportunity to share in what many say is a truly life-changing experience.”

Tom LaRock

Chief Exploration Officer and Founding Partner

As the former Executive Director of the Friends of the National Zoo, Tom has an understanding and love of wildlife and helps manage sustainable and responsible travel for his clients. To help potential travelers identify their personal priorities, Safari Professionals relies on Tom’s extensive knowledge of wildlife, safari guides and accommodations to craft an itinerary that meets or exceeds expectations.

“My fascination with Africa really began in elementary school when East Africa was the subject of geography class. I still remember those first photographic images of abundant African wildlife and colorfully dressed people. Visits to a small, nearby zoo focused my interests on the animals of these far-away lands, especially lions and elephants. I still have the same reaction to a male lion’s roar that I had as a child – the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

My adult career eventually led me to a city with a great zoo. Starting as a volunteer fund-raiser, I got involved and, in time, I changed careers to become the zoo’s marketing and fund-raising director. As part of a zoo travel program, I conducted my first African safari to Kenya in 1983 and have enjoyed helping others experience the wonders of Africa’s wildlife ever since.

In addition to African wildlife viewing safaris, my experience includes designing and conducting tours of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and Venezuela. As fascinating as these places are, I’m always drawn back to Africa with its unique wildlife and engaging people.

Africa is the best place in the world for wildlife photography. Having worked and traveled with professional wildlife photographers, I love helping people bring home that “perfect shot” – whether they are experienced photographers or simply want a great record of their adventures.

As Managing Director of Safari Professionals, my responsibilities include the daily operations of the company, as well as our relationships with our teams throughout Africa, some of whom we have worked with since 1983. After helping potential travelers identify their personal priorities, my extensive knowledge of wildlife, safari guides and accommodations enables me to help them craft an itinerary that meets or exceeds their needs and expectations. I’m grateful that several of our travelers have chosen me as their personal safari guide, giving me the opportunity to share in what many say is a truly life-changing experience.”

Sam Kanakanui

Chief Opportunities Officer

The newest member to our management team, Sam brings over 30 years of business acumen including knowledge in IT, marketing, and operations to the Safari Professionals family. Born in Hawaii, raised in the mountains of West Virginia and living now in the Piedmont of North Carolina, Sam has always enjoyed spending time exploring nature and all that the great outdoors offers.

Before joining Safari Professionals as COO in 2019, Sam spent the last 20 years cultivating a digital marketing agency and software development house, Netwave Solutions, based in Greensboro, NC. It’s the combination of business and management experience, along with strong analytical and technical knowledge, that allowed him to provide clients with leading edge marketing and web-based solutions. Over the last 10 years, Netwave Solutions has grown steadily helping both domestic and international clients maximize ROI in all phases of marketing, including social media, search engine optimization, video marketing, and more.

Sam has already made a significant impact on Safari Professionals in just a short time, starting with the launch of our new website in March of 2020. He followed that with a comprehensive digital marketing campaign featuring SEO and social media marketing. He’s also been heavily involved in streamlining day-to-day operations through the development and implementation of Safari Logic, our in-house traveler management program. His goals for 2020 are to continue to infuse much needed technology advances to further improve our operational infrastructure as well as expand and optimize marketing campaigns. And of course, enjoying his first Safari!

Sam Kanakanui

Chief Opportunities Officer

The newest member to our management team, Sam brings over 30 years of business acumen including knowledge in IT, marketing, and operations to the Safari Professionals family. Born in Hawaii, raised in the mountains of West Virginia and living now in the Piedmont of North Carolina, Sam has always enjoyed spending time exploring nature and all that the great outdoors offers.

Before joining Safari Professionals as COO in 2019, Sam spent the last 20 years cultivating a digital marketing agency and software development house, Netwave Solutions, based in Greensboro, NC. It’s the combination of business and management experience, along with strong analytical and technical knowledge, that allowed him to provide clients with leading edge marketing and web-based solutions. Over the last 10 years, Netwave Solutions has grown steadily helping both domestic and international clients maximize ROI in all phases of marketing, including social media, search engine optimization, video marketing, and more.

