United States
Dr. Mark J. Plotkin
Co-Founder & President
Mark Plotkin, ACT President
Dr. Mark J. Plotkin has led ACT and guided its vision since 1996, when he co-founded the organization with his fellow conservationist, Liliana Madrigal. He is a renowned ethnobotanist who has spent almost three decades studying traditional plant use with traditional healers of tropical America.
Dr. Plotkin has previously served as Research Associate in Ethnobotanical Conservation at the Botanical Museum of Harvard University; Director of Plant Conservation at the World Wildlife Fund; Vice President of Conservation International; and Research Associate at the Department of Botany of the Smithsonian Institution.
Among his many influential writings, Dr. Plotkin may be best known for his popular work Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice (1994), which has been printed continuously and has been published in multiple languages. Other works include the critically acclaimed children's book The Shaman's Apprentice - A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest, illustrated by Lynne Cherry, and Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets. His most recent book, The Amazon – What Everyone Needs to Know, was published by Oxford University Press in 2020.
In 1998, he played a leading role in the Academy Award-nominated IMAX film Amazon. Dr. Plotkin's work also has been featured in a PBS Nova documentary, in an Emmy-winning Fox TV documentary, on the NBC Nightly News and Today Show, CBS' 48 Hours and in Life, Newsweek, Smithsonian, Elle, People, The New York Times, along with appearances on National Public Radio. Time magazine called him an "Environmental Hero for the Planet" (2001) and Smithsonian magazine hailed him as one of "35 Who Made a Difference" (2005), along with Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and fellow New Orleanian Wynton Marsalis.
Dr. Plotkin has received the San Diego Zoo Gold Medal for Conservation; the Roy Chapman Andrews Distinguished Explorer Award; an International Conservation Leadership award from the Jane Goodall Institute; and, with Liliana Madrigal, the Skoll Foundation’s Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2010, he received the honorary degree of "Doctor of Humane Letters" from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Plotkin was educated at Harvard, Yale and Tufts University.
His ongoing podcast Plants of the Gods is available on Apple Podcasts and other platforms.
Liliana Madrigal
Co-Founder & Executive Vice President
ACT Senior Director of Program Operations Liliana Madrigal
Liliana Madrigal is Co-Founder and Vice-President of ACT, created in 1996 with Dr. Mark J. Plotkin. Her special mandate is providing the vision, strategic direction, and organizational leadership to advance ACT’s mission. Additionally, Liliana oversees ACT’s fundraising and programmatic activities, traveling frequently to South America to meet and work with ACT's local teams and indigenous partners. Previously she led conservation efforts with the Fundacion de Parques Nacionales de Costa Rica, Conservation International, and The Nature Conservancy. In 2006, Liliana won the Circle of Bridge-Makers Award from the Angeles Arrien Foundation. She and Dr. Plotkin were co-awardees of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2008. In 2017, she was awarded a residency fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center. Liliana lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Dr. Mark J. Plotkin.
Karla Lara
Chief Financial Officer
Crisbellt Alvarado
Director, Finance & Operations
Brian Hettler
Director, Mapping
Bruce Hoffman
Senior Manager, Scientific Research
David Stone
Senior Manager, Narrative & Media Content
Francelys Peche
Manager, Travel & Logistics
Thais Santos
Staff Accountant
Diana Wilson
Finance Associate
Bárbara Onkle
Manager, Communications & Marketing
Anna Casey
Manager, External Communications
Thea Van Gorp
Institutional Giving & Grants Officer
Tom McGuire
Chief Development Officer
Brazil
Luiz da Silva
Executive Secretary
ACT-Brasil Program Director Luiz Lopes
Luiz Cláudio joined ACT in May 2020. Previously, he served as Advisor to Brazil’s National Council for Sustainable Rural Development (CONDRAF), and Advisor, Coordinator and National Executive Director of Caritas Brasileira. Additionally, he was a founder and member of the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change and Environmental Justice. Luis Cláudio has long experience in the fields of conservation, human rights, economics and education, with an emphasis on agroecology and sustainable rural development, generating studies and publications. Other areas of expertise are strategic planning, organizational management, and international cooperation. He carries a master’s degree in Politics and Development and a Bachelor’s in agronomy from the Federal University of Bahia.
