James C. Deutsch, is a strategic leader in global conservation with a passion for saving wildlife and wild lands and a talent for translating cutting-edge science into field projects with maximum conservation impact.

James comes to Rainforest Trust from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation where, as Director of Wildlife and Biodiversity, he oversaw the Great Elephant Census, worked with IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and CITES (Convention on Trade in Endangered Species) to close ivory markets and save sharks, and launched programs to support the Convention on Biological Diversity, to dismantle wildlife trafficking networks, and to save coral reefs.

Previously, James was Africa Director and then Vice President for Conservation Strategy at the Wildlife Conservation Society where he helped design and implement the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and launched new programs in Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Sudan. He also helped launch the Tropical Biology Association, taught secondary school in Kenya, and was founding chair of the boards of Aidspan and Community Markets for Conservation. For six years James was CEO of the UK’s national fundraiser for HIV/AIDS, Crusaid, helping make life-saving treatments available in the UK and Africa.

A New Yorker, James was educated at Harvard (A.B. Philosophy) and Cambridge (M.Phil. Biological Anthropology and Ph.D. Zoology) and lectured in ecology and conservation biology at Imperial College and the University of East Anglia. His research career included fieldwork on Uganda Kob antelope and Malawi cichlid fishes with papers in Nature, Evolution, and other journals and books.

Eric is a software engineer and former computer graphics researcher. He received a B.Math from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford.

As an early employee at Google, he led the development of the AdWords advertising platform and various components of Google Maps including the directions system. Eric also worked for Pixar, where he developed technology for some of their first movies. He received two Academy Awards for his research in computer graphics at Stanford and Pixar. He and his wife Luanne are passionate about wilderness conservation and live near Seattle with their two children.

Dr. Veach is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Edith’s passion for wildlife conservation has led to her active involvement in the conservation community for over 30 years.

She is passionate about central African conservation and is a strong collaborator of conservation in Gabon.

She currently works with Africa Parks Foundation and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and is Chair of Rainforest Trust’s Nominating Committee. A native of California and England, she currently lives in New York City.

Edith is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Dr. Bruce Beehler works for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History as an ornithologist and research associate. An authority on New Guinea Birds and the author of several major works on the subject, he previously worked for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Counterpart International.

Bruce received his master’s and Ph.D. studying behavioral ecology at Princeton. He also co-led a broadly published rapid assessment survey on biological diversity in the Foja Mountains of Papua in 2005 alongside a team of international scientists—during which the Wattled Smoky Honeyeater was discovered and the Bronze Parotia and Golden-fronted Bowerbird were photographed for the first time.

A lifelong explorer, Mark Gruin has dedicated more than 30 years to international conservation and sustainable development. He has worked, lived and traveled in more than 40 countries, helping a wide range of local and international non-governmental organizations create, develop and implement sustainable development strategies that integrate preserving biodiversity and threatened habitats with creating economic and humanitarian benefits to local communities.

His career has been characterized by committed early involvement, working on the ground in early stages of difficult projects to find ways to quickly address immediate needs, while establishing a foundation for lasting and sustainable impact and increased local capacity. An inveterate wanderer and wonderer, working in remote places with little infrastructure and pressing needs has been the norm, including many projects throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean, the Russian Far East, sub-Saharan and the Horn of Africa, North America, Europe and the Caucasus.

Gwen has a background in conservation, ornithology and ecology and has worked on the ground in Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador and Chile.

She pursued more direct conservation work with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and now manages the science program for the Maryland state wildlife agency working in conservation planning, rare species monitoring and research, determination of species’ legal statuses, development of protection strategies, and on-the ground conservation projects.

An avid birder and nature enthusiast, Gwen has traveled widely and enjoys learning about habitats, species, and conservation challenges and successes both locally and internationally. She has been a committed supporter of Rainforest Trust and its partners for over 10 years. Gwen lives near Washington, DC, with her husband George Jett, retired chemical engineer, nature photographer, and long-time supporter of Rainforest Trust.

Gwen received a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University and Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Minnesota.

Sally is the Chairman of the Board at Clyde’s Restaurant Group of Washington DC, where she has provided significant support through sponsored benefits and meals to benefit many of Washington’s conservation organizations.

She has a lifelong interest in river conservation and is currently serving on the Board of Potomac Riverkeeper, having previously served on the Board of American Rivers. Sally is also a member of Rachel’s Network, an environmental advocacy group named in honor of Rachel Carson.

Sally is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Callie is a senior designer at National Geographic, where she produces nonfiction children’s books inspiring kids to love animals and be curious about the planet. As a photographer and writer, she has published over 30 articles on topics ranging from Virginia solar legislation to education in the Marshall Islands. Callie focuses on youth education and engagement as a key to solving the climate change crisis and protecting critical habitat.

Callie holds a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Virginia with a minor in Urban and Environmental Planning.

Leslie VanSant brings a wealth of international organization and non-profit fundraising and communication experience to the Rainforest Trust. Across her career she has worked successfully building teams and stakeholder support in humanitarian relief and response, conservation, arts and community organizations large and small. Her travels to some of the world’s most vulnerable places in response to disasters, have given her a unique perspective on the importance of the intersection of land and habitat preservation with human development. Leslie holds a Bachelors from the University of Richmond in History and Art History. An avid equestrian, she rides show and fox hunters from her family farm in Middleburg where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Wayt is a leading authority on the plants of the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil, one of the most critically endangered rainforests in the world, with less than 5% of its original vegetation remaining. Wayt works with Brazilian collaborators to survey these special forests and make their data available for conservation action.

