Protecting Chile's natural heritage forever

Don Weeden

Director

Conservation leader who recently retired from serving for over 20 years as Executive Director of the New York-based Weeden Foundation, an international organization that supports a wide range of programs aimed at preserving biodiversity, nationally and internationally. Don has a long-standing commitment to conservation. He has been instrumental in launching private land conservation efforts in Chile and his informed philanthropy has catalyzed significant land protection and policy action throughout the country.
His deep understanding of environmental issues in Chile also led him to support a revitalization of efforts to pass Royal Right of Conservation legislation and the Environmental Philanthropy Act in the Chilean Congress. In 2015, Don founded the Rapid Response Fund for Nature to ensure that globally significant land deals have timely access to needed funds. To date, the fund has facilitated over 50 land deals in 25 different countries. Prior to the Weeden Foundation, Don had a nearly 25-year career in the area of international population, serving in various field and management positions for Columbia University, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and other non-governmental organizations.

Kathleen Collins Barclay

Director

Kathy is a prominent business, civic and environmental leader in Chile. She dedicated 23 years to working in the financial service industry in Chase Manhattan Bank (nowadays known as JP Morgan Chase & Co.) in positions based in New York, London, and Chile. Now she works as the director of KCB Advisors, an international strategic accessory firm focused on opportunities between the United States and Latin America. Kathy is a member of the Board of Directors for BiceCorp, Banco Bicw, Austral Cpital and Geomar S.A., amongst others. Amidst her civic and environmental leadership roles, Kathy serves as the president of the Panamerican Development foundation and as a member of the Junta Directiva of the Adolfo Ibáñez Foundation and the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez.
She is an advisory of the Consejo de Endeavor Chile, member of the Board of Directors of Chile Global Angels and Consejo Consultivo of the Karukinka Project from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). She was President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the Association of Chambers of Commerce of Latin America (AACCLA), and leaded various initiatives in AmCham. Kathy received her degree in Outdoor Services from the University of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Rafael Asenjo

Director

Rafael is one of the most celebrated environmental lawyers in Chile. He has held various government positions and international multilateral roles, where he helped build the foundations of environmental law and policy in Chile. He was Executive Director of the National Environmental Comision, where he helped create Chile’s first legal tools for environmental management, including Law 19,300, which sets out the General Environmental Framework, and the Environmental Impact Assessment System (Sistema de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, SEIA), which is the country's Environmental Impact Assessment Program. Rafael was also Executive Director of the United Nations’ Global Environment Facility (GEF) and National Coordinator of the GEF-PNUD-MMA project “creating a National Integral Protected Areas System for Chile”, which worked to create an integrated system of public and private protected areas for the country.

Rafael also served as President of the Center for Studies for Development (Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo, CED), where he provided technical support for environmental projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. More recently, Rafael has served as Minister of the Environment and later as the president of the Environmental Tribunal of Santiago. Rafael is a lawyer from the University of Chile.

Victoria Alonso

Executive Director
valonso@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Victoria is an Agricultural Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, with a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, specializing in public policies and development of incentives for environmental protection. Victoria has more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, working on the design of management instruments, proposals for legislation and development of nature conservation and environmental protection projects. Since 2013, she has been working on the development of appropriate biodiversity offsetting measures in both the mining and energy sectors. At the same time, at Tierra Austral, she has played a critical role in the formulation, passage and now the implementation of the Derecho Real de Conservación.

Amanda Alfonso

Senior Land Conservation Specialist
amanda.alfonso@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Amanda is an Environmental Biologist from the University of Chile and holds a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences with a mention in Environmental Systems Analysis from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Amanda has worked on different research projects studying the relationship between natural capital and human well-being in rural areas, evaluation of ecosystem services and ecological restoration. She also has experience in project coordination, spatial analysis and development of participatory methodologies. At Fundación Tierra Austral she works directly with landowners who want to protect their properties through the Derecho Real de Conservación, creating strategies for its long-term implementation in areas under private protection.

