Carol is an Integrated Conservation and Development researcher and facilitator from Brazil. She has been working with environmental governance, rural development, and leadership building for the past 13 years, especially in the Amazon Rainforest. She uses qualitative research methods, environmental education and communication tools, and facilitation skills in collaborative efforts to engage stakeholders and build local capacity to deal with complex socio-ecological problems.
Harry is the Director of Water Conservation Innovation for the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative (AWII), working to foster science-based, innovative conservation and efficiency approaches in both supply and demand sides of water management, across multiple water sectors, scales, and disciplines to address complex water-related challenges in Arizona.
Harry has more than 20 years of practical, professional experience in landscape architecture, water conservation, and natural resources management. He is a registered landscape architect in Arizona and holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Renewable Natural Resources Management. Harry brings a holistic approach to sustainability and resiliency, recognizing that water, land use, and climate are inextricably linked.
In prior public sector work with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC), Harry focused on promoting integrated land and water resources management strategies into the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of flood and stormwater management projects. In his most recent previous role with the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), Harry worked with local municipalities and regional entities to coordinate conservation initiatives and encourage implementation of new strategies, programs, and policies.
Harry was a core member in the development of the Greater Phoenix Metro Green Infrastructure Handbook in collaboration with ASU’s Sustainable Cities Network (SCN). He was a key team member and stakeholder agency representative in the EPA/FEMA sponsored technical assistance workshop and final report, Integrating Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development Tools into Hazard Mitigation Plans, 2019. Harry facilitated the Landscape Technical Advisory Committee for the 2025 update of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) Low-Water, Drought-Tolerant Plant List. He serves as an External Advisory Committee member for the Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability Project (ATUR) and as a Steering Committee member for the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA).
Education
MLA, Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona
BS, Renewable Natural Resources Management, University of Arizona
I serve as the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) Engagement Coordinator, and in that role, I engage with partners, organize outreach events and community science projects, facilitate meetings, and support initiatives that advance CAZCA’s mission and support the Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS). I obtained my undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduating, I moved to Arizona to pursue my M.S. in Plant Biology and developed a passion for conserving the Sonoran Desert. I am also passionate about native plants, environmental advocacy, and collaborative conservation work.
Education
M.S., Plant Biology and Conservation, Arizona State University
B.S., Environmental Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sarah Rose Webber is the Deputy Director of Arizona Parks and Trails, the state agency that oversees, preserves, and protects over 33 state parks and natural areas, and includes the State Trails Program, the State Historic Preservation Office, outdoor-related grant programs, and statewide outdoor recreation planning.
Prior to this position, Sarah served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the State of Arizona under Governor Ducey. In that role, she managed the governor’s cabinet and oversaw all state agency operations. She also served as the State Infrastructure Coordinator for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation and Director of the Government Transformation Office while COO.
Sarah earned her master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern Utah University. Sarah previously worked at a rural shelter.
Sarah currently serves as a Trustee on the Arizona Retirement System Board and as a board member of the Phoenix Theater Company. She is a member of the 2023/24 Arizona Forward Emerging Sustainability Leaders cohort. Sarah recently was selected to serve on the CAZA Steering Committee and National Forest Fund Northern Arizona Forest Fund Advisory Council.
Sarah has a great love for Arizona’s diverse ecosystems and enjoys hiking, running, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, backpacking, triathlon and all activities outdoors. Sarah is a certified yoga instructor and she enjoys teaching yoga at nonprofits and outdoor nature spaces in her spare time.
Dawn Collins joined the Arizona State Parks and Trails team in 2006 as a Research Project Manager. Since then, she has been able to deepen her knowledge about grant administration, natural and cultural resource protection, state fiscal and procurement processes, partnership development and maintenance, process evaluation and improvement and project management, working alongside colleagues and partners. She leads statewide outdoor recreation planning efforts and participates in other agency strategic initiatives.
Recent Comments