MEET THE STAFF

Ileene Anderson, Staff Biologist, works chiefly on urban wildlands conservation in southern California. Her project areas include the Santa Ana River Watershed, western Riverside County, Tejon Ranch and the Santa Clara River Watershed. Ileene came to the Center from the California Native Plant Society, where she focused on southern California native-plant issues. She holds a master’s in biology from California State Northridge and is a research associate at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens.

Contact: Los Angeles, CA, 323.654.5943, ianderson@biologicaldiversity.org

Justin Augustine, Staff Attorney, works on endangered species and forest issues. He graduated with a bachelor of science in earth systems from Stanford University and completed his law degree at Lewis and Clark Law School. Prior to law school, Justin was employed as a wildlife biologist and has worked on projects in the San Bernardino Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness Areas.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682, ext. 302, jaugustine@biologicaldiversity.org

Lisa Belenky, Senior Attorney, works on protecting rare and endangered species and their habitats under state and federal law. Lisa holds a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law and a bachelor’s in philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Before joining the Center in 2005, she was in private practice focusing on environmental law and employee-benefits litigation.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682, ext. 307, lbelenky@biologicaldiversity.org

Sarah Bergman, Assistant to the Executive Director, works with the executive director in overseeing the Center’s conservation, financial and administrative programs. Sarah started in the Center’s membership department in 2007, bringing with her a background that includes community organizing, fundraising, and paralegal and office administrator work for the National Environmental Law Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Amherst College.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.396.1129, sbergman@biologicaldiversity.org

Curt Bradley, GIS Specialist and Information Technology Director, assists Center campaigns with Geographic Information Systems analyses and cartography. He holds a master’s in watershed hydrology and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona. He was a GIS specialist at the Sky Island Alliance before joining the Center.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 310, cbradley@biologicaldiversity.org

Emily Brown, Research Associate, works in the Center's Oceans and Climate, Air and Energy programs. She has been actively involved in nonprofit environmental litigation and policy work since 2000, most recently at Earthjustice. She received a bachelor's in sociology/anthropology from Swarthmore College in 1996.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 312, ebrown@biologicaldiversity.org

John Buse, Staff Attorney, works on southern California land-use and endangered-species issues. Before joining the Center in 2005, John worked for the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California. John received a law degree from the University of California Davis School of Law, a master’s in biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in the history, philosophy, and social studies of science and medicine from the University of Chicago.

Contact: 323.533.4416, jbuse@biologicaldiversity.org

Brendan Cummings, Staff Attorney, Oceans Program Director, joined the Center in 1998 and directs the organization’s efforts to protect imperiled marine species from industrial fisheries, pollution, and global warming. A graduate of Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, Brendan has litigated dozens of Endangered Species Act cases, as well as cases under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act and numerous other state and federal statutes. Prior to working for the Center, Brendan was in private practice specializing in environmental and civil-rights litigation.

Contact: Joshua Tree, CA, 760.366.2232 ext. 304, bcummings@biologicaldiversity.org

Tierra Curry, Conservation Biologist, focuses on commenting on critical habitat, recovery plans, and other projects affecting endangered species. Tierra grew up between two strip mines in southeastern Kentucky and has been environmentally motivated ever since. Her background includes running a student environmental program, contaminants research, bird rehabilitation, and leading an environmental youth-corps crew in hand-to-hand combat with invasive plant species. She has been chasing frogs and salamanders around the Pacific Northwest since 2002. She holds a bachelor’s in English from Berea College and a master’s in biology from Portland State University.

Contact: Portland, OR, 503.283.5474, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

Edie Dillon, Verde River Associate, creates community events to raise awareness of issues facing the imperiled Verde River and inspiring people to action on its behalf. She has served as an educator for a number of agencies and nonprofits including the National Park Service, the City of Bellingham, Yavapai County and the Highlands Center for Natural History. Her work in the community balances time in the art studio, and she holds a bachelor of science in interpretation from the University of Washington, a teaching certificate, and an master’s in visual arts from Prescott College.