Mariana Ayala

Senior Land Conservation Specialist
mayala@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Mariana is an Agricultural Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Mariana has experience in the area of environmental consulting, especially in the field related to biodiversity conservation and the development of appropriate biodiversity compensation measures. At Fundación Tierra Austral she works directly with landowners interested in conserving their properties through the Derecho Real de Conservación and creating strategies for its long-term implementation in private protected areas.

Ariane Claussen

Land Conservation Specialist
aclaussen@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Ariane is an Engineer in Renewable Natural Resources from the University of Chile, specialized in planning for nature conservation. She has more than 10 years of experience in the management of protected wild areas. Ariane has also worked on the development of methodologies for biodiversity offsets. At Fundación Tierra Austral, she participates in the Boldo to Cantillana Project and works mainly with local communities and landowners who wish to protect their lands through the use of the Derecho Real de Conservación.

Francisco Molina

Director of Community Engagements
fmolina@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Francisco is a Sociologist from the Diego Portales University, with a master’s degree in Anthropology and Development from the University of Chile and a PhD in Human Geography from Kings College London. His main research topics are climate change, water and risk governance. Francisco has 15 years of experience working with universities, research centers and public and private institutions on issues related to citizen participation and adaptation to climate change. At Fundación Tierra Austral he works in strengthening the governance of conservation projects and the connection of the different key actors.

Pablo Tapia

Geographical Information System Specialist
pablo.tapia@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Pablo is a Geographer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, with special interest in the areas of Geographic Information Systems and Geomatics, applied in various fields. At Fundación Tierra Austral, Pablo supports issues of cartography, collection, systematization and analysis of georeferenced information for different objectives.

Henry Tepper

Senior Advisor in Strategic Conservation
henry.tepper@gmail.com

Henry is an environmental consultant and professor in the Sustainability program at Harvard University Extension School in the United States. Previously he was the President of the Massachusetts Audubon Society in Lincoln, Massachusetts and Director of Conservation and a Partner in Patagonia Sur. Henry led the team that created a practical instrument for a Conservation Easement under Chilean law and created the Fundación Tierra Austral. Prior to his role at Patagonia Sur, Henry was the Vice President of the Massachusetts Audubon Society State Program and was the State Director for New Hampshire and New York State at The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

Javiera Yáñez

Director of Development & Communications
jyanez@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Javiera is a journalist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and has a Master's degree in Political Science with a mention in International Relations from the same university. She has worked in the private sector in the areas of strategic communication, research, media industry analysis and critical analysis of regulatory frameworks. She also has experience in generating partnerships with key actors in the public-private network. At Fundación Tierra Austral, Javiera works on the design and implementation of the foundation's communication strategy, to convey the importance of private conservation, strengthen relationships with different key actors, as well as contribute to raising funds for the financial sustainability of Tierra Austral’s projects.

Camila Carrasco

Project Coordinator
ccarrasco@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Camila is an Environmental Engineer from the University of Valparaiso with a Diploma in Terrestrial Environmental Restoration from the University of Chile. She is experienced in both the industrial and nature conservation sectors. At Fundacion Tierra Austral, where she works as a project coordinator, she supports the land conservation specialists in project monitoring and information systematization.

Karim Lemp

Accounting Administrative Assistant
asistente.adm@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Karim is an Accountant Auditor from the Guillermo Subercaseaux Professional Institute and has a Diploma in Business Management from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She has more than 10 years of professional experience in different sectors. At Fundación Tierra Austral, Karim supports the areas of administration, finance and people management.

