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.

Iglesias Rodriguez, Field Coordinator. Iglesias is the guy making sure that our field projects have all they need to run smoothly, that Cocobolo is being maintained and he is our direct link to local communities of the Cocobolo area. Iglesias comes to CREA with a wealth of experience in environmental field projects in Panama, undertaken by Japanese and US aid organizations. He most recently was working for a forestry company as a technical assistant. Iglesias holds a technical degree in forestry from the University of Panama.

Carola Barton, President of the Board. Carola is Director of Global Expansion at Link Media, a non-profit network broadcasting international programming to a U.S. audience. She previously served as Director of Commitments for the Clinton Global Initiative - Asia, a project of the Clinton Foundation. Prior to this she served as Executive Director of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, a Hong Kong non-profit promoting the voice of Asia in the world community. She has also served as Vice-President of Affiliate Relationships at Saga Foundation, a global philanthropic enterprise working to support organizations of former heads of state and government. She was First Vice President at Morgan Stanley until 2003. Carola’s 16-year career in finance was preceded by her experience in non-profit management, consultation, and training. She has also served on the boards of numerous domestic and international public and private service organizations

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.

Kelli Peterson, Board Member. Kelli has 20 years experience in marketing and communications for Fortune 100 clients and a multitude of years working with international and national non-profits. Her clients have included Microsoft, T-Mobile, Yahoo, Nestle, Wells Fargo, The Trust for Public Land and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria. Kelli currently runs The Change Project, a San Francisco-based brand strategy firm working with businesses and NGO’s evolving positive change. Kelli holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from UC San Diego and is an avid cyclist, skier and traveler.

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.

Peter Reiling is the Aspen Institute's Executive Vice President for Leadership and Seminar Programs, and Executive Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, from 1996 to 2004, Peter was President and CEO of TechnoServe, an international organization helping entrepreneurs across Africa, Latin America, and Central Europe to build businesses in their communities (www.tns.org). Peter is a former adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and was named "Outstanding Social Entrepreneur" by the Schwab Foundation in Geneva.

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.

Jeni Webber is a residential landscape architect and garden designer and author in Oakland, California. She is nationally recognized for her work in residential design and several of the gardens she designed, along with her writing and illustrations, have appeared in Fine Gardening magazine.

Jeni also handles institutional, civic and commercial projects. Her work on several institutional healing gardens has proven especially meaningful to her, and she is currently expanding her work in the area of habitat restoration. With a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice, Jeni plays an important role as CREA’s chief advisor in the development of the demonstration farm and home gardens at the Cocobolo nature reserve, site of CREA’s field station.

Josh Felser is a seasoned media and communications executive and Bay Area entrepreneur who has built and managed several highly successful online and traditional consumer businesses. Co-founder of both Spinner.com and Grouper, these two start-ups were subsequently bought by American Online and Sony Pictures Entertainment respectively. Until February of 2001 Josh was Vice President of America Online and General Manager of AOL's music brands' Spinner, Winamp and Shoutcast.

Josh’s concern for the environment and belief in CREA’s approach to tackling the issues of environmental and social justice led him to join the advisory board. His breadth of experience in the business world makes him a valuable member of the advisory team.

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.

David Slade Legal Advisor USA David founded the Slade Child Foundation in 1983, a non-profit that cares for destitute children worldwide. David won the Environmental Law Award in 1999.