Board of Directors

Melina was founding director of the Amazon Alliance for Indigenous Peoples and Their Environment in WDC, a coalition of 80 organizations – including International Rivers. Recently she was a program officer at the Goldman Environmental Prize. She has consulted with dozens of organizations in the areas of strategic program development and indigenous rights. She has a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University and teaches Latin American politics. Widely published, Melina is the author of Ethnopolitics in Ecuador: Indigenous Rights and the Strengthening of Democracy. Board member since 2019. 

Chance Cutrano is the Director of Programs at the Marin-based Resource Renewal Institute (RRI). Chance’s work centers around large landscape conservation—from the preservation of wildlife in National Parks to the restoration of biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. Most recently, Chance has been developing Fish in the Fields, a regenerative aquaculture program, reintroducing native fish to rice fields in the United States. Prior to his time at RRI, Chance researched food, water, and energy policy in Vietnam, Morocco, and Bolivia. For his various environmental pursuits, Chance has been honored with the Sierra Club California’s 2018 Emerging Leader award and Acterra’s 2021 Champion of Promise award in food sustainability. In addition to his work at RRI, Chance serves as Vice-Chair of the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter and holds elected office on the Town Council in Fairfax, California. Chance received a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy from Saint Xavier University and a Masters of Public Administration in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School. Board member since 2021.

Lisa Craig Gautier, co-founder of the environmental public charity Matter of Trust (MofT), brings over 25 years of experience in developing innovative ecological solutions to our Board of Directors. With a background spanning international business and environmental studies, Lisa has dedicated her career to promoting renewable resources, recycling, reuse, and repair. As the driving force behind MofT, she designs and implements large-scale, inclusive systems that are both convenient and replicable. Lisa’s expertise includes orchestrating international networks for green innovations and creating transformational programs that engage diverse communities. Her leadership has resulted in the establishment of two flagship locations: the Eco-Industrial Hub and the immersive Eco-Home, both serving as educational models for sustainable living and manufacturing. Prior to MofT, Lisa held positions at Valeo in Paris and FedEx Logistics, complementing her practical experience with studies in French Culture at the Sorbonne and Zoo Management at Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. She was previously Chair of Drawdown.org and recently finished serving 2 terms each on the boards of Biomimicry.org and RandallMuseum.org, currently Vice Chair for matteroftrust.org and on the advisory board for thehumsum.org – bringing a wealth of knowledge in environmental stewardship and public engagement to our organization. Board member since 2024.

Evelyn Arce-Erickson, a descendant of the Muisca people of Colombia, is a dedicated champion of Indigenous self-determination and Indigenous-led philanthropy. As the founder of Indigenous Resilience Consulting (IRC), Evelyn works to build Native-led capacity and serves as a strategic advisor to both donors and Indigenous communities. As co-founder and Executive Director of the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) for over 15 years, Evelyn led the organization’s evolution into a self-standing not-for-profit entity. IFIP remains the sole global donor affinity group exclusively dedicated to Indigenous peoples, pioneering the first organized effort to direct hundreds of millions directly into Indigenous communities. Evelyn currently serves on the Board for Biomimicry Institute, Fortunate Farms, Earth Code, and Love Wild Horses. Additionally, Evelyn founded Coastside Friendship Organic Garden (c-FOG), fostering healthy soils, food, and community on the San Mateo coast. With Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Cornell University, she is a Goldman Environmental Prize nominator and a Donella Meadows Leadership Fellow. She enjoys exploring Mendocino trails and beaches with her three children and husband. Board member since 2023.

Donna House (Diné/Oneida) is a renowned advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and practices in ecosystem management. Donna brings over 35 years of experience in the protection of biological and cultural diversity to our organization.

An ethnobotanist, Donna has been a key figure in advancing Indigenous-led solutions to protect rare and endangered plant species, address climate change and promote renewable energy policies. She was one of four principal designers of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, where she incorporated Indigenous science and native plant species into the museum’s living landscape. During her tenure at The Nature Conservancy, Donna made significant contributions to the integration of Indigenous knowledge in ecosystem management. She has consulted on many projects, including working with Navajo-led community-based organizations to reduce fossil-fuel power plant emissions and advancing Indigenous-lens research in environmental justice with the Dine Centered Research and Evaluation. She has served on a number of boards and advised philanthropic ventures. Board member since 2024. 

Marion Adeney is Director of Amazon and Fire Programs at Conservation X Labs (CXL). A conservation ecologist with a broad interdisciplinary background, Marion is an expert in fire, biodiversity, landscape, and tropical ecology. She has more than twenty years of experience working on tropical forest conservation, with a focus on the Amazon region.  Committed to working at the intersection of environmental conservation, science, innovation, and development, Marion’s current focus is leveraging the best of global open innovation to collaborate with placed-based knowledge to reimagine our collective approaches to conservation and sustainable development.  Prior to joining CXL, Marion led the Brazil portfolio for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Andes-Amazon Initiative from 2016-2021 and previously worked as a Science Advisor and on strategy development for the US Agency for International Development’s Regional, Peru, and Brazil Amazon programs. Marion has a PhD in Conservation Ecology from Duke University and is professionally fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and proficient in Bahasa Indonesia.

Branden Barber has been CEO of Rainforest Rescue since 2018, leading efforts to protect and restore the Daintree Rainforest—Earth’s longest-thriving tropical rainforest. With over 30 years of leadership in social impact and for-profit sectors in Australia and the US, Branden brings deep expertise in organizational development, stakeholder engagement, and environmental advocacy. Under his leadership, Rainforest Rescue has scaled its restoration work, launched a large-scale native nursery, and strengthened partnerships with Indigenous communities, scientists, conservation groups, and local councils. Branden is passionate about creating systemic solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises and works to build lasting impact through collaboration, restoration, and regenerative practice.