Contact: Prescott, AZ, 928.277.9155, edillon@biologicaldiversity.org

Keri Dixon, Membership Director, leads our membership staff, directs membership communications and fundraising campaigns, new member recruitment efforts, donor relations activities and helps coordinate fundraising events for the Center. Keri is a native Tucsonan and holds a bachelor’s in anthropology from Colorado College.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 312, kdixon@biologicaldiversity.org

Tim Ellis, Media Associate, works in our Tucson office helping get the word out about the Center's work. Tim has worked for more than 25 years in old and new media, mainly as a newspaper reporter and editor. He grew up in Alaska and witnessed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline forever transform his community and state. After a few summers working as a wildlands firefighter, he emigrated to the lower 48, earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Seattle University, and moved to the sunniest place he could find: southern Arizona.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 315, tellis@biologicaldiversity.org

Jonathan Evans, Staff Attorney, works with the Center's Urban Wildlands Program on protecting imperiled habitats and species from the damaging impacts of urban sprawl. Jonathan received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in conservation and resource studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to joining the Center, Jonathan worked at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation managing ecosystem restoration grants. He also brings to the Center a background in the field of outdoor education as a naturalist and guide throughout California.

Contact: Los Angeles, CA, 213.598.1466, jevans@biologicaldiversity.org

Marc Fink, Senior Attorney, Public Lands Program, has extensive experience litigating cases against federal agencies to enforce environmental laws and protect public lands. Before joining the Center, Marc worked as a staff attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center and with Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. Marc is a 1995 graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School, with a certificate in environmental and natural resources law.

Contact: Duluth, MN, 218.525.3884 mfink@biologicaldiversity.org

Peter Galvin, Conservation Director, is a co-founder of the Center. He holds a bachelor's from Prescott College and a master's from Vermont College of Norwich University. Peter coordinates the Center's legal actions, oversees our International Program, and helps formulate policy and strategy. Before working for the Center, he worked as a contract wildlife researcher for the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Peter also serves on the board of directors of the Beech Hill Foundation and is a member of the Science Oversight Team for the Global Owl Project.

Contact: Shelter Cove, CA, 707.986.2600, pgalvin@biologicaldiversity.org

Noah Greenwald, Science Director, Conservation Biologist, oversees development of Endangered Species Act petitions in the interior West and acts as an advisor and consultant for the Center's scientific campaigns and projects across a range of subjects. He holds a bachelor of science in ecology from Evergreen State College and a master's in forest ecology from the University of Washington. Before he joined the Center in 1997, Noah worked as a field biologist, surveying Northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets and banding Hawaiian songbirds.

Contact: Portland, OR, 503.484.7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org

Michelle Harrington, Rivers Conservation Manager, coordinates the Center's advocacy work for the protection and restoration of rivers and riparian-dependent species. Before joining the Center in 1999, Michelle worked with The Bear Deluxe magazine and the Food Alliance in Portland, Oregon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human studies and certificate in public relations from Marylhurst College.

Contact: Phoenix, AZ, 602.628.9909, mharrington@biologicaldiversity.org

Bill Haskins, Information Technology Associate, is in charge of the Center’s computer systems, networking and Web site management. Before joining our staff, he helped start the Ecology Center and Big Sky Conservation Institute in Missoula, Montana, and spent the previous decade working in computer-assisted geography and mapping. He holds a bachelor of science in ecology and systematics from the University of Nebraska and a master’s in environmental studies from the University of Montana.

Contact: Sacramento, CA, 520.609.8334, bhaskins@biologicaldiversity.org

David Hogan, Conservation Manager, works to conserve forests and deserts in California and Arizona. David specializes in southern California national forests and the improvement of regional habitat conservation plans. Before joining the Center in 1993, David filed listing petitions for more than two dozen species including the original petition to list the California gnatcatcher, a species whose subsequent listing set in motion several regional HCPs. David received the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club’s “Community Activist” award in 2006 for his work to prevent construction of the “Sunrise Powerlink” transmission line project.

Contact: San Diego, CA, 619.473.8217, dhogan@biologicaldiversity.org

Tim A. Janes, Assistant Membership Director, brings more than 45 years of social activism and more than 30 years of fundraising experience (concurrent, not consecutive) to his position. He has served on boards of directors including the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, Wingspan, Community Shares of Southern Arizona, and Sonora Fund. Tim supports the Center's membership program strategically and administratively.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252, ext. 318, tjanes@biologicaldiversity.org

David H. Johnson, Director, Global Owl Project, runs the Center’s Global Owl Project, a growing international program involving more than 250 researchers, scientists, geneticists, and students in 56 countries. The project focuses on developing foundational science on the owls of the world. Core tasks involve survey and monitoring techniques, DNA analysis, vocalizations, morphology, distribution mapping, cultural assessments, and the dissemination of products. David has 30 years of experience in the natural-resource field. He holds a master’s degree in wildlife science, a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in archaeology, and has had a passion for owls since he was 11 years old. He started the Global Owl Project in 2002 and joined the Center in 2007.