He is Curator of Botany at the Institute of Systematic Botany of the New York Botanical Garden and a faculty member of the Garden’s Graduate Studies Program. Wayt received his B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Thomas is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Dr. Thomas Brooks is IUCN's Chief Scientist, with areas of expertise in biodiversity conservation, ornithology and ecology. Before joining IUCN in January 2013, he was Vice President for Science and Chief Scientist of NatureServe. He’s also held biodiversity science positions in Conservation International and the Nature Conservancy and visiting appointments at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

Trained as an ornithologist with field experience primarily in tropical forest hotspots like the Philippines, Paraguay and Indonesia, Thomas has a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology and a B.A. in geography. He is the author of more than 250 scientific and popular articles.

Hooked on wildlife conservation when growing up in Africa, James has spent his career focusing on strategic approaches to addressing conservation challenges.

Born in the UK but raised on three continents, James has firsthand experience in a range of conservation arenas. Before joining Rainforest Trust, James worked as the operations director for the Amphibian Survival Alliance, helping to build the world’s largest partnership dedicated to amphibian conservation.

Although originally a field ecologist, James has spent time working on a number of domestic and international conservation topics, trade/policy issues, development of on the ground conservation projects and implementation of national conservation responses.

James’ undergraduate degree is in Conservation Management from Stirling University and his Masters is in Conservation and Biodiversity from Exeter University.

He has worked for several conservation NGOs including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International and Global Wildlife Conservation and published on a range of conservation topics.

Geoffrey Chen is a passionate supporter of rainforest conservation and finding solutions against climate change. He has two decades of experience investing and trading in the financial markets, and applies his skills and knowledge in his support for conservation. He and his wife, Angela, are dedicated to fighting deforestation in Southeast Asia and have worked with Rainforest Trust to fund the preservation of over 100,000 acres of rainforest in Southeast Asia and Africa. They currently reside in Singapore with their two daughters. He previously was a financial markets trader at various banks in Singapore, New York, and London, and earned a degree in economics from Duke University.

Brett is a venture capitalist with a prior background as a senior executive, corporate attorney and engineer. He is motivated by a desire to combat climate change through the creation of large carbon-storing protected areas.

Brett is a Managing Director with Partner Ventures and led the venture capital investing activities of VCFA Group for over a decade. Brett holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cornell University.

Dr. Nigel Collar is a Leventis Fellow in conservation biology with BirdLife International, where he has previously worked as the Director of Science, Director of Development, Chairman of the ICBP Bustard Group and the compiler of the International Bird Red Data Book. His current work involves studying threatened birds and habitats through fieldwork and the support of graduate students.

Nigel is an Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia’s School of Biological Sciences and has written over 100 scientific papers and 12 books including Birds and People: Bonds in a Timeless Journey and Facing Extinction: The World’s Rarest Birds and the Race to Save Them.

Dr. Chris Elliott is the former Executive Director of the Climate and Land Use Alliance a collaborative initiative of the ClimateWorks Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Ford Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Prior to joining the Alliance, he worked for WWF in a variety of capacities over twenty years, starting as China Program Coordinator and ending as Executive Director, Conservation, at WWF International. Before that, he was employed by The World Bank and by the Bank of Boston. He began his professional career by working for several years in organic agriculture. Chris has been closely involved in major forest conservation initiatives in the Congo Basin and the Amazon and led the development of a global partnership with IKEA. He worked on the establishment of the Forest Stewardship Council and was the organization’s first Board Chair. His education is in plant sciences, forestry, forest policy and ecosystem management at the universities of London, Yale and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). His doctoral dissertation was on forest certification as a policy instrument. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia.

Eric Goode is an entrepreneur and conservationist, dedicated to the conservation of Endangered turtles and tortoises worldwide.

Eric is the founder of the Turtle Conservancy and publisher and co-editor of The Tortoise magazine, a high-end conservation annual publication of the Turtle Conservancy. Eric and the Turtle Conservancy partnered with Rainforest Trust to establish the first nature preserve in South Africa dedicated to the protection of the Critically Endangered Geometric Tortoise and the Sinaloan Nature Preserve for the protection of Goode’s Thornscrub Tortoise, which was recently named after Goode (Gopherus evgoodei) in recognition of his passion for the smaller forgotten creatures on the planet. Having personally witnessed the decline and virtual disappearance of many common species, he is determined to make a difference both locally and in the far corners of the Earth.

Eric is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Cullen is a bat biologist, conservationist, and philanthropist living in Houston, TX. Her research has focused on bat-mediated seed dispersal and pollination in the Neotropics. After spending some years studying nectar-feeding bats and sleeping in a hammock in French Guiana, she returned to the US to concentrate on bringing more people and funding to conservation. She has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Bat Conservation International as well as various other Texas-based conservation organizations and worked to expand the missions of local community organizations, such as the Houston Zoo and the Houston Parks Board, to embrace conservation as their central tenets. She believes in the inspiring power of nature and enjoys providing people with opportunities to witness natural phenomena, such as the emergence of millions of bats from Bracken Bat Cave, as a first step in bringing them into the conservation fold. She is also a believer in collaboration and has built and curates the Bat Eco-Interactions Database (www.batbase.org), an online interactive platform for cataloging all published ecological interactions between bats and other organisms with the goal of facilitating scientific research, collaboration, and conservation of the 1,400+ species of bats worldwide by making accurate scientific information about them, their diets, and the ecosystem services they provide available to all.

