MEET THE STAFF

Ileene Anderson, Biologist and Public Lands Deserts Director, coordinates campaigns throughout the southwest deserts, while focusing on conservation projects in the deserts and urban wildlands of Southern California. Her project areas include all public lands in the California deserts and the Santa Ana River Watershed, western Riverside County, Tejon Ranch, and the Santa Clara River Watershed. 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

Judy Anderson, Bookkeeper, was born and raised in North Dakota. She received a certificate in general business and had 19 years of experience in bookkeeping before joining the Center in 2008. Her family includes her husband, four children, and 10 grandchildren. She works out of our Tucson office.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 300, janderson@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 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

Rose Braz, Climate Campaign Coordinator, coordinates the Climate Law Institute’s climate campaign and communications work.  She is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law and has worked both in private practice and at the United Nations International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, Switzerland.  Prior to coming to the Center, Rose helped found and was the campaign and media director for Critical Resistance, a national grassroots organization working to end society's reliance on prisons as an answer to social problems.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 319, rbraz@biologicaldiversity.org

Kevin Bundy, Senior Attorney, works with the Climate Law Institute. Before joining the Center, Kevin represented public-interest and citizen groups in environmental and land-use cases as an associate with Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP. He also served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Procter R. Hug, Jr., of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Honorable David W. Hagen of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Between graduating from Oberlin College and attending the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law, he spent several years advocating for ancient forests and endangered species on California’s North Coast.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 313, kbundy@biologicaldiversity.org

John Buse, Legal Director, coordinates the Center's legal work and handles cases involving endangered species conservation and land use. 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

Bethany Cotton, Staff Attorney, works to protect imperiled species and their habitats from logging, urban sprawl, and the impacts of climate change. She is currently focused on the endangered Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel. She holds a J.D. and certificate in environmental and natural resource law with an emphasis in animal law from Lewis & Clark Law School and a B.A. in environmental studies, political science, and Latin American studies, also from Lewis & Clark. Bethany grew up in the mountains outside Ashland, Oregon and serves on the boards of EarthTeach Forest Park and Friends of Living Oregon Waters (FLOW). Before joining the Center, Bethany was a litigation fellow at the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center.

Contact: 202.591.5215, bcotton@biologicaldiversity.org

Brendan Cummings, Senior Counsel, Public Lands Director, joined the Center in 1998 and 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. 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 the listing and recovery of endangered species. Prior to joining the Center she worked as an amphibian field biologist, conservation corps crew leader, and community organizer against mountaintop-removal coal mining. She holds a bachelor’s in English from Berea College and a master’s in biology from Portland State University.

Contact: Flagstaff, AZ, 928.522.3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

Natalie Dawson, Staff Biologist, is based in Anchorage, Alaska. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Central Michigan University and earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of New Mexico, where she studied the distribution of endemic mammals on the islands of the Tongass National Forest. During graduate school, she also worked for the American Institute of Biological Sciences in Washington, D.C., volunteered with the Wild Friends program, and taught college biology classes.

Contact: Anchorage, AK, 907.274.1110, ndawson@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

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: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 318, jevans@biologicaldiversity.org

Marc Fink, Senior Attorney, Public Lands Forests Director, oversees the Center's efforts to protect public lands forests, including the 193-million-acre national forest system.  Marc graduated in 1995 from Lewis and Clark Law School with a certificate in environmental and natural resources law and has extensive experience litigating cases to enforce environmental laws and protect forests and wildlife.  Before working for the Center, Marc worked as a staff attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center and with Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.

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: Whitethorn, CA, 707.986.2600, pgalvin@biologicaldiversity.org

Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Director, directs the Center’s efforts to protect new species under the Endangered Species Act, to ensure that imperiled species receive effective protections and that we have the strongest Endangered Species Act possible.  He also works to educate the public about the importance of protecting biodiversity and about the multitude of threats to the survival of North American wildlife.  He holds a bachelor of science in ecology from the Evergreen State College and a master's in forest ecology and conservation 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

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

Brent Hendricks, General Counsel, works in the Tucson office. Before joining the Center he practiced law in Massachusetts and taught law at the University of Oregon, Willamette University, and the University of Tulsa.  Brent holds degrees from Harvard Law School, the University of Virginia, and the University of Arizona. Co-author of International Environmental Law in a Nutshell (West 1997), he also recently published a book of poetry called Thaumatrope (Action Books 2007).

