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 Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria, coauthored with Michael Shnayerson, was selected as a Discover Magazine book of the year.
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.
Liliana Madrigal
Co-Founder & Executive Vice President
ACT Senior Director of Program Operations Liliana Madrigal
Liliana Madrigal is co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), created in 1996 with Dr. Mark J. Plotkin. Previously, over a decade, she led conservation efforts with the Fundacion de Parques Nacionales de Costa Rica, Conservation International, and The Nature Conservancy.
Liliana is ACT’s Senior Director of Program Operations, and serves on its board. 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.
In particular, she drives the implementation of programs focusing on indigenous leadership and rights, especially with regard to women, elders, and youth.
Liliana also serves as the chair of the board of directors of the Costa Rican NGO Osa Conservation. 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.
A native of Costa Rica, Liliana lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Dr. Mark J. Plotkin. She is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.
Karla Lara
Senior Director, Finance & Operations
Crisbellt Alvarado
Senior Manager, Finance & Operations
Angie Bolzan
Manager, Grants and Development
Susan Coreas
Assistant, Finance & Administration
Isidoro Hazbun
Manager, Public Affairs & Programs Support
Brian Hettler
Senior Manager, Mapping and Programs Support
Vanessa Mendez
Coordinator, Finance & Administration
Zach Nelson
Associate, Reporting and Development
Francelys Peche
Coordinator, Executive and Operations
Antonio E. Peluso
Coordinator, Communications
David Stone
Senior Manager, Narrative & Media Content
Brazil
Luiz Lopes
Director, ACT-Brasil
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.
Evandro Bernardi
Field Technician
João Barreto
Consultant, Traditional Medicine Analyst
Carla Cetina
Legal Consultant
Alinne Ferreira
Finance & Administration Assistant
Eryka de Seixas
Finance & Administration
Taily de Faria Marcos Terena
Program Management
Ayrton Vollet
Project Coordinator
Colombia
Carolina Gil
Northwest Amazon Regional Director
ACT-Colombia Program Director Carolina Gil
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.
Mauren Alvarez
Communication Consultant
Carlos Alvarez
Administrative Support, Land Program
Lady Angarita
Junior Professional, Putumayo Program
Daniel Aristizabal
Program Coordinator, PIACI & Lower Amazon Program
María Barahona
Professional, PIACI & Lower Amazonas Program
Lady Angarita
Junior Professional, Putumayo Program
Daniel Aristizabal
Program Coordinator, PIACI & Lower Amazon Program
María Barahona
Professional, PIACI & Lower Amazonas Program
Diana Baeza
Profesional Jurídico Proceso Tierras
Adam Bauer
Professional Peoples in Isolation - PIACI Peru, ACT-ORPIO
Cristhian Boada
Professional, Land Program
Andrea Bonilla
Specialist, Contracts, Procurement & Project Management
Monica Bonilla
Graphic Designer
Jaime Burgos
Professional, Land Program
Santiago Caicedo
Social Professional, Medio Río Caquetá Program
Alejandra Calderon
Putumayo Process Professional
Rafael Calderón
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Yendy Cantillo
PROPLAB Local Promoter
Valentina Cardona
Ecologist, PIACI Program
Edgar Castro
Professional, Land Program
Juliana Castro
Specialist, Design, Monitoring & Project Management
Lina Castro
Environmental Education Specialist
Reinaldo Corredor
Professional, Land Program
Santiago Cotrino
Técnico Planicie
Javier Cúellar
Field Technician, Putumayo Program
David Delgado
Professional, Land Program
Alejandro Escobedo
Socio-Business Advisor
María Forero
Professional Social Process PIACI The Amazon Plains Region
María Fernanda Franco
Thematic Professional
Paula Galeano
Program Coordinator, Putumayo
Denise Ganitsky
Professional, SNSM Program
Alexis García
Field Technician
Linda García
Program Coordinator, Land Program
David Gaviria
Legal Intern
Alvaro Gil
Graphic Designer
Lida Gomez
Accounting and Administrative Professional
