CSF Team
John Reid
CSF Founder & President, Sebastopol, California
John has worked in conservation since 1991, promoting the use of economics to address conservation challenges. John has pursued that goal through an innovative training program and by the example of practical, policy-relevant analyses on a number of themes in the Amazon, Central America and the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. These include energy and transportation infrastructure, logging, ranching, environmental valuation and agriculture, among others. John founded Conservation Strategy Fund in 1998 after positions with Resources for the Future, Conservation International and Pacific Forest Trust. He designed CSF as an independent, service-oriented and technical organization with the aim of spreading economics skills among conservation professionals. The organization has evolved into an international team of 10 people, 12 university fellows and instructors and a network of over 725 training graduates. John’s work has appeared in many CSF publications, in Scientific American, Conservation Biology, Environment, the Journal of Political Economy, Megadiversidade and Ambio. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish, and holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Kim Bonine
Training Director, Arcata, California
Kim joined CSF in 2001 after three years with the Center for Environmental Science and Policy at Stanford University. Her work with Stanford focused on ecological and economic research in the mangrove forests of Kosrae, Micronesia. She has also studied the impact of forest habitat fragmentation in Mexico and worked on community development strategies for poverty alleviation with the World Bank in Zimbabwe. Kim holds a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems and an undergraduate degree in Human Biology, both from Stanford University.
Holly Busse
Financial Director, Arcata, California
Holly Busse joined CSF in 2006 as the Financial Director and is responsible for overall financial management, fiscal planning, budgeting, reporting and accounting. She has 15 years of experience with bookkeeping, accounting, and contract and project management. Holly has a BA in Accounting and recently completed her MBA at Humboldt State University.
Doron Amiran
Development Director, Sebastopol, Califórnia
Doron joined CSF in 2008 after a 17-year career promoting and raising money for environmental causes and organizations in the non-profit, for-profit and government sectors. He has held positions at the Solar Living Institute, ZAP Electric Vehicles, and the Alameda County Home Composting Education Program. Doron has lived or worked in England, Iran, Israel, Thailand, India, Nepal and Vietnam. He holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Politics from UC Santa Cruz, and an MA in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley.
Courtney Lewis Cheng
Administrative Assistant, Sebastopol, California
Courtney joined CSF in 2009 as Administrative Assistant after 5 years of working as Program Assistant in the Biology Department at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She holds a degree in Outdoor Experiential Education with a minor in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University. She has many years of experience with computers and design, event planning, database management, and working for mad scientists.
Cristian Vallejos
Latin America Director, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Cristian has over 20 years of experience working in tropical conservation and sustainable development. He worked for Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) and Proyecto BOLFOR in his native Bolivia. Before joining CSF, Cristian helped the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) -where he was regional director for the Americas- establish its network of national initiatives in Latin America. He also served as Amazon Conservation Association’s (ACA) first executive director for 4 years, guiding this organization to regional prominence in the southwestern Amazon. Cristian holds a degree in Social Anthropology from the Universidad Catolica in Lima, Peru and received training in resource economics and environmental policies at Duke University’s School of the Environment and at Indiana University’s Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis.
Marcos Amend
Brazil Executive Director, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Marcos Amend is the Director of CSF-Brazil. He holds a Masters degree in Economics and Forest Policy from UFPR (Federal University of Parana - Brasil) and has been working in conservation since 1987. Before joining CSF, Marcos was the president of the Speleological Studies Group, an organization dedicated to the study and conservation of Brazilian caves. Additionally, Marcos coordinated the development of a "Producing Forest Program" which gained national and international recognition, and managed the field Ecotourism Program for the Sustainable Development reserve of Mamirauá in the Amazon. More recently, was the coordinator of the MPE Ecotourism Program of Brazilian Biodiversity Fund. Marcos was a student in CSF's 2001 Brazil course and then attended CSF's first advanced course in the Pantanal Wetlands in 2002. He is originally from Paraná, in southern Brazil.
Leonardo C. Fleck
Brazil Technical Manager, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Leonardo has extensive experience in conservation economics and sustainability, with several projects in Latin America related to protected areas, biodiversity, land use, natural resources, roads and tourism. Leo joined CSF-Brazil in 2005 after attaining his Master of Science degree in Conservation Biology from DICE at the University of Kent in England, where he researched natural resource economics and management. He also has an MBA in Strategic Business Management from UNA/MG and an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Before joining CSF, Leo worked as a researcher for the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute in the Brazilian Amazon and for UFRGS, and with ecotourism enterprises in the Pantanal Wetlands and in the Mamirauá Reserve. Leo first came to CSF as a participant in the 2003 Brazil course. He is a native of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil, and speaks english and spanish.
Cynthia Bomtempo Franco
Brazil Financial Manager, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Cynthia joined CSF-Brazil at the end of 2008 as the Financial and Administrative Manager of the Brazil Program. She has a degree in Systems Analysis from UNA/MG, a postgraduate degree in Direct Marketing from ABMD/SP and MBAs in Business Management from FGV/MG and in Controlling from UFMG/MG. She has several years of experience in direct marketing and in administrate and financial management in international NGOs. She is a native from Minas Gerais.