Contact: Tucson, AZ, bhendricks@biologicaldiversity.org

Cassie Holmgren, Publications Associate, works on Center outreach publications, online communications, and Web site projects. She graduated with a bachelor’s in geography from the University of Colorado in 2007. Prior to joining the Center, she contributed to watershed management programs at the University of Arizona.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, cholmgren@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

Adam Keats, Senior Counsel, Urban Wildlands Director, directs the Center's efforts to halt urban sprawl and destructive land development with the goal of reducing and eliminating greenhouse gases and protecting endangered species and their habitat. His litigation focuses on private land-use law, primarily in Southern California. He received his law degree from the King Hall School of Law at the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Before joining the Center in 2003 he was in private practice in 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, 928.853.9929, jlininger@biologicaldiversity.org

Jacki Lopez, Staff Attorney, holds a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a master's in urban planning from the University of Arizona. Jacki worked in the Center's membership and grants departments before leaving for law school, and has returned from law school as a Center staff attorney in the Center’s International Program.

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

Taylor McKinnon, Public Lands Campaigns Director, works to advance campaigns 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, edits, writes, and guides design of Center publications and other outreach materials. 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, Staff Writer, 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

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

Alison Sterling Nichols, Major Gifts Officer, helps individuals get involved with the important conservation work at the Center through member outreach and fundraising. Prior to joining the Center, she worked for the California Wilderness Coalition, the Klamath Environmental Law Center, the Nature Conservancy, the Trees Foundation, the Leelanau Conservancy, and Focus Features/Universal Studios, among other entities. She was also the campaign manager for the successful re-election campaign of Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos. She attended graduate school at Humboldt State University with a focus on natural resources planning and interpretation. 

Contact: Arcata, CA, 707.601.6522, alison@biologicaldiversity.org

Rebecca Noblin, Staff Attorney, is based in Anchorage, Alaska, where she focuses on protecting marine species from oil and gas development and global warming. Before joining the Center, Rebecca worked under a fellowship from Harvard, which she used to fight Arctic oil and gas development as part of Pacific Environment’s Alaska program. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s in English from the University of Texas and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She served as a clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Eastaugh on the Alaska Supreme Court.

Contact: Anchorage, AK, 907.274.1110, rnoblin@biologicaldiversity.org

Brian Nowicki, California Climate Policy Director, works in the Center's Climate Law Institute, 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

Rebecca O’Sullivan, Tucson Regional Office Manager, is an administrative resource for staff and the public. A San Francisco native, she came to the Sonoran Desert in 1987 and soon became an avid caver, active in Escabrosa Grotto conservation work below and above ground. Prior to joining the Center, she directed programs at DK Advocates, providing job training and placement for people with disabilities, and she has taught both kindergarten and college. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Sonoma State University, where she also studied early childhood education and anthropology.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 302, rosullivan@biologicaldiversity.org

Vera Pardee, Senior Attorney, works with the Climate Law Institute on climate change issues. Before joining the Center, she worked as general counsel for publicly traded companies in the biotech and medical device fields. She was a litigation partner at Seltzer Caplan Vitek McMahon in San Diego and an associate at O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. Vera earned her law degree in 1982 from Southwestern University Law School.

Contact: San Francisco, CA, 415.436.9682 ext. 317, vpardee@biologicaldiversity.org

Julie Ragland, Development Assistant, supports the Center's membership and major gifts programs. Before joining the Center in 2009, Julie worked for various Tucson nonprofit organizations, including the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and the Birth & Women’s Health Center. She brings with her a background in administration, development, and volunteer and event coordination. Julie received her bachelor’s in anthropology with a minor in Portuguese from the University of Arizona in 2001.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 304, jragland@biologicaldiversity.org

Contact: Pinos Altos, NM, 575.534.0360, 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, Senior Counsel, Climate Law Institute 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

Marzena Sienkiewicz, Membership Assistant, processes Center donations. She grew up in Poland, moved to New York City when she was 16, and earned a bachelor’s in biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She subsequently worked for five years at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before moving to Tucson in the fall of 2006.

Contact: Tucson, AZ, 520.623.5252 ext. 311, msienkiewicz@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: Flagstaff, 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

Andrea Treece, Senior 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, Senior Attorney, works with the Center’s Climate Law Institute. 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, 520.271.6497, lwells@biologicaldiversity.org

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