Who We Are

Hello! I am the Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network Program Manager. The Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network (SIGN) is a program that will work in collaboration with the communities of Southeast Alaska in order to protect and preserve the resources of the Indigenous lands of the Lingít and Xaadas. It will work to create plans of action to both preserve and enhance the resources of the region.

 I am a lifelong Southeast Alaskan, I was born and raised in Craig, on Prince of Wales Island. I now live in Yakutat with my wife, Gloria and sons Jackson and Jace. I was the community catalyst for Yakutat for four years before becoming the SSP Program Director which I stepped down from in 2023 to take this position. I also serve as the 6th Vice President on the Executive Council for Tlingit & Haida. I served as Tlingit & Haida’s Youth Representative and Sealaska’s Youth Advisor (2008). I am Tlingit and Haida of the Eagle Frog of the Kooskadee clan. When I’m not working you can find me hunting, fishing, spending time with my family, and supporting Yakutat Surf Club!

Jamiann is Tlingit, Deisheetaan (Raven/Beaver/Dragonfly) of the Ravens Bones House (Yéil S’aagi Hit) of Angoon, born and raised on the ancestral homelands of the Aakw Kwaan in Juneau, Alaska. She is the daughter of Lillian and James Parduhn of Richland Center, Wisconsin. She is the granddaughter of Mabel Howard and Billy Pete Johnson (Kagwaantaan/Eagles Nest House), and is the mother of two sons, and grandmother to two grandsons.

Jamiann brings a wealth of experience in providing essential support to various entities, including Tribal government, legislators, deputy commissioner, directors, and property managers at the State Capitol and Juneau Federal Building. In addition, she currently serves as the President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) Camp 2, the oldest known anti-discrimination organization worldwide. Jamiann’s involvement extends further as she actively participates in the Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council and offers consultation services to both the Indians of All Tribes California and the Quaker Friends of Alaska through her business Alaska Indigenous Consulting, focusing on navigating and cultivating healthy healing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. She has actively worked towards breaking generational cycles and dismantling colonial ways of thinking.

Shaelene Grace Moler (she/her) grew up in Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwaan, the community of Kake. Her Tlingit name is Sgweín and she is of the Tsaagweidí, the split-finned killer whale clan, from the yak’s lits’eix̱i hít, the house that once anchored the village. She now lives in Sitka working for Spruce Root as the Sustainable Southeast Partnership Communications Catalyst. Shaelene graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast with dual bachelor of arts degrees in English and environmental studies emphasizing in creative writing. She grew up hunting, fishing, and harvesting on her ancestral lands and is a lifelong storyteller through her experiences in writing, editing and photography throughout various publications statewide. Prior to becoming the Communications Catalyst, she worked for Spruce Root as a community economic development fellow, a First Alaskans Magazine Writing Fellow, Sustainable Southeast Partnership storytelling and engagement intern, and as an editor on the regional literary and arts journal Tidal Echoes.

Ahoy! I am a Maine-esostan (Minnesotan Mainer) turned Alaskan. I moved to the incredible community of Hoonah in early 2016 after completing an interdisciplinary Masters in Wildlife Biology and Conservation through the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I live an enchanted life here because I A) Love the diversity, satisfaction, community-benefit, and partners of my job, B) am addicted to the subsistence lifestyle, adventure access, and available wilderness of the Hoonah Area and C) have the privilege to be immersed in the Tlingit culture and incredible history of this place. I operate the Environmental Department at HIA which includes leading the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership and guiding the incredible work of my staff in air quality, water quality, coastal adaptation, climate science, youth engagement and more. Check it all out at hia-env.org, facebook.com/hiaenvironmental or Instagram @hia_environmental. In Hoonah I own my own small business doing carpentry and photography. I blog about wildlife in Hoonah at www.ianajohnson.com. I’m a fiddler-guitarist-singer and volunteer in my community with EMS. Come on over to Hoonah and I’ll show you around!

Lingit Aani has been my home since 1967.  Mountains, forests, ocean, rain and snow are the fabric of my life. These are the wild places that teach and nurture me as I live here with gratitude for all it provides. 