Contact: Alexandria, VA, 202.360.0313, djohnson@biologicaldiversity.org

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 317, ckassar@biologicaldiversity.org

Adam Keats, Staff Attorney, General Counsel and Urban Wildlands Program Director, focuses on southern California endangered species and habitat conservation issues in addition to his duties as the Center's general counsel. He holds a law degree from the University of California at Davis and a bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a member of the bars of California and Massachusetts.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 304, akeats@biologicaldiversity.org

Jay Lininger, Ecologist, holds a master of science in environmental studies from the University of Montana, where he taught undergraduate courses in communication and earned honors from the Association for Fire Ecology. From 1998 to 2002, he was conservation director at KS Wild in Oregon, which brought precedent-setting lawsuits affecting public land throughout the western United States. Jay later worked five seasons on private and federal forestry crews as a biologist and wildland firefighter, and just before joining the Center was executive director of Cascadia Wildlands Project in Eugene. As a Center ecologist based in Flagstaff Jay focuses on conservation issues facing southwestern public lands.

Contact: Flagstaff, AZ, jlininger@biologicaldiversity.org

Jacki Lopez, Legal Researcher, holds a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a master of science in urban planning from the University of Arizona. Jacki worked in the Center's membership and grants departments before leaving for law school; she has returned from law school as a legal researcher with plans to be a Center staff attorney in the near future.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682, jlopez@biologicaldiversity.org

Mollie Matteson, Conservation Advocate, works for the protection and restoration of wild places, native ecosystems, and imperiled species in the Northeast. Before joining the Center in 2007, she was deputy director of Forest Watch, a New England-based group, for five years, where she helped establish new wilderness on the Green Mountain National Forest, worked to reduce off-road abuses on public lands, and advocated for landscape-scale conservation across the region. Prior to returning to Vermont, where she grew up, she spent almost two decades in the northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest as an activist, writer, editor, educator, wildlife biologist, and wilderness ranger. She holds a bachelor of science in zoology and a master’s in wildlife biology from the University of Montana.

Contact: Richmond, VT, 802.434.2388, mmatteson@biologicaldiversity.org

Thomas McDonald, Online Communications Coordinator, works with the membership and publications teams to expand the Center’s strategic presence and creative outreach campaigns on the Web. Thomas received his bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Arizona. Also an amateur wildlife photographer, he spent six months hiking and snapping photos near Sydney, Australia, before joining the Center.  

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 320, tmcdonald@biologicaldiversity.org

Taylor McKinnon, Public Lands Director, oversees the Center's Public Lands program, working to ensure that the country's public lands are managed for the benefit of species and ecosystems in a warming climate. Based in his hometown of Flagstaff, Taylor also works on regional uranium issues and to protect and restore the same southwestern forests that inspired the Center nearly two decades ago. Prior to joining the Center he was a natural history and river guide and Grand Canyon Trust's forest conservation director. Taylor holds a degree in environmental studies from Prescott College and has served on numerous boards and commissions regionally and nationally.

Contact: Flagstaff, AZ, 928.310.6713, tmckinnon@biologicaldiversity.org

Jeff Miller, Conservation Advocate, works primarily on endangered-species listing petitions, Bay Area sprawl issues, and public-lands grazing. He also does community organizing and media work around endangered species issues. Jeff has also been the director of the Alameda Creek Alliance since 1997.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 303, jmiller@biologicaldiversity.org

Julie Miller, Publications Director, writes, edits, and manages design of Center outreach materials and publications. Julie holds a bachelor’s in journalism and a master's in environmental education from the University of Arizona, and a master’s in literature from Indiana University. Before joining the Center in 2000, she taught writing to college students and worked on educational outreach for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson Botanical Gardens, and Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 303, juliem@biologicaldiversity.org

