Lisa Norby recently retired from a 25-year career with the National Park Service (NPS) where she created and successfully ran several national youth programs and oversaw energy and mineral permitting and development in national parks. At the NPS, Lisa redesigned and grew the Scientists-in-Parks Program which provides natural resource internship opportunities in national parks for hundreds of college students each year. She also developed and managed the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program and George Melendez Wright Climate Change Internship and Fellowship Programs. Lisa is passionate about creating opportunities for young people that teach valuable career and life skills while also instilling a sense of stewardship of our public lands. In 2019, Lisa received the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps National Distinction Award for her efforts furthering youth programming. Lisa has served on Conservation Legacy’s Board of Directors since 2020.

Lisa earned geology degrees from Ohio University (BS: 1978), Idaho State University (MS: 1980), and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver (1996). Before joining the NPS, Lisa worked as a Petroleum Geologist with Mobil Oil and prior to that, as a Program Assistant for the Center for Resource Management. Since retiring, Lisa has continued to work with the National Park Service on their youth programming needs, has enjoyed traveling the world, skiing, hiking in the foothills outside Denver, and planning how she can continue to engage the next generation in the outdoors.

For eight years prior to retiring in 2015, David Muraki served as Director of the California Conservation Corps where he was the first to have “risen from the ranks” to be appointed to that post by the Governor. David began his CCC living in a tent for 60 weeks supervising the first of 216 Backcountry Trail Crews; over the past four decades, these crews have maintained and constructed 12,936 miles of trails leading to the most iconic destinations in California’s most treasured national parks and wilderness areas.

At the national level, David served as Chair of the Board of the corps’ national association, the Corps Network. In 1998 after nearly 20 years serving in many CCC field and headquarters positions, David was appointed by the Governor to California’s service and volunteer commission where he served as Deputy Director growing California’s AmeriCorps and volunteer disaster response programs. David chaired the Public Policy Committee of the state service commissions’ national association, America’s Service Commissions. David currently serves as Vice President of the Stewardship Council, an organization charged with conserving in perpetuity 144,000 acres of watershed lands and connecting young people to the outdoors.

Jonathan Hall comes from a family of dedicated and passionate public servants. Over the past several decades, he has founded and scaled a wide range of public and private organizations. He has taken leadership roles in nonprofit organizations that support vulnerable or underserved groups, such as refugees, immigrants, disabled, and youth development programs. These programs have received dozens of federal, state, city and foundation awards. For example, he co-founded and built Care Partnership nonprofit to be one of the nation’s most efficient and cost-effective nonprofits serving well over 20,000 low-income and mostly immigrant persons. He negotiated the sale of this nonprofit to Catholic Services Charities to facilitate its further program growth. He currently serves as Chairman of Quincea Social Enterprise and President of the Phoenix Ivy Council. Both organizations are helping develop social ventures designed to create jobs for underserved population groups. He also helped develop Arizona Conservation Corps youth development programs. On the private sector side, he co-founded DreamBrands, which became one of the nation’s fastest growing companies on the Inc 500. Prior to DreamBrands, he co-founded Security Pacific Venture Capital Group, which became one of the nation’s most successful venture capital firms. He earned a BA from Harvard University and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ashley Hansen is a former nonprofit employee, turned nonprofit advocate, donor, board member and volunteer. She has spent her entire career working for and with nonprofit organizations. As Director of Business Development, Ashley introduces nonprofits the value of using Engaging Networks' digital fundraising and messaging platform. Early in her career she spent 10 years at the Student Conservation Association (also a member of the Corps Network) where she helped hundreds of young people volunteer on public lands and start careers in conservation. Then, Ashley spent 5+ years at Care2.com where she worked with nonprofits to win advocacy campaigns and build lists of supporters for fundraising. Ashley then moved to Frakture, a technology company that enables nonprofits and fundraising agencies to transform their data operations utilizing data warehousing. Over the years, Ashley’s nonprofit clients have included: PBS, Amnesty International, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, and more! When Ashley isn’t working with nonprofits, you’ll find her hiking, biking, at her local coffee shop or doing a jigsaw puzzle.

CJ Goulding (he/him) is a weaver, facilitator, community builder, and storyteller who invests in the growth of people, of connection between people, and the growth of communities. He is committed to redistributing power and resources to achieve equity and justice. His work involves supporting leaders creating change in their communities, and shaping new narratives about our connection to community and the outdoors, like "Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors." CJ is the founder and Executive Director of Boyz N The Wood, an organization that uses the outdoors to help Black men restore & reignite the best versions of themselves. He currently operates as a consultant creating pathways, providing resources, and developing innovative strategies that support the outdoor and environmental sectors in their evolution toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).

Erin Healy retired from the Stewardship Council at the end of 2023. She worked for the nonprofit for over six years and served as the Executive Director prior to her retirement. Erin retired from the California Conservation Corps in 2016, after 32 years of serving youth in many different capacities. In her many roles with the CCC, she oversaw programmatic and administrative programs. Erin worked for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy prior to joining the Stewardship Council. She has over 40 years of experience in conservation, youth programs, land conservation and project management.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management from Saint Mary’s College. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, camping, biking, and paddle boarding.

Wayne Hubbard, known for his many talents and abilities, in 1999 co-created the first outdoors TV program that represented not only traditional sportsmen and woman, but also the emerging cross-cultural markets that had never been included before.