When not out in nature, Cullen is the acting director and chair of the board of trustees of the Cullen Trust for Health Care, a support organization funding healthcare initiatives in the greater Houston area. She also volunteers her time at various art institutions, such as the Menil Collection and the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston.

Cullen received a BA in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University and masters and PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Columbia University.

Ann Kaupp retired after 34 years with the Smithsonian’s Department of Anthropology. For 25 years she was head of the Anthropology Outreach Office, producing materials for public distribution, including an online bibliography on American Indians for K-12 students; organizing teacher workshops; collaborating with other anthropological organizations, with funding from grants; and producing videos through interviews with museum staff. She also co-edited a biannual publication for teachers and professionals that led to an edited book. Ann was president of a section of the American Anthropological Association, the national organization. She has had a long-time interest in saving the environment and endangered species.

Robert graduated with an M.A. in economics from the University of Cambridge in 1982 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1985. Robert, who lives in London, is an active birder and conservationist, and has supported conservation projects in Colombia and other countries since 1991.

Robert has been involved in helping improve sustainability for ProAves Colombia by establishing EcoTurs Colombia, which promotes ecotourism to ProAves reserves and other destinations. All profits from EcoTurs are donated to ProAves. Robert is presently the Chairman of the ProAves Advisory Council and member of ProAves Board of Directors.

John is a well-known bird artist who has served as the Wildlife Conservation Society’s long-time Director of WCS’ Exhibits, Graphics and Arts Department (EGAD) and emeritus Chief Creative Officer. During his tenure at WCS John designed many of the most immersive, detailed and compelling habitats ever built and was instrumental in propelling a movement for zoo design that told stories, recreated specific ecosystems and gave zoo visitors a strong conservation message. John, with Dr. Robert Ridgely, co-authored Birds of Brazil: The Pantanal & Cerrado of Central Brazil.

Pat Koval is a corporate director and lawyer based in Toronto, Ontario. She is a retired partner of Torys LLP, where she practised corporate law, including corporate and carbon finance and governance.

Pat is a member of the Government of Ontario’s Advisory Panel on Climate Change. She is also a Director of the Independent Electricity System Operator, which operates Ontario’s electricity system and its electricity markets, and a Director of Trans Mountain Corporation, which operates, and is building the expansion of, a pipeline in western Canada. She chairs the Boards of each of The Canada-India Business Council and the Canadian Performance Reporting Board of CPA Canada. She serves on the Ontario Chapter Executive Board of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Pat is a passionate volunteer in the conservation sector. She formerly chaired the Board of World Wildlife Fund Canada, and currently chairs the Boards of each of Toronto and Region Conservation Foundation and Turtle Survival Alliance. She is a member of the Ontario Regional Board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and of the Advisory Councils of Wildlife Conservation Society and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Pat is a contributing author to several publications on climate change and has lectured in this area, including at University of Toronto, where she was an Adjunct Professor for more than 15 years.

Pat is a member of several committees at Rainforest Trust. She graduated from the joint MBA/J.D. program at Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada.

Patricia is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Heather Hodges was a U.S. diplomat for 31 years, serving in Venezuela, Guatemala, Spain, Nicaragua, Peru, and Washington, D.C. She was Ambassador to Moldova and Ecuador. Always fond of birds, her posting to Ecuador and travels throughout that country led to a serious interest in the protection of birds around the world. In Ecuador, Heather visited most of the Fundación Jocotoco reserves and became committed to their model of protection. Now the President and Ambassador-in-Residence of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Heather continues her interest in similar conservation projects. As a member of the Advisory Council, Heather raises awareness of Rainforest Trust’s projects throughout the world.

Panta Kasoma is a Wildlife Ecologist who has been in the environment and natural resources management field for over 30 years. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Uganda’s Makerere University and his PhD at Cambridge University. He left academia at Makerere University at the rank of Associate Professor. He represented the Africa Region on Birdlife Global Council for 4 years.

Panta worked as Uganda Country Director for the Jane Goodall Institute for nine years. Currently formally retired, he continues to participate in natural resources conservation by being Chair of the Board of Trustees of Uganda Wildlife Authority as well as being a trustee at the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda. He also represents Anglophone Africa on CITES Animals Committee.

Thomas is a conservation biologist who has worked in the Brazilian Amazon since 1965 and made the fate of tropical forests a public issue.

He was Chief Biodiversity Adviser to the President of the World Bank and Senior Adviser to the President of the United Nations Foundation before becoming Biodiversity Chair of the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment.

He introduced the term “biological diversity” to the scientific community in 1980. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in biology from Yale University and is currently University Professor of Environmental Science and Public Policy at George Mason University.

