Staff
Executive Director, Environmental Studies Faculty
Lorayne Meltzer
Lorayne has been active in collaborative conservation efforts in the Gulf of California for over 20 years. She coordinates the Center’s research, education and community outreach programs toward the realization of the mission and vision of Prescott College and the Kino Bay Center. Through her Marine Conservation classes, students learn firsthand about complex issues confronting marine and coastal environments.
“It is one thing to read in a book that 85% of everything caught on a shrimp trawler is discarded dead as by-catch back into the sea. It is quite a different learning experience to be sorting through the by-catch on the deck of a trawler, working along with fishermen whose livelihoods depend on destructive fisheries practices.”
Assistant Director of Operations
Gregory Smart
“I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work and interact with a broad array of people committed to the conservation of this beautiful region and its unique cultural and ecological qualities.”
Assistant Director of Operations
Hale and Holly Thomas-Hillburn
Hale and Holly Thomas-Hilburn and their two daughters, Ellie and Amelia are from Tucson, Arizona. They jumped at the chance to share the position of Assistant Director of Operations as a way to use the skills they acquired over long and varied careers to support the conservation and education work of the Center.
Hale received his Master’s degree from the University of Arizona in Educational Psychology and has worked for over 30 years in higher education, instructional computing, and corporate IT environments, and arrived with vast experience in administration and facilities management as well. In 2020, he returned to school to earn an Associate’s Degree in Automotive Technology, and now brings a systems approach to the Center, helping to ensure our vehicles, buildings, and information technology are ready to support the programs and residents of the center.
Holly’s Master’s degree is in Teaching and Teacher Education with an emphasis in environmental learning. For the last 15 years she worked for Arizona Project WET, writing curriculum, managing a variety of water education programs, and eventually serving as the Director. She loves finding ways to make everything run smoothly for all of the amazing visitors, students, and researchers who pass through, and connecting them to the Center’s work and the region.
Prior to moving to Kino, the Thomas-Hilburn family lived in an intentional community with 14 people, 3 goats, 2 bunnies, and a fluctuating number of dogs, cats, and chickens. They draw on that experience to help make the Center a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work, and visit.
“Every day we are grateful to be a part of the phenomenal group of people involved here, and delight in supporting the research, education, and conversation missions of the Kino Bay Center.”
Assistant Director for Development and Communications
Ana Gabriela Martínez
“I am excited to be part of an institution that works to protect and preserve the species and habitats of the Gulf of California. I have always found this place to be unique and very special.”
Conservation Coordinator / Marine Mammals
Héctor Pérez
Originally from Mexico City, Hector has always had a passion for marine mammals. He studied Biology at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma in Puebla, with an undergraduate thesis on Pantropical spotted dolphins. He completed his Master’s thesis in Marine Ecology at CICESE on Gray whale calf abundance.
Since 2009, he has been working in the Marine Mammal Program for the Kino Bay Center. This exciting job focuses on documenting the spatial and temporal distribution of all cetacean sightings from the Eastern Midriff Islands Region, and the application of photo-identification methods in over ten species. He teaches marine mammal classes to different audiences, and proudly represents the Center in meetings and forums.
“Working at the Center allows me to develop on a professional basis while enjoying what I like most in life, and it promotes the sense of wonder for what I see in the Gulf of California.”
Contact: [email protected]
Conservation Coordinator / Waterbird Monitoring
Jaime Martínez
He has worked in wildlife monitoring on different islands in Mexico, mainly with waterbirds and pinnipeds. His experiences of living in isolated places for long periods of time taught him how vulnerable we are to the forces of nature and how fragile ecosystems can be.
He joined the Waterbird Monitoring Program at the Kino Bay Center in 2018 and finds that working with local communities in addition to monitoring waterbirds is a great opportunity. Jaime likes hiking in nature, swimming, sailing, discovering other cultures, and sharing his own. He also likes to write stories about the natural world.
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be discovered.”
Head of Maintenance
Julio Carrasco
“I have learned many new things in my work here at the Kino Bay Center that I did not know before; for example, ecology and caring for the environment. Conservation is not directly part of my work, but I support it and it has been a great satisfaction to work all these years here. I’ve also made a lot of good friends.”