Lydia Millet, Media Editor, edits and writes a range of press and outreach materials for the Center. She holds a master’s in environmental policy from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and worked as a writer at the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York for two years before joining the Center in 1999. She is also a novelist and essayist; her 2002 novel My Happy Life won the PEN-USA Award for Fiction, and 2005’s Oh Pure and Radiant Heart, about the physicists of the Manhattan Project, was shortlisted for Britain’s Arthur C. Clarke Prize. January 2008 saw the publication of a novel about extinction called How the Dead Dream.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, lmillet@biologicaldiversity.org

Anna Mirocha, Publications Associate, helps write, edit, and design Center outreach publications and Web site materials. Before joining the Center in 2007, she was a freelance writer and did event coordination and publication work for a Tucson nonprofit writing program. She holds a bachelor’s in English from Reed College and is thrilled at the opportunity to use her love of language toward the protection of nature.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 306, amirocha@biologicaldiversity.org

Rob Mrowka, Conservation Advocate, works with the Center’s Public Lands Program to advocate for the protection and conservation of biological diversity in Nevada. Before joining the Center, Rob was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and had a 28-year career in the U.S. Forest Service, including time spent as the supervisor of Utah’s Fishlake National Forest and as a forest ecologist. Most recently, he was the manager of the Clark County, Nevada Environmental Planning Division. Mrowka has a bachelor of science degree in natural resources management from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as a master of science degree in forest ecology from Washington State University.

Contact: Las Vegas, NV,702.249.5821, rmrowka@biologicaldiversity.org

Brian Nowicki, California Climate Policy Director, works in the Center's Climate, Air, and Energy Program, with a focus on state-level climate change policy. He holds a master of science in forestry and previously worked on endangered species policy for the Center.

Contact: Sacramento, CA, 916.201.6938, bnowicki@biologicaldiversity.org

Joanne Oellers, Verde Campaign Coordinator, enjoys sharing her passion for biology with the community and in the field. In addition to advocating for protection of the Verde River and other natural areas, she finds time to explore her own favorite wildlands. Before coming to the Center, she led Elderhostel groups throughout the Southwest and taught college biology for 15 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northern Arizona University. For her master’s degree from Prescott College, she studied hantavirus at Grand Canyon.

Contact: Prescott, AZ, 928.772.8204, joellers@biologicaldiversity.org

Andrew Orahoske, Conservation Advocate, works with the Center’s Biodiversity Program to protect wild places and imperiled species from excessive motorized vehicle use. Andrew holds a law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before joining the Center he worked as a field biologist, surveying and banding birds in the western United States, Venezuela and Jamaica. Andrew grew up exploring the forests and waters of northern Ohio.

Contact: Missoula, MT, 406.529.7591, orahoske@biologicaldiversity.org

Sabine Reynaud, San Francisco Office Manager, was born and raised in Germany and came to the United States via Costa Rica. Sabine graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in geography. Before joining the Center she worked at a number of nonprofits including the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, mapping invasive plant species, managing volunteers, and giving administrative support to habitat restoration programs.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 300, sreynaud@biologicaldiversity.org

Emily Brin Roberson, Director, Native Plant Conservation Campaign, created the Campaign in 2002: a national network of 31 native-plant societies, botanical gardens, arboreta, and other plant-science and conservation organizations in 30 states focused on increasing public understanding of and commitment to the value and imperilment of native plants. Emily holds a bachelor’s in plant ecology from Harvard University and a doctorate in soil microbial ecology from the University of California at Berkeley. She worked as a researcher in the plant and soil sciences for 10 years and as senior policy analyst for the California Native Plant Society for 11 years before joining the Center in 2004.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.970.0394, eroberson@biologicaldiversity.org

Contact: Pinos Altos, NM, 505.534.0360, michaelr@biologicaldiversity.org

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 322, psaba@biologicaldiversity.org

Jennifer Shepherd, Development Director. Jennifer works with the executive director and the development team to direct the Center's overall fundraising efforts, and with program staff and foundation officers to secure dedicated funding for the Center's campaigns. She holds a master's degree in geography from the University of Arizona and a bachelor's in environmental studies from Middlebury College. Jennifer coordinated river conservation and stewardship programs in Vermont and Arizona prior to joining the Center in 2004.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 313, jshepherd@biologicaldiversity.org

Kassie Siegel, Staff Attorney, Climate, Air, and Energy Program Director, develops and implements campaigns for the reduction of greenhouse gas pollution and the protection of plants and animals threatened by global warming, including the Center’s petition to protect the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. Prior to attending Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law and working for the Center, she was a natural-history guide leading wilderness trips in Alaska.