Antonia González
Legal Support
María Camila González
Ecologist, PIACI & Lower Amazonas Program
Saul Gutierrez
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Yojan Gutiérrez
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program and Lower Caguán River
Constanza Guzman
Accountant
Alexandra Hernández
Administrative Assistant, Florencia Office
Carlos Hernández
Professional, Land Program
Greysi Jafayteque
Local Expert, PIACI Program
Edwin Jaramillo
Anthropologist, Land Program
Yanelis Julio
Administrative Assistant, Bogotá Office
María Paula Kairuz
Anthropologist, Medio Río Caquetá Program
Edinson Lara
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Juana Lara
Communicator - PIACI Process The Amazon Plains Region
Germán Laserna
Professional, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Juana Londoño
Program Coordinator, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM)
Vanesa Martinez
Professional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Germán Mejía
GIS Specialist, PIACI & Lower Amazonas Program
Maricel Melo
Legal Advisor, Land Program
Andrea Montoya
Coordinator, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation
Carmen Moreno
Administrative & HR Support
María Patricia Navarrete
Program Coordinator, Fragua-Churumbelos
Edgar Nuñez
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Esteban Otero
Environmental Engineer
Andrea Paredes
Agricultural Engineer
Sandra Patiño
Profesional en Salud Indígena e Intercultural
Nelson Pinilla
Biologist, Medio Río Caquetá Program
María Consuelo Prada
Finance & Administration Subdirector
Ricardo Rey
Professional, SNSM Program
Norma Riaño
Public Policy Specialist, PIACI Program
Ángela Rincón
Social Professional
Anamaria Rodriguez
Professional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Carolina Rodríguez
Professional, SNSM Program
Laura Rodriguez
Junior Legal Support
Juliette Rojas
Local Monitoring & Environmental Education
Isabella Roldan
Graphic Designer
Paola Romero
Accounting Assistant
Andrés Ruiz
Profesional Jurídico Proceso Tierras
Hector Silva
Field Technician, Medio Río Caquetá Program
Wilmer Silva
Field Technician, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Jenifer Tobar
Profesional de enlace en salud Proceso Putumayo
William Vargas
Administrative Support, SNSM Program
Pablo Velásquez
Coordinator, GSI
Daniel Villamil
Communications, Fragua-Churumbelos Program
Rolando Zambrano
Attorney
Lucia Zarama
Social Communications Intern
Europe
Dominiek Plouvier
Director
ACT-Europe Program Director Dominiek Plouvier
A senior conservation expert with over 30 years of experience in neotropical ecology, tropical forest conservation issues, tropical forest management and tropical ornithology and botany. He has written numerous reports, publications and books dealing with the abovementioned topics. His consulting and professional work has taken place in multiple countries in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia.
A Belgian citizen, Dominiek obtained his Master’s Degree in Tropical Forest Ecology at the State University of Ghent, Belgium. From 2006 to 2014, he served as a Regional Representative for WWF Guianas, managing an annual budget of US$3 million and some 25 staff. From 2014-2016, his consultancy clients included the World Bank, the Dutch Embassy, the REDD+ Guiana Shield Technical Cooperation project, and the Amazon Conservation Team.
Sanne Olthof
Assistant
Suriname
Minu Parahoe
Northeast Amazon Regional 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
Indigenous People Regional Coordinator
Michel Debidin
Logistics Officer
Marel Daal
Finance Assistant
Anastatia Haynes
Office Manager
Bruce Hoffman
Grants and Development Manager
Maikie Jaachpi
Assistant Station Coordinator
Hemwattie Jagroop
Finance Coordinator
Romano Jalimsingh
Communications Coordinator
Keoma Jungerman
Finance, Operations and Human Resource Manager
Carlo Koorndijk
Tribal Regional Coordinator
Donicia Molly
Station Coordinator
Rouché Ronosemito
Station Coordinator
Tristauw Rosiek
Station Coordinator
Felipe Samper
Project Manager
Shannon Sandjon
Assistant Station Coordinator
Lucio Wajacabo
Station Coordinator