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 masters degree in Globalization, Spatial Dynamics and Sustainable Development 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.

International Consultant, London, England

Rhona began working with CSF in November of 2012 after completing her PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Rhona’s work specializes in the development and evaluation of market-based instruments which link livelihood improvements to incentives for improved environmental stewardship, with a particular emphasis on marine and coastal environments. In the past, Rhona has worked with the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank on economic valuation of ecosystems, green commodities, resource allocation frameworks, and climate change vulnerability and adaptation investments. Rhona has also worked with sustainable tourism programs for James Cook University in Australia and the Zoological Society of London in Mozambique. She holds an MSc in Environmental Economics & Policy from Imperial College London and a BSc in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh.

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.

Chief Financial Officer, Arcata, California

Holly Busse joined CSF in 2006 as the Director of Finance and is responsible for overall financial management, fiscal planning, budgeting, reporting and accounting. She has 20 years of experience with accounting, contract and project management. Holly has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Humboldt State University in California.

Research Analyst, La Paz, Bolivia

Sophia joined CSF in 2010 and after leaving to complete her Master's degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Economics at the University of Concepción in Chile, has joined us again in 2013. She will be working primarily on drafting business plans in the area north of La Paz, Bolivia. She received her undergraduate degree in Economics at the Universidad Mayor de San Simon in Cochabamba, Bolivia. While developing her undergraduate thesis, she was introduced to CSF as a participant in the Economic Tools for Conservation and Natural Resource Management training course in Bolivia. Between 2008 and 2009, she collaborated in several studies with CSF in Bolivia as part of the Economic Research for the Andean Amazon Program. She is also currently a CSF Fellow, and a description of the project she is working on can be seen by clicking here. Prior to her work with CSF, she worked with Instituto Socioambiental-Bolivia, coordinating a study on the economic and cultural benefits of protected areas in Bolivia and the sustainable use of vicuña wool by local communities.

Administrative Assistant, Sebastopol, California

Aja joined CSF in 2011 as the Development and Communications Intern, focusing mainly on marketing and outreach, and was hired in 2012 as Administrative Assistant. She graduated in 2011 from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, with an emphasis in Management and Organization, and a minor in Political Science. She has many years of experience with administrative tasks as well as event planning. Her interest in environmental conservation really peaked when she served as Fundraising Coordinator for Volunteer Latin America in college and had the opportunity to travel to the Costa Rican rain forest to help with the conservation of the mono tití.

Bolivia Technical Manager, 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.

Senior Economist, Colombia

Rocío del Pilar Moreno Sánchez has been working for 15 years on issues related with the role of economic incentives, local resource users, and institutions for biodiversity conservation. She has conducted specific research on topics such as opportunity cost and economic valuation studies for payments for environmental services initiatives, adaptive capacity of resource-dependent communities at marine protected areas, economic valuation of protected areas, co-management of common-pool resources and conditional-transfer programs, among others. Rocio´s work has been published in several books and scientific journals such as World Development, Environment and Development Economics, Ecological Economics, Biodiversity Conservation and Gaceta Ecológica. She received her Masters of Science in Environmental and resource economics (Universidad de los Andes-University of Maryland) and her Masters of Science in Agricultural, Environment and Development Economics (Ohio State University).

Program Assistant, La Paz, Bolivia

Natalia joined the team in October 2011 through an agreement between CSF and FUNDECO (Bolivia). She is working as the Program Assistant to the ICAA II project team in Bolivia. A native of Colombia, Natalia studied biology with emphasis in strategic planning, having applied the methodology Open Standards for Practice of Conservation and Miradi program in a protected area in the Colombian Caribbean and the Chiquitano Model Forest in Bolivia.

Research Analyst, La Paz, Bolivia

Carlos joined CSF for the first time in 2010 as a research fellow at the Economic Research Program for the Conservation of Southern Tropical Andes. His work focused on an econometric analysis to guide strategy for the expansion of tourism in the North of La Paz, Bolivia. Before joining CSF, he worked in environmental economics and conservation with several NGOs and international cooperation agencies. His has a degree in economics from the Universidad Mayor de San Simon in Cochabamba. He received an award from his university for the best thesis in economics in 2010.

Video Editor, Sebastopol, California

Athena joined CSF in June of 2012 to work as the Communications and Media Intern in the Sebastopol office. She is now working part-time as CSF's video editor, and is currently a Junior at Analy High School. She has a strong interest in video production and editing, which she is pursuing through her high school as well as outside endeavors.

To see some of Athena's work, click here.

Portuguese Translator, San Jose, California

Born in Brazil of American and Brazilian parentage, Marcel migrated to the US in the mid 90’s. Raised in Rio de Janeiro with his mother and his older brother, Marcel grew up speaking Portuguese and conversational English. During the time he has been in the US, Marcel lived in major cities such as Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles. He earned his Business Administration degree at Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles. Using his multicultural background and his linguistic skills, Marcel volunteers for CSF and provides on demand translations from English, to his native tongue, Portuguese.