The 4x Emmy-nominated award-winning outdoor lifestyle TV show, Urban American Outdoors, has aired weekly on local, national and international television since 2003 and has won over 75 Broadcast and Cable TV Awards.

Wayne has dedicated himself to creating and building partnerships and training that educate and inspire people to become aware of the world around them, with conservation, historical preservation and outdoor recreation as the philosophical cornerstones.

In August 2015, Wayne was appointed by Secretary Jewell and Secretary Vilsack of the Obama Administration to the Wildlife Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC) becoming the first African American to ever be on this Council.

In May 2016, Wayne was appointed by Secretary Vilsack to be a Federal Advisory Committee (FACA) representative on the USDA Forest Service Northeast Recreational Council to advise the government and provide recommendations on recreation issues and matters on public lands.

In 2017, Wayne became a Founding Board Member of The Diversity Joint Venture for Conservation Careers (DJV) which is a partnership of federal and state agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and professional societies that work together to increase the number of women and people of color in the conservation workforce.

On May 11, 2018 Wayne was appointed by Secretary Zinke and Secretary Perdue of the Trump Administration to the Hunting Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC).

As a Division Vice President for the Northeast Division of the American Red Cross, Koby Langley provides oversight and leadership for nine regions that deliver Red Cross services with over 23,000 staff and volunteers with an annual budget of ~$100M USD. The Northeast Division supports responding to more than fifteen disasters per day. This work includes services in the densely populated Northeastern United States geography identified as one of FEMA’s most risk prone regions with a population of 43 million people. The Northeast Division also supports the nation’s blood supply while facilitating expanded use of Red Cross lifesaving training courses, including CPR, AED, and First Aid as well as providing critical services to our veteran and military families.

Koby previously served as the Senior Vice President of the International Services and Service to Armed forces departments at the American Red Cross for seven years where he led global programs. These programs focused on the global elimination of measles and rubella, international disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations for communities in need in addition to worldwide support provided U.S. service members, veterans, caregivers, and their families.

Before joining the American Red Cross, Koby served as the Director of Wounded Warrior, Veteran and Military Family Engagement at the White House and the Senior Advisor for Wounded Warrior, Veteran and Military Family Initiatives for AmeriCorps, leading the largest expansion of grants for veterans and military families in agency history.

In 2010, Koby was appointed to the Senior Executive Service at Department of Defense, where he worked as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senior Advisor for the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy. Koby assumed other roles such as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, and Presidential Review Team member for the Department of Veteran Affairs. Koby has served as the managing member of a litigation firm and worked as a Veteran organizer for the successful congressional race of the first Iraq War Veteran elected to congress from 2006 to 2008.

During his military service, Koby was appointed as the first in-theater foreign claims commissioner for Iraq. He developed and published the first foreign claims act standard operating procedure in Iraq and paid the first civil reconstruction claims during combat operations.

Koby conducted over one hundred Foreign Claims Act and Laws of Armed Conflict missions/convoys in Iraq and served as an operational law attorney and prosecutor for the 82^nd airborne division. Koby also served as a litigation counsel for the Army where he practiced with dozens of attorneys in the Department of Justice, assisting in successful litigation of over 150 cases. He is published in numerous national news outlets and has conducted visiting correspondent interviews for Fox News and MSNBC.

Langley is a Harvard Law School certified federal mediator, a two-tour combat Veteran, and Bronze Star recipient for meritorious service.

Dale Threatt-Taylor is the Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy South Carolina Chapter. She received a Bachelor of Science in Conservation from North Carolina State University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University. Her work has led to successful projects in land protection, implementation of coastal nature-based solutions, healthy forest management with prescribed fire, freshwater and restoration policy, climate mitigation and sustainability partnerships.

Dale currently serves as Vice Chair on the Sustain SC Board of Directors, on the Board of Visitors of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, and on NC State University’s College of Natural Resources Foundation Board of Directors. Previously, Dale served as Chair of the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s (SWCS) national Board of Directors.

Dale’s leadership education continues, recently completing the Executive Leadership Development Program at Cambridge University, the Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) at Furman University, and The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) at Furman University. North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Dale for her dedicated work in conservation. Dale has been a keynote speaker on numerous occasions, with a pinnacle as the 2022 Spring Commencement Guest Speaker for Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment graduation ceremony. In August 2023, Dale was awarded The Hugh Hammond Bennett Award, the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s most prestigious award, which recognizes extraordinary accomplishments in the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources.

Dale wants everyone to understand that locally led conservation begins with an individual, and together, our conservation work is so important in protecting the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Chris Bicknell grew up surrounded by woods on the grounds of the Sant Bani School in central NH and spent countless hours in those woods, sealing a connection to nature that endures. After college he spent several years as a teacher, coach, bus driver, and fundraiser at Sant Bani School before heading to NYC for law school. Not long after law school he found his way back to nonprofit fundraising work. He was a consultant at CCS Fundraising before moving in-house to the Northern Forest Center and then on to The Student Conservation Association (SCA) where he managed a national team of major gift, planned gift, and foundation relations officers. Chris and his brother co-founded Little Green Light, a company focused on providing a donor management system to nonprofits, and this company has grown to serve nearly 10,000 nonprofits around the US. Chris provided 15 years of service on the Board of Directors of Sant Bani School as Vice President and President. He earned an AB in Literary Studies from Middlebury College and a JD from Fordham University School of Law. Chris lives in Durango, CO with his family.