Sam has already made a significant impact on Safari Professionals in just a short time, starting with the launch of our new website in March of 2020. He followed that with a comprehensive digital marketing campaign featuring SEO and social media marketing. He’s also been heavily involved in streamlining day-to-day operations through the development and implementation of Safari Logic, our in-house traveler management program. His goals for 2020 are to continue to infuse much needed technology advances to further improve our operational infrastructure as well as expand and optimize marketing campaigns. And of course, enjoying his first Safari!

James Ward

Chief Adventure Officer

Growing up in the Zoo and Aquarium field, James has been around wildlife his entire life. Since being introduced to Africa at the age of 15, he has traveled extensively throughout the continent visiting some of the most beautiful and wildest national parks in Africa. Combined with his experience in traveling in Asia and Central and South America, James is able to bring a unique perspective as he designs customized safaris for our partners.

“Once Africa is in your blood, Africa never leaves you and you never really leave Africa. It is always great seeing the look of wonder and amazement in people’s faces as they experience their first sunset in the bush. You know they are now a member of a very special fraternity. The three most special times on any safari are an African sundowner, sitting at a campfire listing to night sounds in the bush and getting up early to have a coffee around a campfire as the bush awakens and I look forward to sharing these with more people.”

James has worked with numerous conservation groups and social companies throughout Africa, introducing their products to the US market. Creating added income opportunity has a profound affect on the livelihoods of these remote communities, and positively affecting wildlife conservation. From jewelry made with reclaimed snare wire to hand stitched plush toys made in the bush to honey from bees that save elephants, he enjoys working with and getting to know people from different cultures and having a true impact on their lives.

“One of the most memorable experiences I had in Africa was with Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe. For two days, I helped Peter Blinston, Executive Director of PDC, and his team to collar painted dogs in the bush around Hwange National Park. To be directly a part of conserving these amazing animals is an experience I will never forget.”

James is an avid amateur wildlife photographer with his favorite places to visit being South Luangwa in Zambia; Mana Pools in Zimbabwe; Amboseli in Kenya and Bwindi in Uganda. He is looking forward to sharing his passion for these wild spaces with others.

James is a trustee for the Painted Wolf Foundation.

James Ward

Chief Adventure Officer

Growing up in the Zoo and Aquarium field, James has been around wildlife his entire life. Since being introduced to Africa at the age of 15, he has traveled extensively throughout the continent visiting some of the most beautiful and wildest national parks in Africa. Combined with his experience in traveling in Asia and Central and South America, James is able to bring a unique perspective as he designs customized safaris for our partners.

“Once Africa is in your blood, Africa never leaves you and you never really leave Africa. It is always great seeing the look of wonder and amazement in people’s faces as they experience their first sunset in the bush. You know they are now a member of a very special fraternity. The three most special times on any safari are an African sundowner, sitting at a campfire listing to night sounds in the bush and getting up early to have a coffee around a campfire as the bush awakens and I look forward to sharing these with more people.”

James has worked with numerous conservation groups and social companies throughout Africa, introducing their products to the US market. Creating added income opportunity has a profound affect on the livelihoods of these remote communities, and positively affecting wildlife conservation. From jewelry made with reclaimed snare wire to hand stitched plush toys made in the bush to honey from bees that save elephants, he enjoys working with and getting to know people from different cultures and having a true impact on their lives.

“One of the most memorable experiences I had in Africa was with Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe. For two days, I helped Peter Blinston, Executive Director of PDC, and his team to collar painted dogs in the bush around Hwange National Park. To be directly a part of conserving these amazing animals is an experience I will never forget.”

James is an avid amateur wildlife photographer with his favorite places to visit being South Luangwa in Zambia; Mana Pools in Zimbabwe; Amboseli in Kenya and Bwindi in Uganda. He is looking forward to sharing his passion for these wild spaces with others.

James is a trustee for the Painted Wolf Foundation.