My life is also imprinted with the culture of learning, having taught science for 25 years at the same Juneau high school from which I graduated in 1978.  My years in the classroom were a gift, delivered in delicious daily doses of student curiosity and inspiration.

Now I’m employed by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project as the SSP Regional Energy Catalyst and STEM Energy Educator.  From exploring the nature of energy with students in a Klawock classroom to hosting a regional  teleconference on the basics of heat pumps, these are exciting days to be working with Southeast communities to achieve greater energy independence.  

The wide-eyed potential of Alaska’s next generation continues to inspire my work.  Students are our future – and so is renewable energy.

Hank is the Community Catalyst for Kake. He has been with the Organized Village of Kake for over a decade and joined SSP as a Catalyst in 2021.

I am Gabe Sjoberg, the Regional Youth Catalyst with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, currently hosted by Tlingit & Haida. In this role, I serve the communities of Southeast Alaska by ensuring local voices and entities lead the direction of youth stewardship across the region.

It doesn’t take long to see how special Southeast is, just catch a sunset on front beach and you’ll feel the power when place and culture meet. After co-leading the Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) in Angoon, I’m honored to have the opportunity to support the AYS program in a different capacity and continue to deepen my connection with these vibrant communities and such awe-inspiring nature. Some of my passion pieces include playing outside, reading, music, laughter, cooking (plus eating!) home grown meals, and musing of all things great and small.

Hi! I extremely grateful to have grown up in the Chilkat Valley and to be working in Klukwan. The community fostered strong foundational roots in our subsistence way of life, song and dance, arts and language. When I attended the University of Alaska Southeast to obtain my BLA, I was able to further my studies in our history, Lingít Yoo X’atángi, and Northwest Coast Arts: Formline, Carving, Basketry, and Woolen Weaving. Before moving back home in 2021, I worked at Sealaska Heritage in programming, centered on the languages of Southeast Alaska: Lingít, Xaad Kíl, and Sm’algyax, and Northwest Coast Arts. I enjoy work that promotes cross-cultural understanding and supports folks by increasing access to traditional knowledge through the development of programs and resources. As a lifelong learner, I enjoy reading, drawing, weaving, sewing, and exploring that question “What if…?”. I am new to the position of the  Community Catalyst for Tlákw Aan and Deishú but am excited to be diving in and supporting projects that will increase community-based cultural resources. I look forward to strengthening our partnerships.

I am passionate about the power of story for inspiring positive social change and am committed to ethical, inclusive, and equitable storytelling processes that are driven by, and directly benefit, our communities.

I am a proud first generation college graduate who holds a Masters of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Neuroscience and Fine Arts from the University of San Francisco. I learned photography through a life-long apprenticeship with my mother. 

You may find me juggling my camera while hunting, fishing, foraging, surfing, splitboarding, camping, and processing all sorts of tasty wild foods. 

Bethany@sitkawild.org @bethanysgoodrich

Jennifer Nu is the Regional Food Systems Catalyst with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, currently hosted by Ecotrust. Here on Tlingit Aani, I support projects and initiatives that engage Southeast Alaskans in strengthening place-based, healthy local food systems in their own communities. Food connects us to the land, to the ancestors and to each other. 

I believe that connections to the natural world and to community are key elements of living a good life. My most valued teachers are the friends and community members all across the state who have generously shared their skills and wisdom with me over the years. When I’m not foraging, preserving, or cooking, I also enjoy long-distance trekking, paddling, photography, and writing stories about people and community wellness.

Brooke carries the name Wooshkeeká. She is Haida, Yaklaanas, double fin killer whale, a grandchild of the L’uknax.adí, and from the Scottish clan Leslie. She was raised in the territory of the Shtax’ Heen Kwaan in the community of Wrangell. She grew up practicing a subsistence way of life and is now raising her daughter with these practices, values and traditional foods. Growing up in the family business that still operates in Wrangell today, small business has been a way of life for Brooke. She attended the University of Idaho for Accounting and Musical Theatre. Her passion for her culture led her back to Wrangell to learn from her late Grandfather & ‘Lingit elder. Staying in Wrangell, she worked under a CPA before rejoining the family business as a manager and later a partner. Brooke recently transitioned out of family business and is excited to join forces with Spruce Root and the SSP as the Rural Economic Development Catalyst. She has served her Tribal and local community through sitting on committees, councils and assemblies. She looks forward to working with our regional rural and Tribal communities in the space of economic development and further exploring how we can catalyze indigenizing the way we do business in Southeast.

