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Ray Victurine – President

Mr. Victurine focuses on the development of market opportunities and sustainable funding mechanisms to support biodiversity conservation long-term. He serves as Director of the Conservation Finance Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society. In this role, he offers technical assistance in innovative market and financing opportunities to worldwide field projects. Mr. Victurine has worked in conservation and economic development for over 25 years, and has extensive experience throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. He holds a B.A. from Georgetown University, and a M.S. in Resource Economics from Texas A&M University. In addition, he holds a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Washington, and has carried out Ph.D. studies in Conservation Biology and Economics.

Ann Koontz – Vice President

Ms. Koontz specializes in business development that is environmentally responsible while reducing poverty and improving overall sector sustainability and efficiency. As Executive Director of EnterpriseWorks/VITA, Ms. Koontz has worked on sector development for agriculture, forestry, light industry, handicrafts and furniture, tree crops, personal care, energy, water, and ecosystem services products with producer groups and businesses in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Her experience includes capacity building for local organizations, enterprise-based biodiversity conservation, market analysis, public-private deal-making, certification, and monitoring and evaluation. Ms. Koontz has a B.A. from Stanford University in International Relations, and a M.B.A. from the George Washington University.

David Bell – Treasurer

Mr. Bell has worked for various nonprofit organizations ranging from international relief to wildlife conservation. His experience includes 5 years in Namibia, during which he helped develop Cheetah Country Beef, an eco-label for farmers using wildlife friendly practices, on behalf of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. In this period, he developed the program’s field verification system and created market linkages with local and European retail outlets. He also worked in London, where he researched and developed strategies to help African beef achieve higher prices and gain market priority. He currently serves as Director of Outreach for the Oregon State Treasury and their Oregon 529 Savings Network. Mr. Bell holds a B.A. in Business Communications from Point Loma University and an MBA from Concordia University.

Steven DuPuis

With decades of experience in strategic branding, Mr. DuPuis excels in helping companies understand how to communicate visually with consumers. As Founder and President of The DuPuis Group, a strategic brand design firm with offices in the U.S. and Europe, Mr. DuPuis oversees the strategic design development of branding programs for some of the company’s premier clients including Nestlé, Quaker, Kellogg’s, ConAgra and Lance. Mr. DuPuis helps clients differentiate themselves from their competition to realize—and often exceed—their marketing goals. He is a frequent contributor to design and business periodicals, speaker at professional forums, including the Kellogg School of Management, and has work in the permanent collection in the U.S. Library of Congress. Mr. DuPuis holds a B.F.A. in Visual Communications from Long Beach State University.

Dr. Ben Guillon

Dr. Guillon is the founder and CEO of Conservation Investment Management, the first Registered Investment Advisor specialized in conservation finance. For the past 15 years, Dr. Guillon has deployed and managed over $150 million in conservation investments for high-net-worth families and institutional investors. Investments ranged from biodiversity offset projects in the U.S. and Malaysia, to forest carbon projects in Benin and California, to a sustainable fly fishing venture in Mongolia. Dr. Guillon has a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine with a specialty in Wildlife and holds Master’s degrees in environmental economics, public policy, and environmental anthropology. Dr. Guillon also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Mike Korchinsky

Mr. Korchinsky works in the sale of Avoided Deforestation Carbon Offsets, now known as REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and has developed Wildlife Works, Inc. and Wildlife Works Carbon, LLC to provide people in wildlife rich areas of the world with sustainable economic alternatives to poaching and slash and burn agriculture. In prior work, Mr. Korchinsky co-founded and built Axiom Management Consulting, overseeing the company from start-up through high growth and liquidity. Mr. Korchinsky now applies his business acumen to conservation. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham.

Tim Kunin

Mr. Kunin provides internet users with a fast, free and easy way to make a difference through The Greater Good Network, whose “click-to-give” websites (including www.theanimalrescuesite.com and www.thehungersite.com) have raised over $25 million dollars for charity partners since 1999.  As CEO and Founder of CharityUSA.com, he imports ethically sourced gifts, jewelry, and apparel from artisans in marginalized areas around the world in order to provide income to combat poverty and disease.  In his travel and work in over 60 countries, Mr. Kunin has first-hand experience in for-profit opportunities to improve human well-being and achieve conservation goals.  Mr. Kunin attended the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University.

Emeritus

Julie Stein

Abigail Breuer

Dr. Adrian Treves, University of Wisconsin

Brad Rutherford, Snow Leopard Trust

Terry Blumer, Woodland Park Zoo

Yvonne Miles, San Diego Zoo