Dr. Lovejoy is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Dr. Lahm is a wildlife ecologist and biological anthropologist with experience in scientific research, diverse consultancies and biodiversity surveys in African countries since 1982, including research on the natural history and socio-cultural dimensions of the Ebola Virus in Gabon and Guinea, respectively. Her earlier work in the care and management of birds and mammals in zoological parks in the United States inspired her to study the ecology of the mandrill in Gabon for her master’s degree at San Diego State University, after which she studied human/wildlife interaction and impacts on wildlife populations in northeastern Gabon for her doctorate at New York University. Both studies were based at the Institute of Research in Tropical Ecology, where she was a resident Associate Research Scientist of the Ministry of Higher Learning and Research until 2005. Her specific interests in wildlife are ungulates and elephants.

Sally has collaborated with government ministries in several countries, as well as organizations and institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, the World Health Organization, Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). For WCS, she was a technical advisor to the Gabon National Parks Program from 2000-2005. She has also worked in Ghana, Guinea, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda in various projects, including working with the mining and petroleum industries to improve their environmental and wildlife mitigation, management and monitoring plans and implementation.

Sally holds the position of Research Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She also holds an associate faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Sally is currently a member of both the Africa Section and Great Ape Section of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group, a member of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group and an advisor to the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group.

John is an Adjunct Scientist at the New York Botanical Garden and Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History. He is the former Chairman of the Beneficia Foundation and now serves on the Board of Directors of Bat Conservation International and Turtle Survival Alliance.

John belongs to a wide variety of scientific and environmental organizations and has special interests in conservation and birding, having pursued these activities worldwide from the Antarctic and Africa to Borneo and South America. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and a member of the Explorers Club.

He has a B.S. in biology from Muhlenberg College and pursued Ph.D. studies in ecology at Rutgers University. He has authored and co-authored many scientific papers, publications, and books dealing with tropical vegetation, tropical tree identification, and the taxonomy of the Cashew – Poison Ivy family.

John is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Alan Martin is the Secretary of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust and acts as the main coordinator of the REGUA project in Brazil which he visits regularly and assists with the governance and fundraising. He is a retired accountant and amateur birder but has published a Guide to the Hawkmoths of the Serra dos Orgaos, South-eastern Brazil and has just finished working on a Guide to Butterflies of the same area. He has served as the Honorary Treasurer and a Council member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, as Treasurer and then Chairman of the British Trust for Ornithology, a trustee of Butterfly Conservation, a Director of Wetlands International, and a Council member of the World Land Trust as well as being a trustee of some other more local charitable organisations.

Distinguished author, ornithologist and conservationist, Robert is a leading expert on the birds of South and Central America and a proponent of private reserve systems as a conservation strategy for endangered species.

He previously served as Director of International Conservation at the National Audubon Society and of the Center for Neotropical Ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Bob is the author of seven books on Neotropical birds, including the acclaimed Birds of South America, Birds of Ecuador, Birds of Panama and Hummingbirds of Ecuador.

He holds a B.A. in history from Princeton University, an MS in zoology from Duke University and a Ph.D. in forestry and environmental studies from Yale University. He has been awarded the Eisenmann Medal from the Linnaean Society of New York (2001), the Ralph Schreiber Award from the American Ornithologists’ Union (2011) and the Arthur A. Allen Award from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2013).

Russ is the President of Conservation International and was selected as one of TIME Magazine’s “EcoHeroes for the Planet” in 1998. Russ is a noted author of Hotspots and many other books on conservation and is the only working field biologist at the head of a major international environmental organization.

He has been Chairman of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Primate Specialist Group since 1977. Russ received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in biological anthropology in 1977. He has served as Vice President for Science at the World Wildlife Fund, President of the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation and an Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Based in Scotland, Kim Stewart is a philanthropist, filmmaker, wife and mother of four. Kim is a Fellow of the Linnaean Society and a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

She and her husband, David, support several UK, US and Africa-based conservation/humanitarian organizations. Kim served for 12 years as a Trustee of Wildscreen, a charitable organization working to bring conservationists and professional creatives together to raise awareness of conservation issues, and was Board Chair of Wildscreen USA.

She has a B.Sc. in Radio, Television and Film Communications from Northwestern University and has worked on film productions in New York, Hollywood, the UK and East Africa. Kim loves to use film as a medium for telling nature’s stories. She recently created a film for Rainforest Trust partner, REGUA, on whose board she also serves.

A lifelong birder and conservationist, Roger Pasquier previously worked at BirdLife International, World Wildlife Fund-US, Environmental Defense Fund and the National Audubon Society.

Roger acted as chair of the Board for the conservation organization Rare from 1992 until 2000. He was the founder and president of the Friends of the Peruvian Rainforest, where he led efforts to help local organizations, including CEDIA, protect millions of acres of Amazon rainforest.

Roger has written several books on birds and served as a Board member of Rainforest Trust from 2000-2003.

Dr. E.O. Wilson is perhaps most well-known as the “father of biodiversity” for first publishing the term. But this achievement is simply one of many in a long and distinguished career.

Born in Alabama, he spent most of his childhood both there and in Washington, D.C. He spent his early years exploring wildlife, including ants, which would later become his specialty. After receiving his PhD from Harvard University in 1955, Dr. Wilson became a professor there and stayed on full-time for 40 years. During this time he helped shape ecology and early conservation biology. This work included developing the theory of island biogeography with Robert MacArthur in 1968, a major tenet of modern conservation. He was also a major player during the development of modern conservation biology in the 1980s.

Dr. Wilson has served on the boards of many conservation organizations during his career, including Rainforest Trust. He’s led scientific expeditions, written dozens of books — including winning two Pulitzer Prizes — and won numerous conservation awards.