Favorite thing about Southeast Alaska: Summers, sunsets and harvesting. The resilience of the people, our relationship with the land and water, and the revitalization of our cultures. 

My name is Jacob Watson. I grew up in a small town in Western Massachusetts before moving to Southeast Alaska in 2014. I immediately fell in love with the people, nature and culture in the area. I’ve worked in the tourism industry in Skagway ever since, most recently as a Dock Ambassador for the Municipality of Skagway. I enjoy writing and performing music, hiking, camping, spending time with my family and helping with various community events. 

As the Skagway Community Catalyst & Program Manager, I am privileged to work with my neighbors to foster positive economic growth and build a more sustainable future for all. My current focus areas include helping local creators grow their businesses, working with environmental coordinators to protect salmon habitats, and promoting energy-efficient solutions. I look forward to gaining more knowledge through the extensive SSP network and applying it to our community!

Hello! My name is Chandler and I use she/her pronouns. I am deeply grateful to have been born and raised as a guest here on Lingít Aaní by my parents Preston O’Connell and Tory Curran, and alongside my sister Margot O’Connell. I spend my days with my daughters and our extended family and friends. I am always happy to share a meal or a walk.

Before returning to Sitka in 2016, I worked in Burundi and Rwanda as a Global Health Corps Fellow and then at One Acre Fund, a social enterprise committed to ending hunger and poverty by serving smallholder farmers.

As the Sitka Sustainable Communities Catalyst, I spend my days working with my neighbors to try and build a better, more equitable community now and for future generations. I support a variety of citizen-led initiatives that connect with food security, indigenous sovereignty, workforce development and climate change. I love learning from other people and communities (one of the best parts of being in SSP!), so please reach out any time.

Michael grew up on traditionally Coast Salish land in Washington State and is passionate about coastal and maritime communities. They earned their undergraduate degree in global studies and international relations with a focus on diplomacy in 2013 after two terms abroad. Michael moved to Southeast Alaska that same year and has since worked in both the non and for-profit sectors managing business and grant programs in education and fisheries. Michael is excited to apply their background in commercial fishing, education, and project management to their new role as a regional catalyst and program manager in workforce development. Outside of work, Michael is passionate about food, friends, and community, and currently serves on the board of the Sitka Sound Science Center and as a member of the Sitka Health Summit Coalition. 

I work through the SSP on community-based natural resource projects that integrate social, ecological and economic values because I believe that the vitality and resilience of nature and its peoples go hand in hand. I appreciate the opportunity to work with community catalysts on their local priorities and with my fellow regional catalysts on finding synergies between our often siloed disciplines. I am the sole proprietor of Living Systems Design, a consulting business based in Icy Strait that has been working to facilitate collaborative stewardship at home and abroad for about 25 years. I am proud to serve on the Leadership Team of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition so that I can learn from colleagues in my field, and share the lessons we have learned in southeast Alaska with a broader network of practitioners. My participation in the the SSP is supported by a variety of partner organizations, including the Nature Conservancy in Alaska and Sealaska. I live on Lemesurier Island, near Glacier Bay, Alaska and have been working as an environmental consultant in Southeast Alaska for about 20 years. I love to hunt, fish, kayak, hike and hangout with my family and friends.

Leslie Jackson is the Grants Manager for Spruce Root. In this role, Leslie assists the organization by managing the existing inventory of grants, improving and streamlining reporting processes, as well as seeking out new funding opportunities. Originally from Texas, Leslie earned a B.S. in Geography, specializing in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas State University. She moved to Ketchikan in 2005 and has worked in both the private and public sector in the capacity of community planner, grant coordinator and finally as the manager of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s transit system. Leslie is passionate about community and economic development in Southeast Alaska. Her family owns and operates a vacation and boat rental business in Ketchikan.

