Michael Roy Ph.D. (Founder) Founder and Chief Scientist Michael founded CREA in 2005 after working in Panama as a conservation biologist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. He is an accomplished conservation geneticist having obtained his PhD from London University and thereon working in academic institutions in UK, Denmark and the US before being made a tenured senior lecturer of zoology at Otago University, New Zealand. He has undertaken biological research on a wide variety of terrestrial and marine organisms. Michael has a vast experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervising, and currently teaches on several field programs for various universities. Michael has been committed to conservation research and public awareness for over 16 years and now works full time for CREA.

Anita Bair M.A. Director of Development Anita obtained her BA in Spanish Language and Literature from University College London and her Master of Arts degree at the University of London’s Latin American Institute, specialising in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography. Anita's passion is working with underprivileged people especially children. Anita helped found the organization based upon strong educational principles. Anita currently works as CREA's development director and promotes CREA's activities at all levels.

Alexis Tatarsky, Board Member. Alexis Tatarsky spent 20 years as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, founding two companies (Taos and Intranet Partners) and serving as an advisor and consultant to other startups. Alexis has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from U.C. Berkeley and has worked at or consulted for companies ranging from Apple to IntelliGenetics and Hewlett-Packard. His commitment to sustainable rural development grew out of his family ties to South Africa and Zimbabwe and the humanitarian crises there. Serving CREA is an ideal match for Alexis's belief in a holistic relationship between alleviating poverty, the power of education, and creating environmental sustainability.

Erik Froyd, Board Member. Erik Froyd is a founding partner in The DevDesign Compact consultancy. He brings his experience in sustainable agriculture, value chain analysis, economic development and reporting system design to the CREA Board of Directors. Erik has an MBA from the Presidio School of Management and 12+ years of corporate experience in business process analysis, project management and organizational development. He is serving on the CREA board because of his shared commitment to livelihoods development, environmental conservation and the leadership role that CREA is fulfilling in this space.

Randy Hayes, founder and former president of Rainforest Action Network, is a Climate Policy Officer at the World Future Council, a global forum composed of 50 respected individuals from around the world championing the rights of future generations and working to ensure that humanity acts now for a sustainable future. Randy was a filmmaker in the '80s, and is a veteran of many high-visibility corporate accountability campaigns and has advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples. He also worked as the President to the City of San Francisco Commission on the Environment and Director of Sustainability in the office of Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown. He worked at the International Forum on Globalization, a think-tank on the global economy based in San Francisco.

Angus Parker joined CREA’s advisory board early in 2008. He is currently on the board at RARE , a leading organization in social marketing for biodiversity conservation, and was previously Director of Operations for the Asia Pacific region at The Nature Conservancy , and COO of Island Conservation. As a consultant, Angus is currently very active with several conservation organizations. His primary conservation interests include community-led conservation which is a key element of CREA’s approach. Angus, originally from the UK, has been an important advisor for CREA in its organizational development.

Dr. Pamela Matson is the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor of Environmental Studies in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University. In 1992 Pamela was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 1994 to the National Academy of Sciences. In 1995 she was selected as a MacArthur Fellow, and in 1997 was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In May 2008 CREA was honored to have Pamela accept a position on its advisory board.

Kristy Ponce Aizpurua Senior Legal Adviser, Panama, Kristy has worked as an attorney in Panama for over 10 years and, as a keen outdoor enthusiast, is dedicated to the preservation of Panama´s natural heritage. Kristy serves CREA with pro bono legal counsel in Panama.

David Diaz Scientific Advisor David, an accomplished immunologist, currently works as Chief of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clinical Division. An expert in environmental health issues as they relate to human development, David has been advising CREA on scientific projects and strategies since CREA was founded.