Contact:  Joshua Tree, CA, ksiegel@biologicaldiversity.org

Steve Siegel, Staff Attorney, works on the Sunrise Powerlink campaign and energy issues. Before joining the Center, Steve worked for the Department of the Interior enforcing the Endangered Species Act and helping expand and protect the national wildlife refuge system. He also worked for the Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1995 enforcing hazardous-waste cleanup laws. Steve received his law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles; he holds a master's in education and has introduced students to public participation in environmental issues.

Contact:  Evanston, IL, 619.241.6409, ssiegel@biologicaldiversity.org

Robin Silver is one of the Center’s founders. A retired emergency-room physician in Phoenix and a professional wildlife photographer, Robin works on conservation issues in the Southwest with a focus on the San Pedro river.

Contact: Phoenix, AZ, 602.799.3275, rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org

Nicole Silvester, Membership Associate, handles questions from our members and oversees donation processing. She has a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Arizona and has worked for the University of Arizona, a solar power company, and most recently in economic development. Nicole is a native Tucsonan.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 316, nsilvester@biologicaldiversity.org

Bill Snape, Senior Counsel, coordinates the Center’s legal and policy work on endangered species, wilderness, and energy from Washington, DC. He did his undergraduate work at the University of California at Los Angeles and received his law degree from George Washington University. He has written numerous articles, as well as a book, on natural-resource issues in his 20-year career, has taught environmental and international law, and was with Defenders of Wildlife before joining the Center. In addition to his work with the Center he coaches swimming at Gallaudet University.

Contact: Washington, D.C., 202.536.9351, bsnape@biologicaldiversity.org

Kierán Suckling, Executive Director, founded the Center. In addition to overseeing its conservation and financial programs, he created and maintains the country's most comprehensive endangered species database. Kierán acts as liaison between the Center and other environmental groups, negotiates with government agencies, and writes and lectures; he has authored scientific articles and critical essays on biodiversity issues. He holds a master's in philosophy from the State University of New York at Stonybrook and a bachelor's from Holy Cross.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 305, ksuckling@biologicaldiversity.org

Melissa Thrailkill, Staff Attorney, works in the Center’s Climate, Air, and Energy Program on campaigns to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and protect species threatened by global warming. She graduated with a bachelor’s in history from the University of Texas at Austin and received her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 2006. Before joining the Center, she worked for Texas Riogrande Legal Aid, Inc. in south Texas. She is a native Texan and is licensed in Texas.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682, mthrailkill@biologicaldiversity.org

Andrea Treece, Staff Attorney, works in the Center’s Oceans Program promoting the protection of marine species and their habitats. Andrea received her law degree and master’s in coastal environmental management from Duke University, where she focused on fisheries bycatch issues. Prior to joining the Center, she worked as an attorney for Earthjustice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 306, atreece@biologicaldiversity.org

Cyndi Tuell, Conservation Advocate, holds a bachelor of science in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Before joining the Center, she worked for the Sonoran Institute. Cyndi was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.396.1130, ctuell@biologicaldiversity.org

Matt Vespa, Staff Attorney, works with the Center’s Climate, Air and Energy Program. Matt holds a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, where he was elected Order of the Coif, a master’s in conservation biology from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Center, Matt practiced environmental and land-use law on behalf of public agencies and citizen groups and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York. Prior to law school, Matt served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay where he taught local farmers soil conservation and sustainable-forestry practices.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 309, mvespa@biologicaldiversity.org

Linda Wells, Director of Finance, oversees the Center’s accounting and financial reporting. She holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Arizona State University. As owner of Accounting for the Future since 1994, Linda has many years of experience as an accountant for numerous nonprofit organizations. She has also worked as an activist on public lands issues and on a citizens’ initiative that banned animal trapping in Arizona.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252, lwells@biologicaldiversity.org

George Wuerthner is an ecologist, writer and photographer. He is the author/editor of 34 books on natural history, ecology and conservation. He has visited more than 360 designated wilderness areas, including all the national parks, preserves, and major wildlife refuges in Alaska.

Contact: wuerthner@earthlink.net

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 301, swolf@biologicaldiversity.org