Kaylah is Tlingit and a child of the Dakl’aweidí clan. She carries the name S’eiltín and was raised in the territory of the Áak’w Kwáan (Tlingit communities of the Auke Lake region). Kaylah graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Environmental Policy and a minor in American Indian Studies. She spent two summers interning with Barnacle Foods as a Kelp Management Intern and Marketing Intern. Upon completion of her internships, Kaylah joined the Spruce Root team as the Communications Catalyst for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, but later transitioned to Development Manager in 2024. As Development Manager she is excited to uphold the mission of the Seacoast Trust in conjunction with Spruce Root, contributing to the growing movement that centers Indigenous values in the stewardship of the coastal temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska.

You can find Kaylah enjoying her free time outside, skiing, biking, hiking and harvesting traditional foods.

Laurel Stark is the Finance Manager at Spruce Root. After growing up in Juneau, Laurel studied Political Science at the University of Victoria. She earned an MS and MA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and Mediterranean Security from George Mason University and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta before returning to Juneau to study shared transboundary resource governance in the Pacific Northwest. Laurel enjoys exploring new communities and vistas across Alaska.

Aaron Ferguson is the Regional Sustainability Catalyst and is hosted at Spruce Root Community Development. In this role, Aaron works with SSP on business model development and implementation. After growing up in East Asia, Aaron earned a degree from the University of Washington in Geography with a concentration in International Development, spending a year in Sichuan, China, to complete a public health research project. Aaron has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies around the U.S. and earned a Masters of Public Administration with concentrations in Strategic Planning and Environmental Policy, also from the University of Washington. He lives in Juneau and enjoys SE’s mountains, forests, water, culture, and pace of life.

Marina is Haida and Tlingít from Prince of Wales Island. Her Haida name is Sgaahl Siid Xyáahl Jaad. Her Haida Clan is Gaw Kiiwas (Raven/Owl/Flicker/Killer Whale/Grizzly Bear) and her Tlingit clan is Taakw.aaneidi (Raven/Sculpin). Marina previously served as the Interim Program Director, Deputy Director and a community catalyst for the Partnership. She got started in tribal politics initially through her involvement growing up with the Alaska Native Sisterhood where she learned from the elders around her. Outside of work, you can find her spending time out on the land and water harvesting traditional medicines and foods to share with her community. 

I am the Program Manager for Events and Facilitation at Spruce Root and the Sustainable Southeast Partnership. I grew up along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland fishing, sailing, and crabbing. I went on to study microbiology and French at Barnard College in New York City. During my time in school, I escaped the big city to study biodiversity and natural resource management in Madagascar. Prior to my current role, I worked as Spruce Root’s Community Economic Development Fellow through the Alaska Fellows Program.

My favorite thing about Southeast Alaska is the abundance of moss and mushrooms as well as the vibrant sense of community and deep connections that people have with the land.

As I progress through my third year as a Southeast Alaskan resident, I continue to seek opportunities that contribute directly to furthering the values that enrich our land and our communities. I believe strongly in the importance of pursuing pathways for development that bring together traditional Alaska Native Values with a pursuit of sustainability, and strive to play a meaningful role in helping shape this work and building this future.    

My professional background includes over a decade of experience in the media industry, growing teams, creating custom solutions, engaging with partners, and implementing strong project management workflows to keep projects on track and on-budget. Before that, I pursued a graduate degree in International Business, and had the opportunity to study economic development in various regions, such as South Africa, Northern Mexico, and Czech Republic. Today, as a resident of Haines, I serve on the Southeast Alaska State Fair Board of Directors, and volunteer as a radio host at KHNS serving Haines, Klukwan, and Skagway.

I love that being a part of the Southeast Alaska community has taught me to more sustainably garden, forage, subsistence fish, and participate in the year-round process for sustainable food harvest. I am invested in continuing to listen, learn, and amplify the voices and values of this region, and am honored to translate the spectrum of my career towards strengthening cultural, ecological, and economic resilience across Southeast Alaska. 