Alyson Melo
Brazil Research Analyst, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Alyson Melo joined CSF in May 2010. He holds a degree in biological sciences from the State University of Londrina (UEL) and has a postgraduate degree in biogeography of Neotropical birds from the University of Bonn - Germany. He has extensive experience in conservation and ecotourism in the Pantanal and Amazon. Prior to joining CSF, he coordinated several ecotourism projects, including the Ecotourism Program of the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute (IDSM) and the Jaguar Research Center, sponsored by the NGO Tropical Nature. As a researcher, he worked with bird conservation at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) and was a member of the Project TEAM (Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring Initiative), sponsored by Conservation International (CI). He also worked as a naturalist guide and as a consultant in tasks related to project implementation and training on ecotourism, environmental impact assessments and rapid assessment processes for several governmental agencies and NGOs, such as: Brazilian Institute of Environment (IBAMA), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Conservation International (CI), Mamirauá and Piaguçú-Purus Sustainable Development Institutes and the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS). Alyson was born in Sao Paulo and speaks English.
Fernanda Alvarenga
Brazil Research Analyst, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Fernanda joined CSF as a research analyst in July 2010. She has experience in financial analysis of projects, financial and process management, and in systems implementation management. She has a degree in Business Administration from PUC Minas, a master degree in …. Southern Countries from the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) and graduate degrees in Business Economics from PUC/MG and in Socio-Educational Projects Management from UNA/MG. Fernanda started in CSF in 2008 as a consultant working in projects related to rural credit in the Amazon and the financial feasibility of fish processing by local fishermen in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve, in Bahia. She has previous experience as a management and economics consultant and analyst at PUC Minas. She was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Mônica Rocha
Brazil Administrative Assistant, Lagoa Santa, Brazil
Mônica joined CSF-Brazil in 2009 as the Administrative Assistant of the Brazil Program. Mônica has a graduate degree in Accounting from FAESA/ES and a posgraduate degree in Public Administration from FPL/MG. She has several years of experience as a teacher, as a social projects supervisor and in administrative and financial management in international NGOs. She is a native from Minas Gerais.
Cecilia Ayala
Bolivia Program Director, La Paz, Bolivia
Cecilia joined CSF at the end of 2005 as Director of the Bolivia Program. She has a degree in Economics and a Masters in Public Policy and Development from the Universidad Católica Boliviana, and brings to CSF her experience applying economic analysis and environmental valuation techniques to Bolivia's environmental challenges. She has over ten years of professional experience working on sustainable development with indigenous communities, and for the past six years she has been working in collaboration with SERNAP, Bolivia's protected areas agency. Prior to joining CSF, Cecilia worked as a consultant on conservation issues with various national and international NGOs, private foundations, and public institutions. Cecilia participated in CSF's first Bolivia course in 2001 in Madidi National Park.
Alfonso Malky
Bolivia Research Analyst, La Paz, Bolivia
Alfonso joined CSF-Bolivia at the beginning of 2008 as the Bolivian Economic Analyst. He has a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics from the Catholic University of Chile and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the Bolivian Catholic University. He has experience in conservation economics, with projects related to land use, natural resources management and ecotourism; he also has extensive experience in the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies, with emphasis on agriculture, forestry and environment. Prior to working in CSF Alfonso worked in the Unit of Social and Economic Policy Analysis (UDAPE) and he has participated in the design and evaluation of policies related to regulation of natural resource use, rural development, sustainable forest management and climate change, among others. He also has experience in micro finances and designing proposals for economic development and poverty reduction in Bolivia. Alfonso first came to CSF as a participant in the economics tools course in the Madidi National Park (2006); since then he has participated in several international courses and workshops related to economic tools for conservation, natural resource management and valuation of environmental goods and services.
Venetia Hargreaves-Allen
Research Fellow, London, England
Venetia is conducting environmental economics research in the Bahamas in partnership with the Bahamas National Trust and The Nature Conservancy. This research follows successfully completion of doctoral research with CSF in Belizean marine protected areas. She was recently a visiting scholar with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and with the Marine Biology department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Venetia conducted economic and ecological fieldwork in the Caribbean, Indonesia and the Indian Ocean, filmed and produced conservation films for audiences in Kenya and Indonesia, and was a researcher and writer for The Ecologist Magazine. She holds a Bachelors in Biological Sciences from Oxford University and a Masters and PhD in Environmental Economics and Politics from the Imperial College London.
Sophia Espinoza
Research Fellow, La Paz, Bolivia
Sophia joined CSF-Bolivia in 2008 as a fellow to the Programa de Investigación Económica para la Amazonía and research assistant. She graduated from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón and first came to CSF as a grant holder to develop her thesis on Economic Valuation of Natural and Cultural Resources of the Torotoro National Park, a protected area in Bolivia. Before joining CSF, Sophia worked as a researcher on a project about economic and cultural benefits generated by protected areas in Bolivia, with the Instituto Socioambiental Bolivia and the National Service of Protected Areas (SERNAP) of that country.
Adriana Berrios Behoteguy
Administrative Assistant, La Paz, Bolivia
Adriana joined CSF in January of 2010 as the Administrative Assistant in Bolivia. Adriana studied Commercial Engineering at the Military School of Engineering and has a diploma in Business Management and Strategy. She has several years experience in graphic design and marketing and was first approached to CSF in 2008 to participate in the layout of several of its publications.
CSF mission
The mission of Conservation Strategy Fund is to teach environmental organizations around the world to use economics and strategic analysis to conserve nature.
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Upcoming CSF Courses
CSF offers training in economic tools to empower local conservation organizations, decision-makers, and communities.
Economics of Tiger Conservation
Monday, 15 November, 2010 - Friday, 19 November, 2010
Thursday, 30 September 2010