Transportation Coordinator and Boat Captain
Cosme Damián Becerra
In 2007, he began working at the Kino Bay Center as the transportation coordinator, taking staff members, university classes, researchers, and local students on the panga to look for whales, study birds, and visit the islands of the Upper Gulf. At the Center, Cosme applies his knowledge of welding, electrical work, motor repairs, maintenance, and furniture construction to the ever-expanding Center. Cosme is the leader of the Grupo Tortuguero of Bahía de Kino and has become a role model for the Kino Bay community.
“I am not a biologist, nor did I study a specialized career, but my love of the environment prepared me in many ways and today I am an expert in the field.”
Administrator
Virginia Yañez
“For me working at the Kino Bay Center has been a great blessing. I like what I do, and I like to support my colleagues with their work when they need me.”
Conservation Fellow/ Waterbird Monitoring
Lauren Dolinski
“I have a passion for learning new languages, cultures, and meeting new people. Coming to the Center has helped me improve my Spanish, grow as a conservationist, and allows me to study a variety of rare and incredible avian species.”
Conservation Fellow/ Media and Communication
Ulises Rancaño
Ulises is a Communicologist from Saltillo, Coahuila. From his mid-career undergraduate studies he discovered his passion for the outdoors and the exploration of culture and nature, but also the challenges they face today, leading him to focus his career on sustainability from storytelling and education.
He uses photography and design to tell stories of conservation that generate appreciation of our world and the way we interact with it, but also to make a call to action and get involved not only for responsibility, but for the opportunity to have the adventure of a lifetime.
In 2020 he became a Leave No Trace trainer with NOLS, starting his career as an outdoor educator, working in different projects.
“It’s a dream for me to work in the Kino Bay Center surrounded by amazing people who put their expertise and heart in making true conservation from innovation, leadership and community development”
Conservation Coordinator/ Environmental Education
Johana Nieblas
“I love my work and enjoy collaborating to better conservation in the community I come from. Without a doubt, environmental education is what I most enjoy in life!”
Conservation Coordinator/ Environmental Education
Edgar Magdaleno Bonilla
“Every day I am amazed by the gifts of nature in such a unique and biodiverse region, and honored to learn from those gifts with everyone in the region.”
Conservation Coordinator/ Indigenous Community Partnership
Aaron Barnett
Aaron completed his schooling through a virtual school program. An important part of his development was from workshops and presentations held in the community by visiting academics on conservation and community leadership. Now Aaron works in the Indigenous Community Partnership Program. His job is to bring the people from the Comcaac community together with people from Kino Bay Center or outside investigators, and ensure that the collaboration is equitable and mutually benefits all parties.
“I enjoy my work at the Center. I have had the opportunity for growth in my professional life during my time here.”
Conservation Coordinator/ Indigenous Community Partnership
Luis Moreno
“I think that we can and should create a new society based on coexistence between human life and other forms of life, without neglecting structural problems that currently complicate the development of many communities.”
Wetlands Conservation
Ulises Becerra
In 2018 Prescott College contracted Ulises as the field assistant for the Wetlands Conservation Program to promote conservation in community groups, specifically those involved with the Laguna La Cruz estuary, work that Ulises is passionate about! He is considered a community leader in conservation because he has worked with many institutions and organizations that focus on conservation.
“I enjoy being able to support our grain of sand in the overall conservation effort. I will always promote sustainable and responsible fishing in our community.”
Visiting Groups Coordinator
Elise Maynard
After working as the Field Assistant for visiting Prescott College classes, Elise became the External Groups Coordinator in 2022, organizing visits from high school and college groups in the US and Mexico. Each program incorporates biocultural conservation, exploring local ecosystems, intercultural sense of place within Mexican and Comcaac communities, and personal exploration and expression. She loves logistics and supporting groups getting outside safely and with intention.
“As a connector of people, places, and experiences, I feel incredibly grateful to be in a community of collaborative thinkers and part of a landscape that feels like home.”
Maintenance
Emilio Osuna
“I enjoy being part of a close-knit team, and I am happy that I can use my previous experience and knowledge of local fish and places to help out with the conservation work here.”
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