Crystal Yankawgé Nelson’s personal and professional mission is to help improve quality of life for our Indigenous communities in Southeast Alaska. As a Community Development Specialist for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Emerald Edge Program and Alaska Chapter, Crystal focuses on sustainable economies, ecological stewardship capacity, and healing and racial equity for Indigenous and local communities in Southeast Alaska.

She is Tlingit (Lingít), Raven-Coho (L’uknax.ádi) from the Humpback Whale House (Yáay Hít) in Dry Bay (Gunaaxóo Kwáan), and she grew up in Juneau, Alaska (Dzántik’i Héeni). She is the grandchild of the Eagle-Brown Bear clan from Hoonah (Chookaneidí) and the great-grandchild of the Eagle-Shark clan from Juneau (Wooshkeetaan). She has over 15 years of community and economic development experience, including work in Tlingit language revitalization, renewable energy for villages, and community-first solutions in the Tongass National Forest resources conflict. Crystal earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from the University of Alaska Southeast with an independent, interdisciplinary major in social sciences, intercultural communication, Alaska Native history, culture, and art, and a minor in the Tlingit language.

Crystal recently completed her master’s project to charter and facilitate the SSP Healing Committee for the Master of Arts in Rural Development program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As soon as she graduates with her Rural Development MA, she will return to her beloved Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving that she learned as an apprentice to the late Tlingit master weaver Clarissa Rizal. And she’s very much looking forward to more quality time with her husband, Joe, and their three kids, learning and living Tlingit culture (Lingít kusteeyí) on Tlingit land (Lingít aaní).

Marina is Haida and Tlingít from Prince of Wales Island. Her Haida name is Sgaahl Siid Xyáahl Jaad. Her Haida Clan is Gaw Kiiwas (Raven/Owl/Flicker/Killer Whale/Grizzly Bear) and her Tlingit clan is Taakw.aaneidi (Raven/Sculpin). Marina previously served as the Interim Program Director, Deputy Director and a community catalyst for the Partnership. She got started in tribal politics initially through her involvement growing up with the Alaska Native Sisterhood where she learned from the elders around her. Outside of work, you can find her spending time out on the land and water harvesting traditional medicines and foods to share with her community. 

My Tlingit name is Gah Kith Tin, from Diginaa Hit, Luknahadi. I grew up and currently live in Sitka. Professionally, I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration at Charleston Southern University. After graduating from college I joined the Peace Corps where she served as a Small Business Development volunteer for two years on the southern coast of Peru. I obtained my Master’s degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. I have continued to work in economic development in my current role as Executive Director at Spruce Root. 

I work through the SSP on community-based natural resource projects that integrate social, ecological and economic values because I believe that the vitality and resilience of nature and its peoples go hand in hand. I appreciate the opportunity to work with community catalysts on their local priorities and with my fellow regional catalysts on finding synergies between our often siloed disciplines. I am the sole proprietor of Living Systems Design, a consulting business based in Icy Strait that has been working to facilitate collaborative stewardship at home and abroad for about 25 years. I am proud to serve on the Leadership Team of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition so that I can learn from colleagues in my field, and share the lessons we have learned in southeast Alaska with a broader network of practitioners. My participation in the the SSP is supported by a variety of partner organizations, including the Nature Conservancy in Alaska and Sealaska. I live on Lemesurier Island, near Glacier Bay, Alaska and have been working as an environmental consultant in Southeast Alaska for about 20 years. I love to hunt, fish, kayak, hike and hangout with my family and friends.

I am passionate about the power of story for inspiring positive social change and am committed to ethical, inclusive, and equitable storytelling processes that are driven by, and directly benefit, our communities.

I am a proud first generation college graduate who holds a Masters of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Neuroscience and Fine Arts from the University of San Francisco. I learned photography through a life-long apprenticeship with my mother. 

You may find me juggling my camera while hunting, fishing, foraging, surfing, splitboarding, camping, and processing all sorts of tasty wild foods. 

Bethany@sitkawild.org @bethanysgoodrich

I was born in Mount Edgecumbe Hospital and raised commercial fishing in Yakutat. I am Teikeidi/Brown Bear from Yakutat and a child of the Kwashkikwaan. The Teikweidi and Kwashkikwaan have made Yakutat home for a long time. I currently live in Juneau/Auke Kwaan with my wife Crystal and our three school-age kids.   