A digital marketing leader, Linda is an expert in strategic branding, marketing and communications. As the first Chief Digital Officer for the American Museum of Natural History, she transformed the Museum into a leading 21st century digitally innovative cultural institution.

A passionate advocate for wildlife and conservation, Linda relishes applying her knowledge of cutting-edge mobile, social media, and digital technologies to help Rainforest Trust protect the world’s tropical forests.

Linda received a B.A. in Business and Economics from the University of Maryland and a M.S. in Information Science from Wayne State University.

Jeffrey is head of global media relations and financial communications at Chubb. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, public relations and marketing communications.

He began his career as a journalist, covering corporate social responsibility and, later, financial services. Jeff has volunteered with the Wildlife Conservation Society and is an avid wildlife photographer. He graduated from Carleton College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Jeff is also a member of various Rainforest Trust Committees.

Sir Ghillean worked from 1963 to 1988 at The New York Botanical Garden as Director of the Institute of Economic Botany and Senior Vice-President for Science. He spent the next 11 years as Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, until his retirement in 1999.

He trained as a plant taxonomist and is an expert on the flora of the Amazon rainforests, having led annual expeditions there for over 25 years, collecting more than 450 Amazonian plants new to science. He has been a Fellow of the Linnean Society since 1961 and a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1993.

Mr. Quarles is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm Nossaman LLP. He is a veteran attorney who focuses his practice on addressing issues concerning federal wildlife laws (Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), federal lands and resources (including resource use, siting, and access law), and renewable energy. He represents a wide range of associations and companies, policy coalitions, state governments, local governments, land conservation trusts, and environmental organizations.

He served as Deputy Under Secretary in the U.S. Department of the Interior and special counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He is active as an officer and member of the Board of several non-profit organizations. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School.

Mr. Quarles has served on the Board of Mineral and Energy Resources of the National Academy of Sciences and on two committees of the National Research Council commissioned by Congress. He also was a member of the Secretary of the Interior’s Federal Advisory Committee on Wind Turbine Guidelines and the Secretary of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. He was a participant in the Endangered Species Act at Thirty project of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Columbia University and the University of Idaho; Stanford University Forum on the Endangered Species Act and Federalism; and The Keystone Center’s Working Group on Habitat Issues.

He and his spouse own and operate one of the largest Hanoverian breeding farms in Maryland. They have ensured the protection of their 250-acre farm by donating a conservation easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust.

Scott Rasmussen is President of TaxHawk, Inc., a Provo, Utah-based IRS e-file provider company. He has a Master of Accounting from Brigham Young University, and has a background as a Tax Accountant. In July, he donated $100,000 to the Tsinjoarivo-Ambalaomby project in Madagascar.

Walter Sedgwick is a long-time forest land-owner and conservationist who has worked with many organizations dedicated to land and animals, serving on the Boards of the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy - Florida, Bat Conservation International, Island Conservation, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Land Trust Alliance, and the Turtle Survival Alliance. He currently chairs the Program Committee of WCS. He is the founder of the Red Hills Land Conservancy (now known as Tall Timbers). Walter also helped to found the Turtle Conservation Fund in 2002. With his Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation, he has donated a major collection of Japanese Buddhist sculpture and early Chinese ceramics to Harvard University’s Arthur M. Sackler Museum.

Simon is a leader in the field of conservation biology who has used his expertise to further global species preservation efforts throughout his career.

Simon holds both undergraduate and doctorate degrees in conservation biology from the University of Cambridge. His varied experience includes global assessments of amphibian population declines as well as ornithological fieldwork in Tanzania and Cameroon.

Simon is currently Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and has an extensive history of leadership positions within IUCN. His work includes IUCN/SSC biodiversity assessments of a wide array of species including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and marine organisms.

Dr. John Terborgh is a conservation biologist who has operated the Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Manú National Park, Peru. He was a professor at the University of Maryland and later at Princeton University. In 1989, he joined the faculty of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and founded the Duke University Center for Tropical Conservation.

In 1992, John was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was honored with the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal by the National Academy of Sciences in 1996 for his book Diversity and the Tropical Rainforest—he has published numerous books and articles on conservation. In 2005, he was elected Honorary Fellow of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation.

Bernie is an Adjunct Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz, where he co-directs the Coastal Conservation Action Lab. He is the Founder of Island Conservation, which has created over 900,000 hectares of new marine and island protected areas and protected over 250 seabird colonies and 250 insular endemics from extinction. Bernie is also co-founder and Board Chair of Conservation Metrics, a for-profit social venture dedicated to improving conservation through better monitoring, and co-founder of Freshwater Life, which saves endangered freshwater species by eradicating freshwater invasives. He is a member of the IUCN’s Invasive Species Specialist Group and Commission on Ecosystem Management. Bernie serves as a consultant to the Mulago Foundation’s Henry Arnhold Fellows Program, and is on the boards of OneReef, the Tony Hawk Foundation. He earned his BS in Biology from UC-Santa Cruz, an MS in Marine Sciences from San Jose State University, and a PhD in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University.

David Wilcove is a professor of Public Affairs and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the Woodrow Wilson School. His research focuses on the conservation of biodiversity.

He and his students have worked in Southeast Asia; the Himalayas; New Zealand; East Africa; and North, Central and South America. Their work typically combines ecological research with economics and other social sciences to address issues such as deforestation, commercial logging, agriculture and the wild animal trade.