Amy Sovocool has over 20 years of experience working in the conservation corps industry. Her career began as a field leader, managing and facilitating meaningful impact on people and places through hands-on service and work. She last held the Chief External Affairs Officer and Chief Operating Officer (COO) roles with Conservation Legacy, before working in the COO role with the Grand Canyon Conservancy. Utilizing her experience, strength, and passion for this work, she has helped lead and transform corps programs and the industry locally and nationally.

Under her leadership, Conservation Legacy experienced significant growth as she engaged with all aspects of organizational and strategic development. As programs grew, she led structural and strategic efforts in key areas including business and finance operations, marketing and communications, grant development, engagement with elected officials, fund development, partnership development, and community engagement. She is committed to providing experiences for young people from all backgrounds to thrive and drives opportunities for engagement that support individual development and success.

Amy helped create signature programs for Conservation Legacy including Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, Appalachian Conservation Corps, the Veterans Fire Corps, Stewards Individual Placements, Southeast Conservation Corps, and Conservation Corps North Carolina. She has also held positions as Commissioner for Serve Colorado and as Vice Chair for the Southwest Institute on Education and Conservation.

Joey Ruehrwein has been a part of the conservation service movement since 2002 and has over 20 years of professional experience working with youth and natural resources. Joey holds a MS in Recreation Resources Management from Utah State University and has a background in non-profit leadership, state and federal partnerships, diversity focused programming, and social and aquatic ecological research.

Joey came to Conservation Legacy by way of Stewards Individual Placement Program from the Student Conservation Association where he worked in various roles over 12 years. Joey began his career at SCA as the director of the organizations largest national corps (Fire), he transitioned into the Partnership Development Department 4 years later, and he spent his last 4 years at SCA as the inaugural Director of Partnership Service and Development where he lead the organizational transition from a centralized to a regional service department. While at SCA Joey worked in partnership with federal land managers to create thousands of meaningful experiences for youth including the National Park Service SCA Academy and the Salmon and Challis National Forest AmeriCorps Training Center.

Kevin Heiner (he/him) started in 2001 as an AmeriCorps Education Mentor and has since committed his career to conservation stewardship and youth development. For the past 15 years, Kevin has led the Southwest Conservation Corps where he worked with an incredible team to sustainably expand the number of service opportunities for teens and young adults across SCC’s service area. In his most recent SCC role, Kevin harnessed his passion, community connections, partner and elected official network, strategic vision, business savvy, and entrepreneurial experience to lead the SCC team to increase fee for service partner revenue by 152%, grant revenue by 131%, SCC staff team by 130%, all while sustainably growing and diversifying program offerings and participant opportunities. Kevin is deeply committed to the inclusion of young people from across the socioeconomic spectrum and from all backgrounds. Before SCC, Kevin managed several for-profit businesses in the ski and forestry industries. Kevin graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western State Colorado University with a double BA in Business Administration and Outdoor Leadership and Resort Management. Kevin has led field crews for Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and served in the US Air Force as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter. In terms of community engagement, Kevin has continuously served in various roles on local boards for over 15 years. Kevin loves exploring the outdoors with his wife and two daughters, traveling, adventuring, and discovering by foot, bike, ski, kayak, raft, and along family road and camping trips.

Krista (she/her) has spent her career working in youth development and conservation. She’s been working with Conservation Legacy since 2016, after over 10 years working with the Maine Conservation Corps and in Maine State Parks. With a passion for education, increasing access, and building stewards for the future health of the land, Krista has enjoyed being part of an organization where she can foster these passions in herself and others. Krista studied Geology, so will always be distracted by rocks of all shapes and sizes, and enjoys kayaking, reading, and music.

Daniel Gutierrez is an experienced and accomplished HR professional with over 30 years of HR experience, primarily in higher education serving in progressive roles, and 12 years of leadership expertise in managing and optimizing human resources functions. Daniel received his Bachelor's of Business Administration in Human Resources from New Mexico State University. He is certified as a SPHR and SHRM-SCP. In addition, Daniel has worked in the corporate, manufacturing, consulting, and the construction industries. He considers himself fortunate to have worked in all the functional areas of HR in his early career that provided him with a strong background as he moved into leadership roles. Daniel speaks Spanish and has worked internationally in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. He has implemented a HR business partner model for a large University, developed leadership and DEI Programs, as well as served as the functional lead on many HRIS and ATS implementations to name a few projects.

Daniel is a strong mentor and believes in developing his team. He is a strategic and innovative leader who excels in building and cultivating strong employee relations and driving organizational success through effective people management.

Alyssa is originally from Huntsville, Alabama. She moved to California to pursue her interests in the outdoors and attend UC Davis to study Restoration and Biodiversity of Forest Ecosystems. Her love of the mountains and the flora in the region took her into the Sierra Nevada’s to explore high alpine plant diversity and to walk amongst the Bristlecone Pines. After graduation, she moved to the High County of Colorado. After 10 years in Summit County, Alyssa and her family moved to Durango, to start their exploration of the Southwest. In her free time, Alyssa loves high alpine hikes, hanging with her family (dogs included), mountain biking, cooking, and reading a good novel.

Michael had his first corps experience in 2009 as an AmeriCorps member with Southwest Conservation Corps in the Sonoran Desert and has been at it since. He has also worked as a field leader with SCC and SCA, and in a number of program management roles for Arizona Conservation Corps. As Field Operations Director, Michael works closely with staff across the organization to help its programs lead the way in safety, quality, and training. Although his accent sometimes gives away his Minnesota roots, he now lives in Durango, Colorado where he can often be found rock climbing and trying to keep up with his cattle dog.

