On the screen from left to right: Elizabeth and Clarissa. Middle row from left to right: Robbin, Jared, Alison, Matt, Becky, Mikko, and Paige. Front row from left to right: Megan, Aaron, Gadalia, and Rosie. Not pictured: Chris (taking the picture), Connor, and Kate.
Board Recruitment Announcement
At Rocky Mountain Wild we understand that a healthy ecosystem is based on a diversity of life (biodiversity). We believe that the same principle holds true for our organization. In order to fully meet our mission to protect, connect, and restore wildlife and wildlands, our systems and programs must be resilient and encompass a variety of perspectives and communities.
We are actively seeking additional board members that bring diverse cultural backgrounds, skills, ideas, and perspectives to our team. If you are passionate about our mission and skilled in one or more of these areas we would love to hear from you!
- accounting
- fundraising (specifically, Community-Centric Fundraising)
- justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- shared leadership
- app development
- data management
- nonprofit law
- conservation law
- conservation biology
Our board meets quarterly and our meetings are accessible via Zoom. Our in-person meetings are held in a physically accessible building. There is no minimum financial requirement for board participation, all we ask is that you give of your time and resources in a way that is significant to you.
If you are interested, please send Kate Rentschlar (a current Board Member and representative from the Board Recruitment Committee) a short cover letter about your interest in joining the Board and a resume or LinkedIn profile. We would like to receive materials from interested folks by December 20.
Current Board Members
Alma “Rosie” Sanchez (she/her/ella)
Hailing from the vibrant regions of Michoacan, Mexico, and Guatemala, Rosie is a wildlife conservation biologist on a mission to champion equity, inclusion, and community empowerment within the realm of wildlife conservation and outdoor pursuits. With a fervent dedication to both personal and professional endeavors, Rosie’s journey has been an inspiring fusion of wildlife preservation, environmental advocacy, and communal involvement.
Having earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University, her expertise spans a diverse spectrum, encompassing outreach, wildlife rehabilitation, and impactful campaigns such as the momentous reintroduction of wolves in Colorado (Proposition 114) and now, Wolverines! Her engagement with the community knows no bounds, as evidenced by her roles in organizations like Next 100 Colorado, Latino Outdoors (Colorado), and All In Ice Fest.
With boundless enthusiasm, Rosie is pursuing the next chapter of her conservation journey, pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her focus? Indigenous Carnivore Ecology—an exploration into the intricate interplay of cultural and social dynamics shaping carnivore reintroduction and survival efforts.
Becky Long (she/her), Board President
Becky joined Siegel Public Affairs in 2016 with over a decade of public policy and advocacy experience. She began her work in public policy with the Colorado Environmental Coalition working in Colorado water policy and later served as the Advocacy Director for Conservation Colorado. With strong experience in a range of natural resource issues as well as in political and electoral work, she is now putting those skills to work on behalf of a host of other clients. She has led campaigns to create tax incentives for water right donations to protect rivers and streams, protect and expand renewable energy in Colorado, incentivize the electric vehicle market in Colorado, strengthen protections for local communities facing oil and gas extraction, and recently the efforts to legalize rain barrels. Ms. Long has expertise in building coalitions, policy development, and in lobbying at the legislature to secure wins on behalf of progressive issues. Ms. Long has a BA in Political Science from Metropolitan State College and an MPA from the University of Colorado, Denver. She was born and raised in the mountains of Summit County. She enjoys spending time at her family’s cattle ranch where she is working to convince her parents to adopt several goats. Until then, she lives in Northwest Denver with her partner and their cats Lewis & Liza Minelli.
Clarissa Guy (she/her), Board Secretary
Clarissa has an entwined history in media and science. She has extensive experience in producing feature-length documentaries, which have appeared in the Colorado Environmental Film Festival and won Heartland Emmy Awards. In her media roles as both multimedia journalist and filmmaker, she has pursued local stories of history, community, and science, collaborating with organizations like the Colorado State Historical Fund and NOVA.
Clarissa holds a BA and an MA in biology. Through her studies, she has handled northern fur seals, electric eels, and raptors; analyzed the geomorphology of coastlines; and studied coral reefs, forests, marine microbes, and eastern gray squirrels. Most recently in her graduate work, she explored what true participation through digital media means and looks like in conservation. She hopes to continue exploring this intersection between digital media and conservation work to create complex change. She lives in Denver, Colorado where her family has lived for generations.
Connor Liu (he/him), Board Vice President
Connor grew up in Potomac, Maryland and has his B.S. in Environmental Science from Dickinson College, a small liberal arts college in Carlisle, PA. He has a diverse list of experiences in the conservation landscape. Most recently, Connor has conducted prescribed burns and implemented conifer restoration projects for The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient Forests Program, as well as planned fundraising events as part of the development team for ShoreRivers, a riverkeeper nonprofit in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Connor currently works at a software company called Brandfolder which helps companies across the world store, manage, and distribute their digital assets. As a volunteer for the Colorado Corridors Project and the Pika Project, Connor is extremely excited to be part of the RMW board and to have a broader impact on the environmental movement in Colorado. In his spare time Connor enjoys playing ice hockey, playing guitar and piano, and exploring the beautiful Rocky Mountain region through camping, hiking, and wildlife photography.