In 2001, David received the Distinguished Service Award of the Society for Conservation Biology in recognition of his work on behalf of endangered species. He received a B.S. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in biology from Princeton University.

An esteemed conservationist, Roland’s expertise has helped to secure a future for threatened species across the globe. From a very young age, he was intrigued by the diversity of life and soon became acutely aware of threats to wildlife, triggering his lifelong dedication to conservation.

He co-founded German NGO Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP), an organization he chaired for thirty years and now serves as Senior Advisor to the board. Under Roland’s leadership, ZGAP has implemented and often sustained long term projects for over 100 of the globes ‘forgotten’ endangered species in more than two dozen countries. Notably, he is also a member of several IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups. His focus on the survival of threatened species has allowed him to forge cooperative relationships with many other conservation organizations throughout his career.

Liz joins the Rainforest Trust team after nearly a decade reporting on the global freshwater and sanitation crisis. She has also edited and written for organizations focused on global public health and Middle East news. Liz earned her BS in Linguistics, with a focus on French and Arabic, at Georgetown University. She also studied at the American University in Cairo, and has spent time in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Originally from Chicago, she has lived in Warrenton for more than 10 years, and enjoys volunteering as an ESL teacher, losing at pub trivia and bowling and helping tend to her ever-expanding vegetable garden.

Julie Bashford is a seasoned Human Resources Professional and People Leader equipped to guide and support teams toward individual, team and organization-wide success. Julie describes herself as a strategic thinker, tactical planner, people champion, juggler and sounding board. She enjoys getting to know people as people, with unique sets of hopes and desires, both professionally and personally and partnering with them to design engaging and effective career pathways.

Julie joins Rainforest Trust following a 20-year corporate HR career in sectors ranging from finance to tech to market research and strategy. Her intentional shift to the nonprofit world and to Rainforest Trust, in particular, stems from enlightening field volunteer work with Rainforest Trust partner, Osa Conservation, in Costa Rica where great strides have been made to replant and preserve critically important rainforest and ocean habitat.

Lynda comes to us from the for-profit world. She has her BA from the University of Delaware in Human Resources. She has been working in the accounting field for 30 years, has training in ASL Interpreting, homeschooled her children for many years, and has owned a local bakery before becoming part of our team at Rainforest Trust. She raises free range chickens and goats on her 5 acre farmette. In her free time, Lynda enjoys knitting, teaching, and traveling.

Steve Bernacki joined Rainforest Trust in the Fall of 2018 and is responsible for a portfolio of projects across Southeast Asia. He has a PhD in plant biology and studied a family of tropical plant viruses known as Geminiviruses. Before coming to Rainforest Trust he worked as a consultant for IUCN in Cambodia working on a forest landscape restoration assessment, karst limestone conservation, and advising on a new Environmental Code for Cambodia. In his free time, Steve is also an avid hiker, skier and traveler.

David has spent over 15 years living and working for conservation in southeast Asia, primarily in Indonesia, where he was based out of North Sumatra from 2007-2019. Although still passionate about orangutan conservation, he has recently moved back to the US, with an expanded focus towards landscape and ecosystem level protection. As such he strongly supports Rainforest Trust's strategy of securing key areas for biodiversity conservation, and looks forward to aiding forests throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

David has an MSc in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University and a BA in Anthropology from Temple University. He loves spending time with his wife Diana and their family of too many dogs.

Erin McCreless is a conservation scientist with 20 years of experience working on both the biological and the socioeconomic aspects of biodiversity conservation. Her overarching goal is to use data and evidence to improve conservation science and implementation.

Since her first field experience monitoring piping plovers on Cape Cod, she has had the opportunity to work with wildlife in the Appalachian Mountains, the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, and Palau, among other places. In her dissertation research at the University of California Santa Cruz, Erin used global datasets to investigate the costs and outcomes of protected area designations, the role of invasive mammals in driving species extinctions on islands, and the cost-effectiveness of invasive mammal eradications on islands globally. She has also worked on threatened species conservation on Australian islands, financial investments in coastal green infrastructure, and natural resource management in California’s Central Valley. At Rainforest Trust, Erin’s focus is using long-term financial, ecological, and spatial data to better understand the costs and conservation impacts of Rainforest Trust’s portfolio of protected areas.

Erin has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a BA in Biology from Yale University. She lives in beautiful Corvallis, Oregon, where she spends much of her time hiking and canoeing with her husband and dog. She also enjoys running, playing cello, and trying out local wineries.

Rina joined Rainforest Trust as Madagascar Conservation Associate, after pursuing her Graduate and Postgraduate studies at Antananarivo and Rovira i Virgili Universities.

Rina is a member of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) and the SCB Madagascar Chapter. She was part of a group of international researchers on Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation (http://www.p4ges.org) and has co-authored various research on this topic.

She continues to support the Malagasy government in implementing the National Politic of Payment of Ecosystem Services as a member of the Technical Committee. Rina has strong interests in conserving the remaining natural resources in Africa and Madagascar while ensuring the wellbeing of local communities living around those critical habitats. She enjoys traveling and tasting different foods.

Katie has always been interested in wildlife and environmental conservation. She became passionate about international conservation when she studied rainforest and marine ecosystems in Belize during her undergraduate career.

