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Kadisha Augustine, Msc.
Community and Climate Coordinator
Kadisha has a background in social work and ten years practicing experience that are grounded in the process of community and human development. Her professional experiences have equipped her with the competence to interact with individuals from varying demographic and social backgrounds, an adeptness in analyzing the issues affecting them, as well as implementing measures relevant to their needs. She is cognizant of how integral the aspects of citizen participation and ownership are to the development process. Whereby her commitment is to development, she seeks to ensure that all measures are tried and exhausted to promote solutions to sustainably attain this goal. For those reasons, she is willing to actively advocate for individuals’ participation and benefit. Her yearn for development is attributed to her education from the University of the West Indies where she acquired a Master of Science in Development Studies (concentration in Social Development Policy). Her education at the University of Belize earned her a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and has contributed to her success as a social worker.
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Kenneth Gale, A.S.
Operations Manager, Glover's Reef Research Station
Kenneth graduated from the Belize College of Agriculture in 1997 with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science. He worked for a number of Government and Non-Governmental organizations in various capacities. He was employed by the Belize Fisheries Department as reserve manager for the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, and the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve. Kenneth also served as the Turneffe Islands Spawning Aggregation Marine Reserve project manager for the World Wildlife Fund, as park director at Blue Hole and Halfmoon Caye Monument for the Belize Audubon Society, and most recently as station manager for the University of Belize's Calabash Caye Field Station.
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Michael Gregory Brakeman
MFC Conservation Ranger
Michael Brakeman is from La Democracia, one of the priority communities of the Maya Forest Corridor. He has always enjoyed learning about nature and has developed an interest in identifying different flora, fauna, and medicinal plant. Michael’s love for conservation started while working for one of the MFC coalition members, Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, as a tour guide. He also joined Panthera as their field technician, in which his role was the assist in the long-term camera trap monitoring in the various protected areas and the MFC. At Panthera, he was introduced to other research techniques such as telemetry and live trapping of medium and large size mammals. He has participated in many training, including wilderness first aid, fire management, swift water training, police special constable training, and lifeguard training, all assets for his current role at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Michael looks forward to continue making a positive impact on his community and the Maya Forest Corridor.
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Myles Phillips, MSc.
Technical Coordinator, Marine
Myles Phillips joined the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Belize Program as a Technical Coordinator for Marine Research in 2018. He completed an MSc in Natural Resources Management (Coastal and Marine Resources) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Since 2009, Myles has held technical posts in Barbados, The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in various capacities related to marine research, marine resource monitoring and protected area management.
His role with WCS comprises leadership of marine monitoring programs, database management, conducting marine training sessions and workshops for stakeholders, development of outreach materials, and service as a delegate on several national committees.
Myles stands at the helm of several of WCS's monitoring programs, and coordinates them through the data collection, archival, interpretation and reporting phases to inform management activity and planning by the Belize Fisheries Department.
He has also been responsible for the aggregation of these annual datasets into congruent time-series of data, which have been used for the production of highly impactful peer reviewed articles on Belize’s most economically important fisheries.
In his previous role with The Nature Conservancy’s Eastern Caribbean Program, Myles trained stakeholders across that region in marine monitoring according to the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) Protocol, and spearheaded reef surveys and habitat mapping exercises in multiple countries in collaboration with the Healthy Reefs Initiative.
He also worked with the Senior Program Manager to implement a series of stratified stakeholder meetings in six countries to collect baseline information for regional marine spatial planning efforts by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
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Nathaniel Forbes
Office Assistant
Nathaniel Forbes has been working with WCS Belize since 2008 performing various duties to support the organization.
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Nicole Auil Gomez, MSc.
Director, Belize Country Program
Ms. Auil Gomez joined WCS in 2016 and brings a wealth of experience from both NGO and government sectors. She has served as Executive Director of Belize's Southern Environmental Association (SEA), worked in technical positions at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Wildlife Trust Belize, and undertaken manatee research in conjunction with Sea to Shore. She holds a Master's in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University, with a research focus on coastal zone management and expertise in the endangered Antillean manatee. She also has ample experience in management, fundraising, politics, and policy, and is a Whitley award winner.
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Ralna Kay Lewis, MSc.
Assistant Director, Belize Country Program
Ralna is the Assistant Country Director for the WCS Belize Country Program. Ralna completed her MSc in Natural Resource and Environmental Mangement specialising in Coastal and Marine Management at the University of the West Indies. She is integrally involved in the national expansion of replenishment zones program which looks at strictly protecting at least 10% of Belize’s territorial sea. Ralna also leads WCS’s communications and outreach work that aims to increase knowledge and promote positive attitudes and behaviours regarding marine and fisheries conservation strategies. Ralna has worked extensively with community based organizations throughout the country of Belize in an effort to strengthen their institutional capacities in the areas of organizational, financial and project management in an effort to improve the management of Belize's protected areas.
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Randy Flores, BA.
Accountant
Randy Flores received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Belize in 2015. He began his journey in the accounting world as a Junior Accountant at a local accounting firm. Through hard work and a passion for the intricacies of financial management, he steadily climbed the professional ladder. Today, Randy is recognized as a Senior Accountant. His career trajectory exemplifies a strong foundation in accounting principles, coupled with a continual commitment to professional growth. Randy's journey from a junior role to a senior position underscores his dedication to his craft and his ability to navigate the evolving landscape of accounting with proficiency and skill. When he is not working, he enjoys traveling with his family.
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Ronnie Delroy Martinez
Senior Conservation Ranger
Ronnie Martinez is from San Ignacio Town and began working in conservation under the Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative, where he served as a forest ranger at the Belize Forest Department. Ronnie joined WCS in 2021 as the Senior Conservation Ranger. He leads the patrols and enforcement activities on the Maya Forest Corridor Trust property. Ronnie’s goal as the Head Conservation Ranger is to educate and ease the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife in the MFC. He wants to contribute to the initiative of ensuring that future generations can see the forest and animal species in the wild.
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Yahaira Urbina, MSc.
Maya Forest Corridor Site Manager
Yahaira Urbina joined WCS-Belize in 2021 as the Maya Forest Corridor Site Manager. She holds a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Rural Development with an orientation in Management and Conservation from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico. Her MSc thesis focused on relative abundance index and activity patterns of five mammalian species within the Belize River Valley. She previously completed a postgraduate diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice from Oxford University as a Kaplan scholar and a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Belize. She has been working on the ground in the MFC for approximately 12 years. Yahaira was a field technician in the ground-truthing of the Maya Forest Corridor led by the NGO Panthera. Subsequently, she worked at the University of Belize, Environmental Research Institute, and Panthera as a junior wildlife biologist focusing on human-wildlife conflict in and around the Maya Forest Corridor. She was responsible for establishing experimental farms with anti-predation strategies, conducting questionnaires among farmers and hunters, and establishing camera trap surveys within the Belize River Valley and the experimental farms. She also led two national surveys focused on the level of wildlife law awareness and wildlife trade within Belize. Yahaira worked closely on collaborative work between UB ERI and WCS to understand wildlife use, agriculture activity, forestry extraction, and tourism within communities in and around the Maya Forest Corridor (MFC). One of her main interests is understanding the interface between humans and wildlife interactions.
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