Elizabeth Morgan (she/her), Board Treasurer
My name is Elizabeth, and I have called Colorado home for the past 8 years. I have always had a passion for nature and a personal mission to improve the world. In an effort to achieve my mission, I obtained a BS in wildlife management & conservation and a Master’s in public administration specializing in nonprofit management. I have focused my professional objectives on working in the nonprofit sector for wildlife conservation, either in natural resource management, promoting scientific research to the public, or empowering wildlife conservation in policy. Currently, I work for Morris Animal Foundation as an Annual Giving Manager. I help our community understand and contribute to the impact we have on advancing veterinary medicine so all animals can lead healthier lives. Along with my career in fundraising, I serve as secretary/treasurer for the Conservation Education & Outreach Working Group of The Wildlife Society, and I am a crew leader volunteer with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, helping manage volunteers with trail maintenance and habitat restoration projects. When not working or volunteering, I enjoy hiking with my pooch (Bowie), tackling 14ers, rock climbing, mountain biking, and spending most weekends under the stars and away from the city. My superpowers include collaborating with others and being innovative to help turn opportunities into action. Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-morgan619/
Gadalia O’Bryan (she/her/elle)
Gadalia is a senior technology and business leader, founder, and investor, specializing in using security and data technologies to transform business, impact mission, and create change in the world. She is currently the founder and CEO of the technology company Dapple Security, where she builds products that empower users to have more control over their own digital identities. Gadalia places immense value in wildlife conservation in her personal and professional life and in the intersection of conservation, environmental justice, and technology.
Gadalia has an MA in Mathematics from UCLA, specializing in Algebraic Topology. She served as a cryptomathematician at the National Security Agency (NSA) for nearly a decade before joining the private sector as an executive at a Big Data/AI software startup where she built a profitable consulting practice and helped lead the company to a successful exit. She then joined the National Audubon Society and built a data and analytics team and enterprise infrastructure that furthers wildlife conservation and the business processes that support it.
Jared Bynum (he/him)
A lifelong resident of Colorado’s front range, Jared is a policy lead with the Next 100 Coalition and the Colorado Outdoor Equity Coalition, a Children and Nature Network Youth Advisory Council member, and an environmental justice advocate with Colorado Rising, a statewide organization devoted to protecting Colorado’s communities and environment from the impacts of pollution. Passionate about defending and restoring the Southern Rockies, he works to advance programs that increase access to the outdoors, fights for laws that conserve nature and halt climate change, and advances efforts to lift up the voices of underrepresented communities at the Capitol and in decision making bodies all around the state.
Spending his childhood as a boy scout and seasonal ranch hand, he has since gone on to work at the Colorado General Assembly, Environment Colorado, and Conservation Colorado, amongst others. Advocating on behalf of LGBTQ issues, racial and social justice, and environmental causes, he works to lend capacity and leadership to the issues most important to him and Colorado’s communities. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and backpacking through Colorado’s extensive State and National parks system, exploring Denver’s urban and mountain trails network, and baking banana bread.
Kate Rentschlar (she/her)
Kate is an Environmental Planner with the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department. Her work focuses on the Nature in the City program which aims to increase habitat and biodiversity in an urban setting while also providing equitable access to nature for all community members. Kate brings years of collaborative, community-driven conservation experience to advance the needs of wildlife and humans alike. She has a B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University and a Master of Environmental Governance from the University of Freiburg, in Germany. Kate lives in Fort Collins with her friends and cat. If you don’t find her in her garden, then she’s probably out on her bike or hiking in the mountains.
Miguel “Mikko” Jimenez (he/him)
Mikko is an ecologist with an interest in using science to create cities where people and wildlife can thrive. As a PhD candidate at Colorado State University, he primarily explores this work through the lens of migration ecology and urban ecology, studying the role that social-ecological systems play in the conservation of migratory birds. More specifically, his research focuses on using radar data to quantify bird migration patterns and inform efforts to keep birds safe as they fly over cities. Mikko also serves on the Fort Collins Climate Equity Committee and is interested in integrating environmental justice into city planning efforts.
Mikko holds a B.A. in Biology from Knox College and an M.S. in Ecology from Colorado State University. He is a science writer with bylines that have appeared in The National Audubon Society, Popular Science, The Conversation, and Positively Filipino. Mikko is also an avid birder and musician, actively gigging across the northern Front Range.
Our board of directors can be reached at board@rockymountainwild.org.