Katie graduated with her Master’s degree in Biology from Miami University. Through Miami’s Global Field Program she attended courses abroad in Baja, Australia, and Kenya where she gained experience in methods of wildlife and habitat conservation.

Katie also enjoys hiking, horseback riding, boating and traveling.

Gabriela Fleury has been passionate about wildlife conservation since the age of 5, a passion that was further fanned by a childhood spent everywhere from Brazil to Alaska. She majored in Geographic Science at James Madison University with a concentration in Environmental Conservation and completed her undergraduate thesis on lion (Panthera leo) and livestock conflict with pastoralists in the Amboseli Region of Kenya. Dedicated to the study of human dimensions of wildlife conservation, Gabriela received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International and completed her Masters degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Inspired by her earlier community work, she completed her Masters thesis on the social drivers of land cover change in a land restitution case in the Northern Cape of South Africa. After graduate school, Gabriela spent two years assisting on-the-ground NGOs Action for Cheetahs and Big Life Foundation in Kenya with human-wildlife conflict research, data analysis and grant-writing, and leading Cheetah Conservation Fund’s human dimensions research team in north-central Namibia. Working with a variety of rangers throughout her time in Eastern and Southern Africa inspired her drive to promote these frontline heroes of conservation through her current position at Rainforest Trust. Fascinated by technology and a self-proclaimed geek, in her spare time, Gabriela likes to research and develop conservation tech innovations, play tabletop board games, and go on outdoor adventures with her giant lab Churchill.

A native of Brazil, Juliana serves as Rainforest Trust’s Latin America Conservation Officer. She previously lived in Venezuela, England, Angola, and Ecuador, exposing her to various ecosystems and cementing her passion for conservation and socio-ecological resilience.

Juliana holds a B.A. in Organismal Biology from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, where she worked in the Entomology Laboratory of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles studying the effects of urbanization on wildlife. She went on to launch the Global Mangrove Alliance with the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, D.C. Juliana holds a wide range of experience, from working in a laboratory, rehabilitating wildlife in the Ecuadorian Amazon, operating grants for conservation nonprofits, and through her most recent role, as an organizer for climate justice with the Sunrise Movement.

Juliana spends her spare time getting attached to foster dogs, convincing people that insects are incredible, and biking around Washington, D.C.

Felicia started working professionally in animal welfare at a young age. After graduating with a degree in Biology from Union College, she spent the summer volunteering with wildlife in Port Elizabeth, South Africa before starting veterinary school. Her time in Africa opened her eyes to all of the different connections between wildlife, their habitats, and the communities that shared their home ranges, and she shifted her graduate studies to the bigger picture of conservation.

Felicia holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University in Conservation Biology, with a focus on project planning and implementation, as well as community engagement and capacity building for long-term impact. She previously worked for the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida, managing the welfare of a large colony of six different lemur species and collaborating on building up conservation efforts in Madagascar. Felicia also assisted the Conservation and Science Department at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in coordinating their 500+ Species Survival Plans programs and, most recently, she was a part of the Science team at WWF developing strategic engagement events.

Felicia is excited to be at Rainforest Trust, where she can combine all of her passions working with local organizations on habitat and community level projects to safeguard the world’s most threatened species.

Stephanie received her BA in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin where she spent a semester studying tropical ecology and conservation. After completing her BA she served in the Peace Corps teaching biology at a local high school in Tanzania. Upon her return, she completed her MSc in Environmental Conservation at the University of Wisconsin which included community outreach work in Chile for The Nature Conservancy and the Chilean National Forest Corporation.

In her free time, Stephanie enjoys traveling, daydreaming and hanging out with her cat, Nacho.

Cece comes to Rainforest Trust with experience in project management and urban development but has always been dedicated to conservation. Her passion was cultivated through a childhood spent in rivers, mountains, and living places. While studying the history of conservation, she saw a need for locally based community partnerships and programs as well as immediate protection of vulnerable ecosystems facing human threats. Since graduating with an Environmental Studies degree, she has entered the field of conservation hoping to use her passion and expertise to do her part in ensuring a sustainable future for plants, animals, and future generations. She is grateful to work with Rainforest trust to help protect the world’s most diverse ecosystems while engaging and empowering local communities to ensure lasting sustainability.

In her free time, Cece likes to read, cook, and explore creative outlets. However, her most fulfilling moments are spent listening to, learning from, and engaging with the natural world.

With almost 30 years’ experience in nonprofit management, Beth has devoted her life to human services and critical causes. Her career includes 21 years with an international humanitarian organization; she was COO for the national headquarters of an organization dedicated to a rare disease; and VP of Philanthropy for organizations that focused on cancer, children in the foster care system, and epilepsy.

Beth has significant experience raising millions of dollars for nonprofits, planning local and national conferences and events, developing strategic plans, building and maintaining volunteer and internship programs, managing business office operations, and growing the capacity of organizations and their boards. She builds strong teams of paid and volunteer staff and lasting relationships with partners and stakeholders.

In her spare time, Beth enjoys travel, shopping, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Michelle brings strong database management and data analysis skills to the Rainforest Trust team. She earned a Dual Master's of Arts and Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, focusing studies on environmental peacebuilding. Michelle began her career with Rainforest Trust's Philanthropy team in 2015. A lifelong environmentalist, she joined Rainforest Trust to support the crucial mission of environmental conservation and stewardship. In her free time, Michelle enjoys reading, travelling, hiking, yoga, and is an amateur wine connoisseur.