Shirena (she/her/hers) joined Conservation Legacy as the organization’s first Director of Training, People Development and Belonging in January 2020. She is a native of Price, UT and was raised in Farmington, NM before moving to Durango, CO in 1996 to attend Fort Lewis College – where she earned degrees in English/Communications & Spanish. She spent much of her career as a leader and mentor who is passionate about multicultural student success and diversity work as Coordinator of the college’s Hispano Resource Center and co-founder of the Common Ground Diversity Education program. Since 2007, she has also served as a professional facilitator for the Anti-Defamation League and uses her master’s degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in community organization from the University of New Mexico to continue being a leader for under-represented populations. Shirena self identifies as Chicana and is the product of a bi-cultural family with her Mexican-American father’s roots centered in Chama, NM, and her mother’s German-Scottish roots from Indiana. She loves being in the outdoors and recreating in it – hiking, mountain biking, skiing, camping, and climbing rocks – whenever possible with her husband, two children, and their coyote-looking-dog.

Jorie Emory has focused her career on supporting the vital connections between community and conservation. Prior to joining the team at Conservation Legacy, Jorie was Development Director at Bear Yuba Land Trust in northern California and has served in fundraising and engagement roles in nonprofit organizations across the country, including River Network, Children & Nature Network, Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe, and Wexner Center for the Arts. Her previous corps experience includes supporting fundraising and training for the Western Hardrock Watershed Team and Appalachian Coal Country Team through Southwest Conservation Corps.

Jorie studied Art at Humboldt State University and later earned a Ph.D. in Arts Administration, Education, and Policy from the Ohio State University, where she researched emerging practices in philanthropy. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and daughter and exploring the wild landscapes near her Sierra Nevada foothills home. She also makes time for creating art, reading, and serving on the board of directors of the Friends of the Nevada County Libraries.

Chas (he/him/his) began with Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) in April 2012. He began as a Field Supervisor, then co-led a Disaster Relief Crew in New York in November 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. In January 2013, he began as Ancestral Lands Program Coordinator, working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Acoma Pueblo to support existing programs and bring new conservation opportunities to Tribal Lands in the Southwest. Chas became the SCC Four Corners Program Director in January 2014 and the Ancestral Lands Program Director in 2015.

Before joining SCC, Chas spent 3 ½ years with the Student Conservation Association’s (SCA) Desert Restoration Corps, working to restore and protect desert ecosystems in the Mojave Desert. He worked in Mount Rainier National Park with the SCA and led high school crews throughout Colorado with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. When not working, Chas can be found climbing in the mountains or desert, canyoneering in Red Rock country, or falling off his bike on beginner mountain bike trails.

Zach has a background in leading conservation corps crews in Vermont and Colorado as well at home building crews in Tennessee. Zach believes that the corps model is one of the best ways to give young people the opportunity to grow their skills and personal connection to place. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley, he is proud to see his community supporting conservation service and education.

Kamillia has loved exploring the wilderness and public lands since her first backpacking trip at the age of 4. At the age of 14 she worked on a county youth trail crew in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado. After attending college in New York City, she was thrilled to continue exploring the outdoors as a Crew Leader for Northwest Youth Corps. After taking some solo time to thru-hike the Appalachian trail, she participated in an AmeriCorps program with the Student Conservation Association teaching environmental education, followed by a season building and maintaining trails in state parks in New Hampshire. In search of year-round crew leading opportunities, she moved to Tucson, AZ in 2002 to crew lead for the Youth Corps of Southern Arizona (YCOSA) and immediately fell in love with the Sonoran Desert. While at YCOSA she worked as a Crew Leader, Field Coordinator, and Program Director. Her love of travel led her to explore north Africa, and work for a study abroad program in Portland, Oregon. After YCOSA and Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) merged she returned to the Sonoran Desert branch of SCC as Program Director, and then Executive Director. The life changing impact that international travel had on her as a teenager led her to co-found a service learning based study abroad and adult volunteer program in Antigua, Guatemala. She then served as Director of Operations at Archaeology Southwest in Tucson. She returned to the conservation corps world as Executive Director of AZCC in August of 2021. In her free time she enjoys camping, hiking, reading in her hammock, and watching wildlife from her back deck.

Anthony (He/Him) was born in San Francisco, California and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Webster University. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, was a Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Fellow and completed Syracuse University’s Project Management Course. Anthony is a retired U.S. Army Officer with 24 years of service and specialized in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) operations, Emergency Management, Anti-Terrorism, and Operations Security. He served as a Battalion and Brigade Chemical Officer, Platoon Leader, Senior Logistics Officer, Company Commander, Senior Operations Officer, Division Chemical Officer, Corps Deputy CBRN Officer, and Senior Program Director of Emergency Management and Protection Programs. His deployments include Bosnia as a medic, and Kuwait to support Operation Iraqi Freedom IV as a Chemical Platoon Leader and Quick/Area Reaction Force Commander. Anthony certified through FEMA and the Department of Defense Firefighter Certification System in Hazardous Material Management and planned disaster response exercises in the United States, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific region. In 2016, he participated in Homeland Security Working Group at the U.S. Army War College as a CBRN advisor. He volunteered at the Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, Mountain T.O.P. Youth Camp in Tennessee, participated in an archaeological excavation project in Niles, Michigan and was a Special Olympics Washington State project planner. Anthony is an El Paso Chamber of Commerce member. In 2021, Anthony became Executive Director of Conservation Corps New Mexico.