Roberta Anffe
Field Analyst
João Barreto
Traditional Medicine Analyst
Evandro Bernardi
Field Analyst
Carla Cetina
Legal Analyst
Alinne Ferreira
Financial Analyst
Amanda Lelis
Communications Analyst
Leonardo Nery
Administrative Financial Intern
Elisângela Pinheiro
Administrative Analyst
Nian Pissolati
Consultant, Field Analyst
Marcio Sabbadini
Analyst in Geoprocessing
Fernando Santos
Accountant Analyst
Ayrton Vollet
North Regional Project Coordinator
Colombia
Carolina Gil
Directora Regional - Noroeste Amazonas
Carolina Gil - Directora Regional Noroeste Amazonas
Carolina Gil, a practicing attorney since 1997, has lengthy experience in administrative and financial management, contractual law, and the development of public and private contracting mechanisms, including international assistance and agreements.
Prior to assuming her role as the Amazon Conservation Team’s Director for its Colombia program in November 2011, she served as Financial and Administrative Subdirector for the National Parks Unit of Colombia. Additionally, Carolina served an important role with Colombia’s Fondo Patrimonio Natural, which manages all international environmental cooperation for Colombia.
From 2006-2007, Carolina was ACT-Colombia’s Administrative & Financial Director, overseeing the transition to a reformed institution while also functioning as the organization’s Colombian legal counsel. In 2007, she also served as the Administrative and Financial Subdirector for Colombia’s Natural Heritage Fund for Biodiversity and Protected Areas.
Prior to that, Carolina served three years as the legal coordinator for the Corporation for Environmental and Cultural Protection and Land Management (CORPACOT), facilitating the negotiation and fulfillment of contracts from institutions including the U.S. Department of the Interior, the World Bank, the government of the Netherlands, and Conservation International. She also served three years as the attorney for the Colombian National Parks with respect to the country’s northwest territory.
Carolina carries honors degrees from Colombia’s Universidad de Antioquia and Universidad Nacional. She has a strong academic background and interest in historical research.
Paola Aguilar
Profesional Social
Mauren Alvarez
Coordinadora de Comunicaciones
Carlos Alvarez
Profesional Administrativo Proceso Tierras
Daniel Aristizabal
Coordinador Proceso PIACI & Bajo Amazonas
Diana Baeza
Profesional Jurídico Proceso Tierras
María Fernanda Barahona
Profesional Proceso PIACI Planicie Amazónica
Cristhian Boada
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Verónica Builes
Profesional Planeación, Seguimiento & Evaluación
Jaime Burgos
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Alejandra Calderon
Profesional Proceso Putumayo
Jhon Calderón
Promotor de Campo
Yendy Cantillo
Profesional Socio Empresarial
Valentina Cardona
Profesional Ecóloga Proceso Putumayo
Jhon Caro
Promotor de Campo
Edgar Castro
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Lina Castro
Educadora Ambiental
Ubency Cerquera
Técnico de Campo
Melany Chingate
Profesional en Compras & Adquisiciones
Reinaldo Corredor
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Carlos Cruz
Especialista en Adquisiciones & Contratación
Javier Cúellar
Técnico de Campo Proceso Putumayo
David Delgado
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Libardo Diaz
Ingeniero Agroecologo
Paula Galeano
Coordinadora Proceso Putumayo
Alexis García
Técnico de Campo
José García
Profesional Proceso SNSM
Leonel García
Promotor de Campo
Linda García
Coordinadora Proceso Tierras
Alvaro Gil
Profesional Diseño
Profesional Temático Proceso PIACI
Gonzalo Gómez
Promotor de Campo
Henry González
Especialista en SIG
Natalia Giraldo
Profesional de Campo Proceso SNSM
María Camila González
Profesional Ecóloga, Proceso PIACI & Bajo Amazonas
Saul Gutierrez
Técnico de Campo
Constanza Guzman
Contadora
Juliana Henao
Profesional Contable Junior
Carlos Hernández
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Juana Hofman
Asesoría Territorial
Diego Hoyos
Legal Professional
Edwin Jaramillo
Antropólogo Proceso Tierras
Diego Jiménez
Especialista en Gobernanza
Pedro Jiménez
Promotor de Campo
Yanelis Julio
Secretaria
María Paula Kairuz
Profesional Bióloga & SIG
Sonia Leal
Psicóloga
Beatriz Leguizamón
Profesional Proceso Tierras
Juana Londoño
Coordinadora Proceso SNSM
Manuel Marín
Tesorero
Mildreth Martelo