Susi has a Bachelors in Business Administration from UMUC. Growing up, her family had an International Shipping company where Susi was the Import/Export Manager. The business was eventually sold and she moved to the outback in Australia with her husband who took a job there. Once the family moved back to Virginia, Susi took her first step into the nonprofit environment by volunteering at The Book Cellar in Warrenton. She has always been a hands on person – when something needs to be done, she often does it herself which has helped her fit right into the RFT family as the House Manager.

In her spare time, Susi enjoys golfing and scouring local antique shops with her girlfriends.

Holly comes to Rainforest Trust with a lengthy background in public service. She has degrees in Business Administration and Liberal Arts, and has worked in database and IT management for most of her career. Holly joined Rainforest Trust to fulfill a lifelong goal of working for an organization dedicated to conservation and environmental activism.

In her free time, Holly enjoys reading, knitting, building things, painting, watching the Science Channel. She is the servant of two feline overlords and a canine despot.

Emily joins the Rainforest Trust team after more than a decade fundraising for the nonprofit sector. She has worked to raise money for organizations whose missions she believes in from education and advocacy to international development. An avid environmentalist and lifelong animal lover, Emily is bringing her experience in fundraising to a cause she is truly passionate about. Emily earned her Bachelors in Sociology from the University of Michigan and enjoys cheering on her favorite sports teams, watching movies, practicing yoga and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Whitney brings a lifetime of working with organizations to raise money with a focus on healthcare, the environment and education. She has worked in and with the Development Departments of multiple international organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Defenders of Wildlife, and People for the American Way to name a few. As a lifelong environmentalist she looks forward to applying her fundraising skills to advancing the Rainforest Trust’s mission. A Warrenton resident, in her free time, Whitney works with local political organizations to raise awareness of issues that deeply impact our society. She values and nurtures the relationships she has built over the years and hopes to bringing change and inclusivity to our community.

Jackie brings a passion for the outdoors and a talent for organizing people and events to the Rainforest Trust team. Her driving motivation is empowering people to join together to save our planet’s vital rainforests and the animals who live there. She has honed her skills during more than two decades of work in the fields of marketing, sales, non-profit management and outdoor leadership education.

Born and raised on the Connecticut coast, Jackie moved to Virginia with her husband, two sons and their Chocolate Lab. She enjoys hiking in nearby Shenandoah National Park and exploring the sites and neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

After graduating from Washington Business School, her career has been Exec/Admin Assistant, Membership Services Asst. and Internet Support Specialist. She has worked for Associations and Organizations assisting with their Member Databases, customers/clients, etc. She brings her skills to assist Rainforest Trust with their Donor Database and help the Philanthropy team with campaigns, direct mail and other efforts. She lives in Culpeper with her fiancé Tom and their dog, Tanner. She has two daughters that she is very proud of and who live in Northern Virginia. Amber, attending George Mason University and Emily, a Math Teacher in Loudoun County. She enjoys working in the yard and garden, walking around the area with Tanner, fishing with Tom and time with daughters and family.

Kira comes to Rainforest Trust with a background in project management, events, marketing and communications. Her experience includes driving results by implementing integrated marketing strategies and campaigns using content, digital, email and social media marketing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Communications and has previously worked for the Federal government and two of the big four accounting firms before transitioning into legal marketing at a mid-sized law firm and promoting a local community college.

Catherine began her career working at an advertising agency in McLean, VA and has continued working in the field of marketing and design in various industries for close to 20 years. She holds a BBA degree in Marketing and a BFA degree in Graphic Design from Radford University. A lover of the outdoors and the arts, Catherine likes to spend time kayaking, painting & illustrating and exploring new places.

Madison comes to Rainforest Trust with a background in communications, writing and editing. She graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Major in English and a Minor in Linguistics. Since graduation, she has primarily worked in communications roles and she wanted utilize her expertise in a field that she has been passionate about since childhood: the protection of the world’s threatened wildlife.

She is thankful to bring together her passion for writing and language with her passion for protecting the environment at Rainforest Trust.

Judy has been passionate about wildlife since she was very young, and has devoted her career to working for environmental non-profits. She honed her skills in communications and development with The Nature Conservancy in San Francisco and Idaho, the Hudson Riverkeeper and, most recently, while directing marketing and development for the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). She volunteers for 350Mass, BEAT, and other local activist groups. She also produces a podcast and hosts a radio show on WBCR-lp, a local community radio station, and helps run the station as a volunteer. Judy loves to hike with her dog, kayak, play music, sew upcycled clothing, read, and write. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from Drew University, and lived ‘out west,’ where she connected with the wild landscapes she had been dreaming about since childhood. She is thrilled to be working for Rainforest Trust to help protect vulnerable species who share this fragile planet.

Erica joins the Rainforest Trust team after several years in the marketing and advertising industry. While she mainly focuses on print collateral, she is a multifaceted designer with knowledge in the digital space as well. Erica brings her contagious energy and excitement to her position on the Philanthropy team. She earned her Bachelor’s in Graphic & Information Design from Central Connecticut State University in 2017 and has continued to expand her creative abilities. As a lover of new experiences she enjoys traveling, reading and cooking for her friends and family.