Jessie (she/her/hers) was born and raised in the woods of central North Carolina where she discovered a passion for nature. She received her B.S. in Wildlife Management from NC State University and her M.S. in Wildlife Science from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Prior to joining CCNC Jessie worked for the NC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and NC State University as a conservation practitioner, program manager, and leadership educator. She is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and serves on the board of Field Inclusive, Inc., an organization supporting marginalized and historically excluded biologists and researchers working in the outdoors. Jessie and her husband live in rural Orange County, NC with rescue pup Ella and Haflinger horse Romeo. In her free time she enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and birding and is an active member of the Feminist Bird Club and New Hope Bird Alliance.

Juan Fernandez currently serves as the Southwest Conservation Corps Executive Director. Juan has a BS in Environmental Studies from American Military University and a JD from the University of Florida College of Law. Juan has had a wide-ranging professional career, serving nearly a decade in the Marine Corps followed by ten years as a litigation attorney before joining SCC. In both his military and legal careers Juan worked closely with governmental and non-governmental organizations on environmental issues and conservation projects. Juan is passionate for non-profit work and has helped create and serve on the boards of several non-profit organizations. Outside of work, Juan can probably be found enjoying one of the numerous outdoor recreation activities in the greater Durango area.

April (she/her/hers) has been involved in National Service Program Management since 2007 when she became the first staff member hired to lead what was then known as the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team and is now known as Stewards. April holds an M.S. in Strategic Leadership and has a background in nonprofit development. April came to Conservation Legacy following her experience in private education, where she served as Assistant Dean at a college prep high school. There she managed and developed fundraising events, was responsible for student life and parental engagement, and created community service opportunities for the students. In her current role, April provides oversight and management for the delivery of quality programming and meaningful member experiences.

Highlights of April's tenure at Conservation Legacy include design and implementation of bi-annual training events, development of a rural volunteerism toolkit and training series, and leading the expansion of Stewards programs from a regional to a national model. She has presented at numerous national and regional conferences that highlight the work of the OSMRE VISTA program model. April is an active member in her community where she proudly serves as a member of the Beckley Rotary Club, where she serves on the board of directors and incoming Board President (effective 2022). She volunteers with the youth football program by providing positive experiences and opportunities for girls. She most recently was appointed to serve on the Commission for National and Community Service for West Virginia.

Geoff (he/him/his) grew up in Connecticut and made his way out west to attend the University of Montana. After graduating, he moved to Estes Park, CO for an education fellowship leading environmental education programs with Rocky Mountain Conservancy. Towards the end of his experience, he shifted his focus to supporting the Conservancy’s youth corps and quickly found his passion for conservation service programs. Geoff spent the last several years leading corps programs, environmental education opportunities, and volunteer experiences for the Conservancy and Colorado Trout Unlimited and completed his M.S. in Conservation Leadership at Colorado State University. He joined Stewards in October 2021 as a Program Director and now Executive Director. Outside of work, he serves as a volunteer firefighter for the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Department and enjoys spending time outdoors rafting, fly fishing, camping, and skiing with his family.

Darcy (she/her/hers) is a Chattanooga native, spending many of her childhood days losing track of time in the woods exploring the many trails in her backyard of Signal Mountain, making friends with the wildlife and skinning her knees climbing trees in the wilderness park that surrounded her home.

Prior to joining Conservation Legacy, Darcy spent over 20 years serving in the Nonprofit community in and around the Chattanooga area, beginning her career with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and serving most recently as the Executive Director of the United Way of Loudon County. She received her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and is a 2024 alum of the Social Enterprise and Effectiveness Program with UTK’s Haslam College of Business Graduate School.

Darcy’s own personal passions have always been rooted in nature. As a Certified Tennessee Naturalist, she serves on the Town of Walden's Environmental Committee, is a member of the Tennessee Valley Wild Ones and helped to launch the Rock the Ridge! festival to promote the conservation of Walden’s Ridge.

Darcy and her husband Zach, their two sons Griffin and Lucas, their golden retriever Monty and tabby cat Emmet live on six acres on Signal Mountain in Walden. Darcy enjoys spending her free time weeding, planting and planning out her woodland and permaculture gardens, hiking, taking pretty pictures, and hanging out with family and friends while soaking up sunshine.

Amanda Brown joined Conservation Legacy as a contracted AP Coordinator in 2024. She graduated from Fontbonne University in 2004 with a bachelor’s in accounting and in 2006 with a Master of Business Administration. She started her career as an Accounting Clerk at a small minority Accounting Firm in St. Louis, MO where she developed her knowledge and understanding of all facets of accounting. She also spent five years working for a non-profit where she had the pleasure of partnering with veterans, connecting them with under-resourced communities to improve educational resources, tackling food insecurities and cleaning up communities. She is also an amazing cook and enjoys catering for weddings and banquets on the weekends. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing with her fiancé, Karaoke and spending time with her family.

Lisa Callahan is the Eastern Region Business Manager for Conservation Legacy. Previously she was the Business Manager of Stewards Individual Placement Program. A native of southern WV, Lisa graduated from Concord University with a degree in Business Management with a concentration in Accounting. Previously Lisa was a business owner that serviced a diversity of businesses with accounting needs in the local and surrounding areas. She has two children that are involved in a number extracurricular activities that keeps her busy outside of the office and enjoys working with the youth in her church.