Aprendiz
Vanesa Martinez
Profesional de Planeación, Seguimiento & Evaluación
Mateo Medina
Profesional de Comunicaciones
Germán Mejía
Profesional de Protección & SIG - Proceso PIACI & Bajo Amazonas
Alejandro Molano
Profesional Desarrollador de Software
Alexander Meneses
Promotor de Campo
Andrea Montoya
Coordinadora de Planeación, Seguimiento & Evaluación
Victoria Mora
Profesional Jurídica
Carmen Moreno
Profesional SG-SST & Talento Humano
Juan Moreno
Especialista Administrativo & Financiero Proyecto BID
Katerine Muñoz
Aprendiz
María Patricia Navarrete
Coordinadora Proceso Fragua-Churumbelos
Profesional de Apoyo Proceso SNSM
Edgar Nuñez
Técnico de Campo
Celene Paz
Profesional Territorial Enlace de Salud 2
Sandra Patiño
Profesional en Salud Indígena E Intercultural
Nelson Pinilla
Biólogo Proceso Medio Río Caquetá
María Consuelo Prada
Subdirectora Administrativa & Financiera
Laura Quintero
Pasante
Delver Ramírez
Técnico Administrativo
Norma Riaño
Profesional Especializada Política Pública PIACI Planicie Amazónica
Ángela Rincón
Profesional Social
Carolina Rodriguez
Especialista en Ordenamiento Territorial
Enyel Rodriguez
Profesional en Pedagogía
Laura Rodríguez
Profesional Jurídico
Rocio Rodríguez
Responsable SG-SST
Isabella Roldan
Diseñadora Gráfica
Paola Romero
Profesional Contable Senior
Mauricio Romero
Profesional Temático del Proceso Planicie-PIACI
Andrés Ruiz
Profesional Jurídico Especializado
Jhon Sabogal
Promotor de Campo
Coordinadora Derechos en el Territorio - Línea Estratégica Gobernanza
Hector Silva
Técnico de Campo - Proceso Medio Rio Caquetá
Wilmer Silva
Técnico de Campo
Camila Silva
Asistente Administrativa
Especialista Financiera
Jenifer Tobar
Profesional de enlace en salud Proceso Putumayo
William Vargas
Apoyo Administrativo
Carmen Velásquez
Tallerista Educación Ambiental
Pablo Velásquez
Coordinador SIG
Daniel Villamil
Profesional Temático – Biólogo Meliponicultura
Jessica Villamil
Geógrafa Proceso Putumayo
Henry Yucuna
Experto Local
Costa Rica
Max Villalobos
Ancestral Tides Director
Juan Carlos Cruz
Ancestral Tides, Manager of Science & Conservation
Guianas
Michel Debidin
Logistics Coordinator
Aarthi Dhanradj
HR & Legal Consultant
Ben D'Leon
Coordinator, Communications
Minu Parahoe
ACT-Guianas Director
ACT-Suriname Program Director Minu Parahoe
Minu Parahoe, a Surinamese national, is a specialist in natural resource management and sustainable agroforestry/silviculture systems with local communities in the Guiana Shield region.
Prior to joining ACT, Minu served as project manager for a UNDP/GEF-funded project on Suriname Coastal Protected Areas Management. Additionally, through her consultancy, she conducted auditing of timber operations, developed draft guidelines for high conservation forest value in timber concessions for WWF, and acted as national project coordinator for the government in preparation for a GEF project promoting effective and efficient management of western Surinamese protected areas.
From 2007-2010, she served as Freshwater and Protected Areas Field Officer for WWF Guianas, responsible for project development, monitoring, and reporting in close collaboration with stakeholders. She also served many years as a key staff member/researcher at the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS) and lectured at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname in GIS, environmental science, and land and environmental management. Longtime study and work areas include Suriname’s Bigi Pan wetlands / multiple use management area, mangrove forests, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, and the Sipaliwini Nature Reserve.
Minu carries an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies and a B.S. in Agronomy from the Anton de Kom University.
Peggy Baisie
General Services
Roché Bhola
GIS & Technology Regional Coordinator
Mercedes Hardjoprajitno
Research & Monitoring Coordinator
Manisa Hathie
Finance Associate
Maike Jaachpi
Indigenous Peoples Support
Hemwattie Jagroop
Finance & Operations Manager
Judith Koning
Arts & Crafts Coordinator
Carlo Koorndijk
Acting Country Manager
Donicia Molly
Office Manager
Guillermo Monsanto
Acting Tribal Regional Coordinator
Michael Nanden
Livelihood Coordinator
Rouché Ronosemito
Station Coordinator
Tristauw Rosiek
Indigenous Peoples Regional Coordinator
Shannon Sandjon
Tapanahony Watershed Coordinator
Lucio Wajacabo
Curuni Watershed Coordinator