Meet Our Team

Board President

Andi is a wildlife biologist by training and is currently a Senior Program Associate with Southwest Decision Resources, a local facilitation company. She holds a B.S in Zoology from the University of Montana and a M.S in Wildlife Science from the University of Arizona. Recently, Andi’s career has focused on fostering collaboration in natural resources including skills in mediation, conflict resolution, and capacity building. Andi also loves to ride horses, hike with her dogs, bake bread, cross country ski and of course spend time with her family.

Vice Board President

Eric is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor at Ascendant Financial Solutions with a focus on socially responsible and fossil fuel free investing. He has been active in the community during 20 years of living in Flagstaff volunteering for different organizations and serving on multiple boards. He is an active 4H leader and is well known as the “Camel and Llama guy”. Since his home is electrified by solar and heated by a “thermal solar/wood stove”, while his gardening ecosystem involves harvested rainwater, pest controlling chickens, and goat and llama fertilizers, one could say that sustainability is his passion.

Board Treasurer

Melanie was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Arizona and also completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Melanie has worked with the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University since 2017 where she directs government relations, public policy analysis, social science knowledge development and application, and communication services with the goal of supporting ecological restoration of Western forest landscapes. Melanie loves being outdoors and raced as a professional cyclist for 8 years. Now, she enjoys running, hiking, camping, skiing, and mountain biking with friends and family.

Board Secretary

Jillian is a retired educator. She received her first BS in Forestry, then received a BS in K-8 education and her master’s degree in Bilingual Multicultural Education.  Jillian spent time in the Philippines as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and a year teaching in China.  She is a certified Project Wild educator and prides herself on her outdoor education skills.  The few years of Jillian’s teaching career were spent teaching Science in a local middle school.  Jillian has participated in research projects in the Bering Sea and the Southern Ocean and has a passion for bringing learning out of the classroom and into the real data driven world. 

CNRCD Liason

Tabi is the Area Supervisor for Campbell Global’s Northern Arizona operations, where he manages forest activities. He is a Registered Professional Forester in the state of California. Tabi has worked in fish and wildlife biology, botany, forest certification (FSC & SFI), safe harbor agreements, land use agreements, and long-term planning. He also has extensive training in tribal relations, negotiating effective environmental agreements, facilitation, archaeology, and protocols for botanical surveys. Tabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ with his wife and their two children.

Board Member

Jana grew up in a ranching community in west Texas and received her B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. She spent the first years of her career as an itinerant biologist with a focus on field ornithology, and then became a park ranger for the City of Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area. Jana has worked at SWCA Environmental Consultants for the past 15 years, starting as a field biologist and was recently promoted to Vice President of their Southwest subregion. Jana enjoys hiking, running, botany, birding and spending time outdoors with family and friends.

Michele is the executive director of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future. She has a B.S in wildlife biology, a Master’s from the Sustainable Communities Program, and a post-baccalaureate degree in Visual Communication. She spent over 15 years managing endangered and threatened species, working for federal agencies and non-profits in Oregon and Arizona. Michele enjoys hiking and camping with her family, photography, stained glass, poetry, and fixing up an old house in Flagstaff.

Ariel was born and raised in Maryland. She attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio where she studied biology. Since she graduated in 1987, Ariel has worked for the Park Service and Forest Service in various capacities. She attended graduate School at Northern Arizona University where she received a Master’s degree in Forestry. Ariel has worked for the Kaibab National Forest since 2004 and currently serves as the Forest Planner and Climate Change Coordinator.

Grant is co-owner of Grand Canyon Adventures, an outdoor guide company based in Flagstaff  & Sedona. He was born and raised in the desert outside of Las Vegas and made regular trips to the Flagstaff area for hiking, backpacking, and exploring. After graduating with a degree in Physics from Lewis and Clark College, Grant and his wife moved to Flagstaff with their two dogs and never looked back. Grant’s passion for the landscapes of Northern Arizona has furthered Grand Canyon Adventures’ mission to create new advocates for this land with 10,000 guests each year. He loves to annoy his wife by turning every hike into a “guided” hike.

Board Member since July 2025

Gina grew up among the saguaros and ocotillos of the Sonoran Desert in Tucson, attended Regis University in Denver, lived in Alaksa and Oregon as a Jesuit Volunteer, completed the Teton Science Schools Graduate Program, and her master’s in Natural Science Education & Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. In her current role with the STRAW Program of Point Blue Conservation Science, Gina oversees educational programs to empower students through hands-on restoration. Gina is thankful to be an alumnus of the Environmental Leadership Program and learning cohorts with the Center for Diversity and the Environment. Gina can often be found hiking a nearby trail, cooking a family recipe, teaching a Zumba class, or watching birds in her backyard.