Dr. Andrew Huff

Yeah, it's fun to be the good Freudian slip.

A budget and forecasting meeting for the company.

And each vice president in charge of the area is going around talking about our budget, how our employees are doing, you know, operations types of things, typical corporate stuff.

And, you know, I asked the question because I mean, well, how much money are we spending on wildlife conservation?

Yeah.

And because when I interviewed at the company and all our branding and marketing messaging was that we're doing infectious disease research to protect wildlife and engage in conservation activities or something to that effect.

And the room goes quiet and, you know, I'm looking at everyone and why is everyone sort of staring into space or staring at me?

And eventually Peter Daszak looks at me and with sort of a maniacal laugh says, we're not doing, we're not doing any conservation work.

This is like a nightmare.

Yeah.

And I'm just, I'm just shocked.

And, you know, I came directly from the National Laboratory System, Sandia National Laboratories, and I was trying to get away from that type of work.

I was actually excited to go work at a crunchy granola nonprofit organization where I was protecting wildlife.

Yeah, and as we were discussing earlier, we're both avid outdoorsmen.

We love nature, that kind of thing.

And I thought I was going to get into more of that.

I was excited, like, hey, maybe I'll get a chance to have a trip out to the woods or the jungle and go protect some wildlife.

And I hear this, and I'm like, okay.

And, you know, I digest it.

Of course, I don't say anything.