Emily Daunisi joined Conservation Legacy as the Senior Accounts Payable Coordinator in 2024. She graduated from The University of West Florida in 2015 with a degree in Accounting. She started her career as an AP Clerk at an international law firm in Philadelphia where she had the pleasure of working with people of different cultural backgrounds from all over the world. She is also a video editor and as a hobby enjoys editing videos of her favorite television shows. Professionally she has worked with NBC Sports and edited a documentary for a non-profit organization. She enjoys cooking, science, philosophical conversations and spending time with her wife.

Jeff Davis (he/him/his) has worked with Conservation Corps programming since 1998. He’s held various positions over the years and is excited to now work within Conservation Legacy Central Staff office. Jeff is originally from the Northeast, but has been living out West for the past 20 years—primarily in Colorado, Alaska, and Arizona. A graduate of Prescott College, Jeff enjoys reading, writing, music, cooking, outdoor recreation, hot springs and saunas. Jeff is humbled to have visited, improved & supported a number of natural spaces throughout his career in conservation fieldwork and personal travels. An avid traveler as well, Jeff has journeyed through all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, South America and the Caribbean.

Yatziri De La Mora joined Conservation Legacy as the Western Region, Administrative Specialist in March of 2022 and transitioned to Payroll Specialist in December 2022, joining the Central Staff. She grew up in Northern California and earned her BA in Religious Studies from California State University, Fullerton. She started her professional career in education with a non-profit, getting children excited about science. After six years, she transitioned to the Business Manager at a Montessori school in Irvine, California, where she served the community for almost four years. Yatziri has always been passionate about service and has volunteered in local women’s shelters in Orange County. She is excited to combine her administrative experience and love of service in her new role at Conservation Legacy. She enjoys cooking, traveling, being in nature, and spending time with her family and friends. Yatziri lives in Southern California with her husband and their eighteen-year-old dog, Oreo.

Nino (he/him) joined Conservation Legacy as a Business Administrative Assistant in July 2023, becoming a Central Staff member. He was raised in Seattle, Washington and now resides in Boise, Idaho. Nino received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Boise State University and graduated in 2021. During his time at BSU, Nino served as an intern to the university’s Sustainability Department, developing and executing a variety of sustainability-based projects. From there, Nino went on to a career path focused on environmental health and safety, serving as a Microbiology Laboratory Technician, and then an Environmental Health Specialist with Boise’s Central District Health Department. Nino’s passion for sustainability and conservation eventually led him to join Conservation Legacy. Nino and his wife enjoy spending their spare time camping, traveling, and trying new foods together.

Mat joined Conservation Legacy in June 2015. Originally from Zuni, New Mexico Matt has called Durango, Colorado his home for the past nine years where he received two degrees in both Accounting and Marketing from Fort Lewis College in 2013. Within that time Mat took on leadership roles and was heavily involved with student organizations such as the American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) national organization, Wanbli Ota, and Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting Geeks Galore). After graduating Mat worked in corporate accounting for a year and joined Conservation Legacy. During his free time Mat likes to run half marathons, attend concerts and live events, hike, cook, and find the courage to study and complete the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) exam.

Kelly Ferrell joined Conservation Legacy as an Administrative Assistant in June of 2022. She grew up in the Midwest in St. Louis, MO and relocated to the west coast (Oregon and Northern California) in 2016 and 2019 before settling in Colorado in 2021. She has been working in administrative roles since 2016 for local government, higher education, and in finance. Her and her husband fell in love with the four corners region while visiting family and decided the proximity to mountains, forests, and a welcoming community made it the perfect place to settle down. Kelly and her husband enjoy exploring the local trails with their greyhound and working in their community garden.

Tess joined Conservation Legacy as the Communications Specialist for the Eastern Region in July 2022. Originally from Atlanta, she grew up exploring the mountains of North Georgia. After earning a history degree from Wofford College, she joined AmeriCorps with the California Conservation Corps’ Backcountry Trails Program, where a summer in Yosemite ignited her love for the outdoors. Tess later worked in outdoor and nonprofit fields in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and as a Crew Leader for Montana Conservation Corps in the Greater Yellowstone region. Now based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she enjoys hiking, fishing, ping pong, and reading while snuggled up with her dog, Lottie.

Katie (she/her/hers) joined Conservation Legacy staff in December of 2017 starting as a Program Coordinator with the Stewards Program. Born and raised just south of Buffalo, in Hamburg, NY (Go Bills!), Katie’s interest in the conservation field truly blossomed after she spent a summer in Maine living and working in the outdoors on a Maine Conservation Corps trail crew. Katie served two more AmeriCorps terms with MCC which led to several staff positions with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. In fall of 2017, she completed one final AmeriCorps term with the Southwest Conservation Corps, working as a sawyer on a sustainable forestry saw crew before she joined Stewards. Throughout her work with Stewards, Katie found many opportunities to improve efficiency in Conservation Legacy’s systems and processes. Her role transitioned to the Western Region Salesforce Administrator and currently focuses on helping implement and manage new and existing systems. These systems, among many other things, track our members and funding, ensure compliance, and improve administrative processes for our staff. Katie has also had previous roles working as a video editor, designer, and floral delivery driver. When she’s not working, Katie is probably cooking up a delicious meal or out exploring the beautiful Southwest.