Michael Hutchins, Ph.D

Founding Partner

Dr. Michael Hutchins was one of World Safaris’ Founding Partners and served as Director, Conservation and Science. Prior to his passing in 2018, Michael traveled to six continents and 35 countries to pursue his interests in wildlife and habitat conservation and sustainability. Growing upon a farm in rural Iowa, his father introduced him to nature, collecting butterflies, seining creeks for frogs and salamanders and hunting for fossils and minerals in the local gravel pit. This led to a life-long fascination for all things natural, and a deep commitment to wildlife and habitat conservation.

Michael’s extensive world-wide travels included many of the premier wildlife locations where World Safaris offers exciting travel opportunities, including Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands. Included among his many treasured experiences were: trapping and tagging mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains, being within a few feet of wild lions and leopards in Tanzania, SCUBA diving with manta rays and sharks on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, tracking jaguars and anacondas in the Brazilian Pantanal, observing resplendent quetzals in Monte Verde Rain Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, photographing tribal ceremonies in Papua New Guinea, banding Megellanic penguins in Patagonia, Argentina, and snorkeling with marine iguanas and climbing Volcano Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. He was member of the Explorer’s Club and a professional affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Dr. Hutchins had a long and highly successful career in wildlife science, management and conservation, having served as Graduate Instructor and Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he taught courses in animal behavior (1976-1984), Curatorial Intern in Mammalogy, Conservation Biologist and Coordinator of Research at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s world-famous Bronx Zoo (1985-1990), William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (1990-2005) and Executive Director/CEO of The Wildlife Society, the premier association representing over 11,000 wildlife managers and scientists (2005-2012). He most recently served as National Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy’s Bird Smart Wind Energy Campaign and the Board of Directors of the Global Insular Conservation Society and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

Michael has written and edited over 200 books, articles, and reports, many peer-reviewed, including serving as Editor Emeritus for Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, a 20-volume compendium covering the entire animal kingdom. He received his Ph.D. in Animal Behavior with minors in Ecology and Statistics from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1984, where he studied the behavioral ecology of Rocky Mountain goats in Olympic National Park, WA.

Michael Hutchins, Ph.D

Founding Partner

Dr. Michael Hutchins was one of World Safaris’ Founding Partners and served as Director, Conservation and Science. Prior to his passing in 2018, Michael traveled to six continents and 35 countries to pursue his interests in wildlife and habitat conservation and sustainability. Growing upon a farm in rural Iowa, his father introduced him to nature, collecting butterflies, seining creeks for frogs and salamanders and hunting for fossils and minerals in the local gravel pit. This led to a life-long fascination for all things natural, and a deep commitment to wildlife and habitat conservation.

Michael’s extensive world-wide travels included many of the premier wildlife locations where World Safaris offers exciting travel opportunities, including Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands. Included among his many treasured experiences were: trapping and tagging mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains, being within a few feet of wild lions and leopards in Tanzania, SCUBA diving with manta rays and sharks on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, tracking jaguars and anacondas in the Brazilian Pantanal, observing resplendent quetzals in Monte Verde Rain Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, photographing tribal ceremonies in Papua New Guinea, banding Megellanic penguins in Patagonia, Argentina, and snorkeling with marine iguanas and climbing Volcano Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. He was member of the Explorer’s Club and a professional affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Dr. Hutchins had a long and highly successful career in wildlife science, management and conservation, having served as Graduate Instructor and Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he taught courses in animal behavior (1976-1984), Curatorial Intern in Mammalogy, Conservation Biologist and Coordinator of Research at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s world-famous Bronx Zoo (1985-1990), William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (1990-2005) and Executive Director/CEO of The Wildlife Society, the premier association representing over 11,000 wildlife managers and scientists (2005-2012). He most recently served as National Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy’s Bird Smart Wind Energy Campaign and the Board of Directors of the Global Insular Conservation Society and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

Michael has written and edited over 200 books, articles, and reports, many peer-reviewed, including serving as Editor Emeritus for Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, a 20-volume compendium covering the entire animal kingdom. He received his Ph.D. in Animal Behavior with minors in Ecology and Statistics from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1984, where he studied the behavioral ecology of Rocky Mountain goats in Olympic National Park, WA.