I serve on the SSP steering committee because I have always believed that our ancient values and Indigenous knowledge will secure our future, especially in our villages. I have been Chairman at Sealaska since 2014. I also serve on the boards of Sealaska Heritage Institute, Spruce Root, Alaska Legal Services, and Outer Coast College.   

Although I am a lawyer, I spent the majority of my career in higher education because we have plenty of lawyers and not enough educators. If we take care of the land and water, the land and water will take care of us.   

Yakutat High class of ’88.  UCLA classes of 1996 and 1998.  Loyola Law School Class of 2001.

Kaax̲waan ax̲ Lingít saayí
Dleit k̲áa x̲’eináx̲ Dawn Jackson yóo x̲at duwasáakw
Tsaagweidi naax̲ x̲at sitee
Xaay Hítdáx̲ áyá x̲át
Kaach.ádi yádi áyá x̲át
T’akdeintaan áyá ax̲ daakanóox’u

Born, raised, and an enrolled Tribal citizen in Keex’ Kwaan (Kake), I am the current Executive Director of OVK.  I have been with the Tribe since 1997 in various capacities before I stepped into my current position in 2016.  I hold a M.A. in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia.  The Southeast Sustainable Partnership (SSP) has enhanced not only my role within my organization, but it has enabled me to grow in the region as I make connections with people, organizations, and more importantly, to place; Lingit Aani (SE Alaska) is truly the heart of this world. Combining resources with other entities/organizations will only make our region that much more stronger as we adjust to constantly changing environments.   

Today, I am a proud mother of two finding peace, wellness, balance, and learning our traditional ways of life in the ocean, beaches, woods, and mountains alongside my family in my homelands of Keex’ Kwaan.

I began serving as Sealaska president and CEO in June 2014. I guide the investment decisions that directly impact Sealaska’s people, communities, and the natural environment, all while focusing on increasing profits and benefits for shareholders. I am a passionate advocate for community and works closely with organizations and partners throughout the region to bring people together for the benefit of all Southeast Alaska. I am Tlingit, Eagle, Tsaagweidí (Killerwhale) Clan, as well as Koyukon Athabascan, Caribou Clan. My Tlingit name is Gunnuk.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University. I came to Sealaska in 2006 to serve as Sealaska’s chief investment officer and treasurer. As a result, I have deep experience in financial and investment management. As chief investment officer, I was responsible for the direction of treasury activities of the company and the management of corporate investment funds. Prior to Sealaska, I was a vice president within Bank of America’s capital markets, working in the portfolio and risk strategy group for 10 years. 

I am a Trustee and former chair of the Kootznoowoo Permanent Fund Settlement Trust, which benefits Kootznoowoo, Inc. shareholders. I have served as a board member of the Rasmuson Foundation, a $600 million private foundation that promotes a better life for all Alaskans; an investment committee member of the Alaska Community Foundation, a $100 million philanthropic fund; and a Board Director of the Native American Bank.

I have worked in Alaska for 23 years specializing in natural resource management, partnership development and community engagement. My work focuses on building equitable partnerships between agency managers, tribes, researchers, industry and communities to address large scale issues like climate change. I am the Network Program Officer for the Alaska Conservation Foundation and is also the Coordinator for the Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative. I have B.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and Geography, specializing in GIS and Remote Sensing from Utah State University and a Masters in Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona.

I grew up in rural Upstate New York State. After studying Environmental Sciences at SUNY Plattsburgh, I worked for 10 years in Latin America as an environmental specialist in international development projects. Most of my projects focused on the interface between the sustainable use of natural resources and the conservation of tropical biodiversity.  One of my favorite jobs was developing and integrating new techniques for cultivating coffee in an environmentally sustainable way on a Guatemalan Coffee farm that I managed for a few years. I received a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development at the University of Wisconsin where I concentrated my studies on conservation and economics. I enjoy being outdoors hunting, birdwatching, fishing, and exploring.