Madeline (she/her/hers) grew up in Northeast Ohio and fell in love with nature as a kid, exploring the forests, parks, and waterways of the Great Lakes region. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology and Spanish from the University of Dayton, where she was fortunate enough to study and conduct research in the United States, Australia, China, and Ecuador. Madeline has worked for various nonprofits and youth-serving organizations in watershed conservation, community engagement, and administrative support roles. Following her passion for collaborative conservation, she decided to pursue an M.S. in Global Conservation Leadership at Colorado State University, where she completed a thesis in partnership with the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition, developing strategic forest management communication plans with private landowners. Madeline joined Conservation Legacy in April 2021 and currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. In her spare time, she can be found hiking, playing soccer, volunteering with citizen science programs, baking delicious cheesecakes, and snuggling with her adorable cat Finnegan.

Juliana (she/her/hers) is from Bogota, Colombia where she studied Chemical Engineering. Juliana completed her first master's degree in Environmental Management in Madrid, Spain back in 2012. After living in Hawai’i for two years, she moved to Colorado and in 2021 completed a master's degree of science in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University (CSU). She served her communities as an AmeriCorps member through STEM education, this opportunity allowed her to develop a deep passion for community-based projects and lead her to become a Youth Development Director at the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region.

Juliana has collaborated to develop a situation assessment for Forest Health partnerships, she has collaborated to update the Land Trust' strategic conservation plans and perform conservation easement monitoring, allowing her to develop GIS skills. Juliana has also a deep passion for water conservation and the interactions this resource has with women and youth specifically, which allowed her to direct a water project for mobile home parks with the Larimer County Environment and Health Department, during this experience she gained grant application and management skills. Juliana has also collaborated with COVID-19 and potable water relief fundraising efforts for the grassroots organization “Gorilla Guardians Village” in Rwanda. She has a big commitment and feels responsible for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice efforts. In December 2020 Juliana’s Op-Ed was published in a Colombian newspaper; here she wrote about the detrimental effects Colombian colloquialisms have towards Indigenous peoples as a result of colonial influences. With this, a DEI recognition was made by CSU, who granted her an award in the department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources.

In 2022 Juliana's research collaboration and work with invasive Lionfish in the Western Atlantic was published in the scientific journal "Diversity." She is currently working on having her research work, as first author, published to be able to highlight the challenges and supports women conservation leaders in protected area management encounter in Latin America.

Juliana enjoys scuba diving, camping, gardening, spending time outside with her family, and eating fruits and cheese!

John joined Conservation Legacy as the AmeriCorps Director in January 2023. Originally from Belgrade Montana, John graduated from Montana State University Bozeman with a degree in Photography. John served 2 terms of AmeriCorps service with the Montana Conservation Corps and spent a month providing Hurricane Sandy relief in New York City. John has eight years of experience in program development and volunteer management, most recently as the AmeriCorps VISTA Program Manager for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services in Helena, Montana. A thinker at heart, John loves to empower others and solve problems. An avid mountain biker and skier, when John is not on the trails with his wife and two kids, he can often be found cooking or reading.

Tim is a versatile information technology professional with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit, manufacturing, and consulting arenas. Driven by a desire to apply technology to help organizations thrive, Tim brings a diverse skill set and an eagerness to serve with integrity. When not working, he enjoys baseball, distance running, comedy, old movies, and studying the commercial maritime & aviation sectors.

Chelsie Vawter joined Conservation Legacy as an Admissions Coordinator with central staff in 2022. She grew up in Washington State and eventually moved cross country to Tennessee, where she now calls home. In 2011, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee with a double minor in psychology and business. Chelsie has worked as a seasonal interpretive ranger with Tennessee State Parks and has over 15 years of experience volunteering with social and environmental non-profits. In her free time, Chelsie enjoys camping, trail running, biking, playing board games, and spending time with her family.

Catherine (she/her) joins Conservation Legacy as the Accounts Payable Coordinator in 2022. Growing up in Durango, access to the region’s landscape instilled a deep commitment to engage with and support outdoor spaces through a multitude of lenses. Graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2015 with a B.Sc. in Geology, she took skills from academic science, applying them to business administration in outdoor recreation, multi-day river guiding, and property management. She is excited to transition those skills to promote Conservation Legacy’s future leaders in their conservation work. Catherine spends her downtime in Dolores, Colorado reading guidebooks on everything Southwest or exploring the Colorado Plateau with her partner Forrest by foot, boat, or bike.

After graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice from Dalton State College, Hilary (she/her) spent a summer on a trail crew in Salida, Colorado with the Southwest Conservation Corps. Once the summer ended, she headed back to the southeast and settled in Knoxville, TN where she worked in customer service and outdoor instruction for REI and later became the Program Manager for a local climbing gym. Hilary joined the Stewards Program in September 2017 as Program Coordinator and in 2019 moved into her current role as an HR Coordinator with Central Staff. In her free time, Hilary enjoys climbing, hiking, biking, and exploring other forms of outdoor recreation.

Stacey joined Conservation Legacy in June of 2016. She was born and raised in the Washington DC area but followed her family to Durango, CO in 2000. She was a landscaper, gallery manager and realtor before finding her true calling with numbers. Several careers in various aspects of accounting make her excited to be part of the growth of Conservation Legacy. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, rafting, camping, cooking, gardening and traveling with her boyfriend and dogs.

