I specialize in helping organizations maximize their impact through strategic planning, partnership building, capacity enhancement, and the design and implementation of effective conservation programs.

Prior to retiring in 2020, I led eight conservation science teams at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research: Biodiversity Banking, Community Engagement, Conservation Genetics, Disease Investigations, Plant Conservation, Population Sustainability, Recovery Ecology, and Reproductive Sciences. In this role, I oversaw growth of our annual budget to $20M, including $7M in grant funding and a staff of 200 science experts. Our global work focused on implementing species recovery programs, addressing impacts of wildlife trafficking and climate change, banking genetic material from endangered plants and animals, and collaborative community-based conservation initiatives in Africa, Asia, and South America.

As a division head, I led a research team focused on large-scale field conservation programs, including restoration of species to their native habitats. Flagship reintroduction programs included California condors, Hawaiian forest birds, San Clemente Island shrikes, Caribbean rock iguanas, mountain yellow-legged frogs, and endangered southern California butterflies.

As a reptile and amphibian specialist, I helped design and manage conservation recovery efforts for endangered iguanas in Costa Rica, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Fiji, as well as komodo dragons, sea turtles, desert tortoises, and native California plants, frogs, lizards, and snakes.

In this role, I mentored more than 20 graduate student researchers and interns from universities and research institutions in the US and abroad. In 2015, I was honored with the Athena Pinnacle Award for excellence in recognition, promotion, and mentorship of women in the Life Sciences.