Karolo Aparicio, Executive Director

Karolo has over 15 years working for social and environmental causes, principally in fund development. Before joining EcoViva he led the Donor Services team at the Global Fund for Women and also led fundraising efforts for the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, International Rivers, Save The Bay and Global Exchange.

Karolo has an MBA from San Francisco State University, where he also earned his BA. Karolo also holds an MA in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University where he did field work in Guatemala and Mexico. He served as chair of the Program Committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter.

Ana Luisa Moran Ahern, Program and Policy Director

Originally from Washington, DC, Ana Luisa spent part of her childhood in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In 2004, she returned to Honduras to co-found the Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE), which provides education, leadership training, and capacity building to low-income children and young adults. She also worked in a marine protected area off the north coast of Honduras training Garifuna youth in eco-tourism practices.

She holds a BA in art history and photography from Barnard College and studied socio-economics at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands and the Center for Development Studies in Trivandrum, India. She completed a masters degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and spent a year there as a researcher in a genetics lab on a collaborative project with the Gulf of California Marine Program monitoring fish spawning activity in a marine protected area.

Jeanne Muller, Communications and Outreach Manager

Jeanne joined our staff after 15 months interning in EcoViva’s Oakland office and serving as International Programs Associate on the ground in El Salvador. She manages our print communications and online presence and provides support for fundraising and Community Empowerment Tours. Jeanne prepared for this role while in El Salvador, where she wrote created communications content, worked with the Mangrove Association’s youth program, and acted as a interpreter and guide for our tours.

Jeanne earned her undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies with a minor in Spanish from Dickinson College in 2013. In addition to El Salvador, she has lived and worked in Paraguay and Ecuador. More than anything, she is thrilled to participate firsthand in democratic, sustainable, community-led development and to contribute to EcoViva’s mission supporting environmental conservation in Central America.

Douglas Chica, Consulting Field Coordinator

A resident of San Hilario, El Salvador, Douglas first became involved in the Mangrove Association’s youth program when he was 18 years old. He went on to earn a degree in Social Work with a specialization in Local Development from the Salvadoran Lutheran University while continuing to take an active role in community affairs.

He has worked with youth groups, community development associations, cooperatives, and local Salvadoran NGOs designing and managing social, economic, and cultural projects in the Lower Lempa and Bay of Jiquilisco region. In addition to working as an on-the-ground consultant for EcoViva, Douglas is currently serving on the municipal council of Jiquilisco for the 2015-2018 term.

Connie Rogers, Development & Administrative Assistant

Connie fell in love with Central America and its people while traveling there during college and on subsequent visits to the region. After moving to the Bay Area, she developed a strong interest in environmental sustainability while doing volunteer work for several Bay Area environmental nonprofits. Prior to joining EcoViva, Connie worked as a database manager and developer at local nonprofits and in the private sector.

Connie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from New College of California in San Francisco. She recently began working towards a Certificate in Nonprofit Management at California State University, East Bay.

Luis Flores, Bookkeeper

EcoViva Board of Directors and staff (not all pictured)