Mike Brown joined Conservation Legacy as Western Region Grants Manager in April of 2022. He grew up in Southern California and earned a BA and MA in History from California State University Fullerton. Since 2000, he has worked in higher education (admissions, student services, institutional research, grants administration) in Helena, Montana, Bellingham, Washington and most recently Durango, Colorado where he and his family have resided since October 2017. Along the way, he has been involved with member engagement, wildlands advocacy and trail work as a volunteer for Wild Montana, Washington Trails Association, and Durango Trails. He loves all the opportunities for adventure that the mountains, rivers and deserts of the Four Corners region have to offer, as well as reading about history and the environment, spending time with his wife and two daughters, and keeping up with Weminuche, their Siberian Husky.

Cali Fisler (she/her/hers) joined Conservation Legacy as the Western Region Agreements Coordinator in April of 2022. She grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and obtained her BSBA in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona. Cali spent most of her time growing up outside which shaped her love of the outdoors. Early on, her mom encouraged Cali to volunteer in her community and instilled in her a passion for community service. Cali has worked in many different industries, including photography, environmental sustainability, non-profits, politics, international education, and IT staffing, and is excited to use those skills at Conservation Legacy. Cali loves to practice yoga, kayak, hike, explore, travel when possible, play Dungeons and Dragons, and play video games.

Dylan (he/him) created one of his first spreadsheets at age 9 to keep track of all his documented wildlife sightings. After growing up in North Carolina and attending the University of Montana for Wildlife Biology, Dylan landed in Durango, CO in 2015 as a crew leader for Southwest Conservation Corps. He spent 3 seasons as a crew leader and field supervisor before moving to Salida, CO for 6 years as the Logistics Manager for SCC-Los Valles. Throughout this time, Dylan made a lot more spreadsheets, taught a lot of people how to build trails and cut down trees, and spent a lot of time nodding and smiling while listening to stories about broken equipment. The values of community and relationship that drew him to the corps world are still a driving force today. Outside of work, Dylan is probably pondering the best method of cutting down a hypothetical tree he drew on a scrap piece of lumber in his shed, unless he took a break to ride his bike or play disc golf.

Allison Laramee, Western Region AmeriCorps Grants Manager, was born and raised in Vermont. She attended Warren Wilson College and earned a B.A. in Human Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Studies. Allison has served in several positions and capacities with conservation corps programs since 2003. Early on in her career, she served as a Corpsmember on the Leadership Development Program crew with Northwest Youth Corps (NYC), as a field supervisor with American Conservation Experience (ACE) and as a Crew Leader, VISTA, and Program Coordinator with Conservation Legacy. In 2006 she joined the Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) and oversaw project development and partnerships. Following the merger between CREC and Southwest Conservation Corps, which became Arizona Conservation Corps, Allison stepped into the role of Regional Director where she was responsible for the operations of the Flagstaff office.

Most recently, Allison served as Associate Director, overseeing the administrative operations for both AZCC and Conservation Corps New Mexico. Today, Allison serves as the Western Region AmeriCorps Grants Manager where she is responsible for the management of the Western Region programs AmeriCorps grants. Outside of work, Allison enjoys spending time with her wife, two children and their family dog, playing soccer, cross country skiing, baking and traveling. Allison is based out of Flagstaff, AZ.

Amanda Rydiger joined Conservation Legacy part time in 2021, and in August 2023 she became a full-time staff member as the Western Region Agreements Coordinator. She was born and raised in Durango, Colorado, where she earned a degree in Public Health from Fort Lewis College. Amanda now lives in Salt Lake City, and in her free time enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, and playing pickleball.

Judy recently joined the Regional Central staff team and is based in the Beckley, WV office. She previously worked for West Virginia Public Broadcasting in the business department as administrative assistant and with Hospice of Southern West Virginia in accounts payable. Judy is a native of Southern WV, who loves going to parks, hiking, and traveling. Her favorite place to be when vacationing or traveling is the beach. In her spare time, Judy loves to spend time with her family, especially her beautiful grandchildren.

Krista (she/her/hers) joined Conservation Legacy in the fall of 2020. After earning degrees in biology, environmental science, and environmental management, she has spent her professional career working with nonprofit land trusts and government agencies to preserve and protect natural and working landscapes in the Eastern United States. In her free time, Krista enjoys hiking, camping, and supporting local agritourism.

Susie Schroer (she/her/hers) grew-up in Missouri and often felt like a character in a Mark Twain novel; Susie’s family built a log house in the country and she spent her childhood walking the woods with her dog, identifying trees with her Dad, fishing with her brother, and riding her bike down dirt roads to her favorite swimming hole. Susie attended Drury University in Springfield, MO where she graduated with her bachelor’s degrees in journalism and psychology. After graduation, Susie was inspired by her Mom to join AmeriCorps and she moved out West to Utah to be a VISTA with a non-profit that would take individuals with disabilities on a number of outdoor recreation opportunities including white water rafting on the Colorado River, rock climbing, dog sledding, and more. After her AmeriCorps service, Susie went on to work for the Utah Office of Tourism where she focused on promoting the state as an accessible recreation destination. Susie also spent several years working with Salt Lake County Parks and Adaptive Recreation as an Adaptive Program Manager facilitating and supervising a wide variety of sports programs from wheelchair rugby, to an intellectual disability baseball league, to wheelchair basketball, to archery. Susie is also a Technical Classifier for USA Paralympic Track and Field. In 2018 Susie moved to Ohio with her wife Molly where they live in their dream farmhouse; they have three dogs, a kitty, 14 chickens, and a bunny with three legs. Susie joined Conservation Legacy in October 2021 as the Disability Program Coordinator of the Eastern Region.