by Challie Facemire | Feb 12, 2025 | Staff
Ariana Ewell is in her senior year of her undergraduate honors education at Arizona State University. She is pursuing a career in environmental research by majoring in Biological Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecology, a certificate in Geographic Information Systems, and an accelerated master’s program with a thesis on pollutants and coral reefs. With a variety of experience in public relations, media production, research practices, and STEM education, Ariana desires to make a difference in the science community. Ariana hopes to continue to contribute to local conservation efforts and advocate for communities impacted by climate change.
by Challie Facemire | Feb 4, 2025 | Staff
Sebastian Almaraz is an ASU graduate with a bachelor’s of science in Conservation Biology and Ecology and two minors in Sustainability and Transborder Chicano/Latino Studies and pursued skills in geographic information science. Growing up in an underserved community in Arizona, Sebastian saw the need for stronger and more coordinated efforts to preserve our natural and cultural resources, especially through community outreach and engagement. His awareness grew into a passion for environmental preservation, specifically in wildlife and water conservation and sustainable development. He currently works as a collaborative conservation intern with the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance through the Desert Botanical Garden.
by Challie Facemire | Jan 31, 2025 | Committee
Neil Large is the Program Administrator for Arizona’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, a division of Arizona State Parks and Trails. Since 2017, he has served as the Digital Marketing Coordinator at State Parks, where he honed his expertise in high-level marketing—skills he now applies to his leadership role in the Office of Outdoor Recreation and to this committee.
A proud graduate of ASU’s renowned Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Neil began his career at Facebook, training advertisers to succeed in digital marketing. Before joining State Parks, he was the Chief Editor of a Western outdoor magazine, further deepening his knowledge of the industry. His extensive background in marketing, media, and Arizona’s outdoor recreation landscape uniquely positions him to guide the future of outdoor recreation in the state.
An Arizona native, Neil has explored nearly every corner of the state, immersing himself in its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and vast outdoor recreation opportunities. He and his wife are raising their four daughters with a deep love for the outdoors, frequently hiking, camping, birding, fishing, and hunting. His passion for Arizona’s natural beauty has made him a dedicated advocate for sustainability, conservation, and the recruitment and growth of the next generation of outdoor stewards.
by Challie Facemire | Jan 24, 2025 | Staff
Emma Lohman is a Collaborative Conservation Intern for the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance. She provides support to different partners in the CAZCA network and other organizations, helping with projects that include fieldwork, data collection, outreach, and education. Emma recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and an emphasis in Biology. Her education and research background focused on sustainable solutions to waste at NAU sporting events and Emory oak acorn patterns of seed dispersal and predation. As an Arizona native, Emma enjoys spending time outdoors while hiking and playing tennis/pickleball, as well as pursuing her love of photography.
by Challie Facemire | Jan 24, 2025 | Staff
During her undergraduate study at ASU, Melanie earned concurrent degrees in Biology, with an emphasis in pharmacology and toxicology, and Forensic Science, as well as earning a certificate in Transformation and Change. After graduating, she decided to shift her focus to the world of conservation and apply her forensic background in cases of wildlife poaching and trafficking, which has devastated plant and animal populations alike. Melanie has volunteered with ASU’s Biodiversity Integration Center in their vertebrate collections and currently works as one of CAZCA’s Collaborative Conservation interns.
by Challie Facemire | Sep 26, 2024 | Committee
Hannah is a Partnership Coordinator Resource Assistant at Tonto National Forest. She has a degree in Environmental Design and a minor in Architecture. Through her education and position at the Tonto, she is exercising her passion for sustainability, collaboration, and is utilizing her skills in community engagement. She feels very fulfilled carrying out projects that benefit the public as well as conservation. She is from Buffalo, NY, and now resides in Phoenix. She loves spending time outdoors and traveling, and has creative outlets such as interior design and dancing.
by Challie Facemire | Sep 25, 2024 | Committee
Kelli Larson is a Professor of Geography and Sustainability at Arizona State University in Tempe. Her work focuses on how and why people make decisions that affect enviornmental outcomes, as well as how elements of natural and build environments affect public perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. She is particularly interested in landscape planning for biological conservation and human wellbeing in urban areas and in residential yards and neighborhoods.
by Challie Facemire | Sep 25, 2024 | Committee
Dr. Becky Ball is a Professor of environmental science at Arizona State University, which she joined in 2010. Her research focuses on the impacts of human activities on soil biology and biogeochemistry, particularly in ‘extreme’ ecosystems. Her research in the rapidly urbanizing Sonoran Desert in and around Phoenix, AZ is part of the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP-LTER) program.
by Challie Facemire | Feb 13, 2024 | Committee
For most of her career, Sharma has worked for nonprofit organizations and to conserve agriculture and/or natural resources, which are her passions. Having just joined the White Tank Mountains Conservancy (WTMC) as the Executive Director, Sharma seeks to help WTMC further its mission to inspire all to enjoy and conserve the White Tank Mountains, balancing population growth and the need for responsible development and conservation of regional wildlife corridors.
A native Arizonan, born and raised in Phoenix, where she still resides, Sharma received a B.S. in Biology from Arizona State University. She worked as a Wildlife Biologist for various nonprofit organizations and other entities, leading her to attend law school focusing on environmental law. She interned at three nonprofit conservation organizations and received her J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Sharma practiced law as a civil litigator in AZ, CA, and DC, but unfortunately, not in environmental law.
With a desire to return to her passions, Sharma gave up practicing law and returned to conservation. She worked for Arizona Land and Water Trust and the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) when she opened her own company, Ag-Conserve Consulting, LLC, five years ago. As a consultant, she also works for the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts and Central Arizona Land Trust, two nonprofit organizations that conserve agriculture and natural resources.
She graduated from Project CENTRL (Center for Rural Leadership) and is a member of the International Leadership Alumni Conference Advisory Board, the Bureau of Land Management Arizona Resource Advisory Council, and AZDA’s Food and Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee.
Recent Comments