Flavia Cordella

Communications Specialist
fcordella@fundaciontierraaustral.cl

Flavia graduated as a journalist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and has more than 10 years of experience in media (CNN, Canal 12 and TVN), strategic communications, press management and brand positioning. She has worked in the public and private sectors, leading teams and developing strategies that strengthen the reputation and visibility of organizations. She currently works as Communications Specialist at Fundación Tierra Austral, where she manages the organization's external and internal communications, including press, social networks, websites and information campaigns. She has also worked at the Undersecretary of Labor as Head of Communications and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Corporate Communication and Sustainability Management at the University of Barcelona.

Guillermo Donoso

Board Treasurer

Guillermo is an Agricultural Economics professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is an environmental and natural resource economist that specializes in the economy of water, mechanisms to assign and value water economically. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Water Resource Association, member of the managing committee of International Water Association (IWA) and an advisory member of the magazine Water Economics and Policy Journal.
Guillermo was also the Director of National Institute of Agricultural Investigations in Chile and Dean of the Agriculture and Forestry Faculty from the la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile from 1988 to 2007, and he was director od the Agricultural Economics Department of Chile from 1995 to 1998. Guillermo graduated as an Agricultural Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and holds a Doctorate in Agricultural Economics and Resource Management from Maryland University.

Michael Grasty

Board Chair

Michael is a founding partner of the law firm of Grasty Quintana Majlis & Cía Ltd. He advises national and international clients in a variety of fields, including software, telecommunications, energy, retail, salmon farming, and mining, among others. He was director and president (2005-2007) of the Chilean American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). He also served as head of the committee that organized the “Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition”. Michael's numerous professional associations and leadership roles reflect his strong interests in best legal practices, national and global environmental conservation, education and sports.
He is a member of the Chilean Lawyer Associations; the International Bar Association (IBA); the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation; the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law; and the Icare Legal Circle. He is also a member of the Board of the Pro Bono Foundation; Consultant of the Chile California Council; Member of the Board of the Beachheads Program of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise; Member of the Board of the Senior Management Network of the Universidad del Desarrollo; Director of Fundación País Digital; Director of BanTattersall; Sparta Deportes, Discovery Air Inc, Tattersall Leasing, Corso Inversiones, Fundación Meri and President of David del Curto.

Marcela Rentería

Board Secretary

Marcela is the Executive Director of the Chilean Regional Office of Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Centre of Latin American Studies. She has worked at Harvard University for over 15 years, focusing on global efforts for education and innovation in Latin America. She is also a cofounder and leader of the initiative Recupera Chile (Recover Chile) from Harvard University, a multidisciplinary project centered around post-disaster recoveries in communities affected by the February 2010 earthquake and tsunami.
Marcela is a member of the Board of Directors of América Solidaria and serves on the Advisory Board of Corporación Amigos de los Parques de la Patagonia in Chile. Marcela holds a Master's degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University in Boston, and a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Pontificia Universidad Javierana in Bogotá, Colombia.

Rant Wentworth

Director

Rand is a Louis Bacon Senior Fellow in Environmental Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and an assistant professor of Public Policy and a member of the Senior Executive Fellows faculty at Harvard Kennedy School. He also serves as chairman emeritus of the Land Trust Alliance, a national conservation organization based in Washington, DC that serves as the leader of 1100 land trusts with 8,000 employees, 16,000 board members and 4.6 million members. He served as president from 2002-2016 and is widely recognized for expanding the pace and quality of land conservation in the United States. Rand has testified before Congress three times and led a coalition that won bipartisan support in Congress for a bill that dramatically expanded tax incentives for conservation easement donations.

During his time in leadership, land trusts doubled the annual pace of conservation in the United States and have now protected more than 56 million acres. During his time as president, Land Trust Alliance created a national accreditation system; built a virtual university for land conservation training for 5,000 people each year; and established Terrafirma, an innovative insurance service that finances the legal costs of defending conserved lands from a legal challenge. Prior to joining the Land Trust Alliance, Rand served as vice president and founding director of the Atlanta office of the Trust for Public Land. Rand is a graduate of Yale University and holds an MBA in finance from Cornell University.