Staff
Meet our staff in the U.S. and Latin America who handle EcoLogic’s day-to-day operations, working with our local partners and communities to implement the projects we support and identifying new opportunities for us to pursue.
Staff and partners at World Water Forum 2006, Mexico
U.S. Staff
Shaun Paul, Executive Director
Mr. Paul co-founded EcoLogic in 1993 and currently serves as its executive director. Mr. Paul has extensive experience in rural Latin American economic development, environmental protection, and natural resource management. Prior to launching EcoLogic, he served as a field representative for social service organizations working in Central America. Mr. Paul has also held positions with the United Nations Non-Governmental Organization Liaison Service, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Inter-American Foundation. He has an M.A. in natural resource and development economics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in international relations from American University. He is fluent in Spanish and was designated a Next Generation Leader Fellow by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2001.
Melissa Haley, Operations Manager
Ms. Haley provides operational support to EcoLogic’s Cambridge headquarters and field offices. She also assists the managing director in budgeting and financial management activities. Prior to joining EcoLogic, Ms. Haley worked as project and financial manager at a foreign language translation company. She holds a B.A. in International Politics and Economics and Russian Language and Literature from Middlebury College. She is fluent in Russian and proficient in Spanish and French.
David Kramer, Program Officer, Institutional Development
Mr. Kramer researches and authors EcoLogic’s proposals for institutional funding, progress reports to donors, and external communications materials. Prior to joining EcoLogic, he served as an intern in the Cambridge office and traveled to several partner sites throughout Central America. Mr. Kramer has experience in community organizing, environmental education, and social entrepreneurship initiatives, having spent several years as a classroom teacher in Cali, Colombia, and as a community educator in Boston's neighborhoods. He holds a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, a certificate in Outdoor Leadership from Greenfield Community College, and a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College. He is fluent in Spanish and is a Switzer Environmental Fellow.
Barbara Vallarino, Program Officer
Ms. Vallarino oversees our developing carbon offset program for the voluntary market, Carbon Plus. She also manages individual fundraising activities and liaises with EcoLogic’s regional office to ensure effective planning and communication. Prior to joining EcoLogic, she completed the Hydropower Program Fellowship at American Rivers in Seattle, WA. She holds a J.D. with a concentration in Environmental Law from the University of Washington and a B.A. cum laude in Environmental Earth Science and Anthropology from Dartmouth College. Ms. Vallarino is from Panama City, Panama. She is fluent in Spanish and English and is proficient in French.
Gina Rindfleisch, Development Associate/Executive Assistant
Ms. Rindfleisch serves as the associate to EcoLogic’s development team as well as providing direct support to the executive director. Prior to joining EcoLogic, Ms. Rindfleisch worked as the outreach coordinator/executive assistant for the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, a quasi-state entity that funds projects on water and water-related issues in Massachusetts. Ms. Rindfleisch served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua working in environmental education. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Long Island University and is working part-time toward her master's degree in Environmental Policy and Management. She is proficient in Spanish.
Kristin Leigh Ward, Operations Associate
Ms. Ward provides support to the operations manager and maintains the office’s daily administrative needs on a part-time basis. Prior to coming to EcoLogic, Ms. Ward served as a clinical research coordinator in the pharmaceutical industry. She holds a B.S. (magna cum laude) in Biology with concentrations in Physical Science and Pre-Medicine from Queens College, Charlotte, NC, where she was a Presidential Scholar. Ms. Ward hails from the great state of Alabama and also enjoys being the resident decorator of the office.
Gabriela Artavia, Communications Officer
Ms. Artavia is responsible for the strategy and implementation of our organizational communications and public relations. She joins EcoLogic with 10 years of experience in marketing and business development in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School, Tufts University, and a B.A. in political science from Middlebury College. She is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese and French.
Field Staff
Sebastián Charchalac Santay, Central American and Mexican Regional Director
Sebastián Charchalac, a Mayan agricultural engineer, is EcoLogic’s regional director. Mr. Charchalac is based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and oversees EcoLogic’s field staff and volunteers. In addition, Mr. Charchalac assists EcoLogic’s partner organizations with strategic planning, project development, and community organizing. He also provides technical support for the production and marketing activities of small-scale agricultural enterprises. Mr. Charchalac has a great deal of experience working with indigenous community groups and non-governmental organizations operating at the local, regional, and national levels. He has held positions with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, USAID, the European Union, and many private sector organizations. Mr. Charchalac has an M.S. in agricultural engineering from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. He is fluent in Spanish and Quiché Maya.
Claudia González, Regional Director of Programs
Ms. Gonzalez, an industrial engineer, is EcoLogic’s regional director of programs. In this capacity she assists EcoLogic’s regional director in project development, implementation, and monitoring. She manages EcoLogic’s project portfolio in Guatemala, as well as EcoLogic’s regional freshwater conservation initiative. Prior to EcoLogic, Ms. González spent 10 years as Director of Intermón Oxfam in Guatemala, where she was responsible for setting policy and strategy for Guatemala, evaluating Intermón Oxfam’s work in the country, identifying and carrying out new projects, and raising funds for programs. In addition to her experience at Intermón Oxfam, she has worked for Oxfam Great Britain and Casa María. Ms. González holds degrees in industrial engineering and administration from the Rafael Landívar University. She has also studied sustainable development and management and leadership. Ms. González speaks Spanish, English, German, and Italian.
Francisco Tzul, Program Officer for Guatemala
Mr. Tzul provides technical assistance to EcoLogic’s Guatemalan partner organizations. He is from the western highlands of Guatemala and has an agricultural engineering degree focused on systems of production. Prior to coming to EcoLogic, Mr. Tzul worked for the Guatemalan government as well as several local and international organizations, including World Neighbors and the European Union. He enjoys working directly with people and looks forward to developing new ways to support EcoLogic’s partners in Guatemala. He speaks Spanish and Quiché.
Rosman Márquez, Program Officer for Honduras
Mr. Marquez is based in La Ceiba, Honduras, and his primary responsibility is to coordinate the work of a consortium of EcoLogic Honduran partners, COPEF. Mr. Márquez was formally trained as a forest engineer and has extensive experience in organizational development, forestry, watershed management, and fundraising. Prior to joining EcoLogic, he was the head of the Honduran forest service in La Mosquita, and the forestry coordinator for a local NGO, MAMUCA.
Ramón Alfonso Herrera, Program Officer for Mexico
Based in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mr. Alfonso provides training and procures local funding for EcoLogic partners in Mexico. Prior to EcoLogic, Mr. Herrera worked as a consultant for various community development organizations throughout Mexico, where his responsibilities included the training of technicians and the planning and assessment of rural development projects. He also served as General Director of the Council of Administration at CIDAGI (Consultancy Firm of Farming and Livestock Development) from 1996-2001. Mr. Herrara received a degree in veterinary medicine and in animal husbandry at the Universidad Veracruzana, and a master’s degree in Organization Administration at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma.
Rafael Sambula, Pico Bonito Forestry and Carbon Offset Project Officer
Mr. Sambula serves as EcoLogic’s Pico Bonito Forestry and Carbon Offset Project Officer based in La Ceiba, Honduras. He coordinates all field activities related to building Pico Bonito Inc. as a viable forestry operation. Mr. Sambula is trained as an agricultural engineer and has 20 years experience in natural resource management. He directed several local conservation organizations and provided consulting services to a wide range of international and governmental agencies.
Mario Tuch, Regional Administrative Assistant
Mr. Tuch serves as an assistant in the regional office in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, providing support to the regional director and the regional program director. He comes to EcoLogic with more than 13 years of experience as a certified public accountant.
