Leadership & Board

Find out more about our board and leadership team.

Who Makes Us Rare: Leadership

Brett Jenks
Chief Executive Officer
We want Rare to achieve outsized impacts by finding what works for nature AND people and taking these promising approaches to scale.” Brett Jenks, Chief Executive Officer
Caleb McClennen, Ph.D.
President
Rare’s commitment to equity, communities and the power of individuals to make change is essential for efforts to rebuild global fisheries, regenerate our lands and halt global climate change.“ Caleb McClennen, Ph.D., President
Renee Baiorunos
Vice President, Chief of Staff
The Rare team brings a remarkable lens of possibility, a thirst for learning and rigor, and a commitment to deep partnerships in all areas of the work. The results are absolutely inspiring." Renee Baiorunos, Vice President, Chief of Staff
Monique Barreto Galvao
Vice President, Fish Forever, Brazil
The beauty of Rare's work is it addresses the conservation agenda through a social and economic lens. It is exciting to see communities and nature thriving as a result of the change our team inspires in the field." Monique Barreto Galvao, Vice President, Fish Forever, Brazil
Anna Bartlett
Vice President, Individual Giving and Board Relationships
Rare’s courage to take risks makes me proud to work here. We are not afraid to take on ambitious efforts addressing big, intractable environmental challenges. That’s what conservation demands.” Anna Bartlett, Vice President, Individual Giving and Board Relationships
Brooke Betts
Vice President, Climate Culture
Rare turns science into action. The culture here is extremely intentional about learning and being data driven, with a focus on the end goals that matter most." Brooke Betts, Vice President, Climate Culture
Atanasio Brito
Vice President, Fish Forever, Mozambique
Rare's Fish Forever program implements proven solutions that benefit local communities and marine and coastal ecosystems. Atanasio Brito, Vice President, Fish Forever, Mozambique
Anthony Chatwin, Ph.D.
Vice President, Science and Impact, Fish Forever
Esteban Chavarria
Vice President, Finance and Accounting
Rare give us the opportunity to learn, to fail and to share the best of us with the communities that we work with." Esteban Chavarria, Vice President, Finance and Accounting
Niels Crone
Chief Operating Officer
Having spent many years in the conservation world, I find that Rare fills a unique and important niche focused on people and human behavior to make lasting change happen benefitting both communities and the natural world.” Niels Crone, Chief Operating Officer
Kamalika Datta
Vice President, Strategy & Operations, Fish Forever
I feel my work at Rare is making a direct and positive impact on the lives of people and communities around the world. I am also inspired daily by the talented teams I work with across our sites to advance our mission. Kamalika Datta, Vice President, Strategy & Operations, Fish Forever
Tracy Drogus Nugent
Vice President, Talent
Rare’s strong value driven culture is the backdrop for how we successfully work together to innovate, think outside of the box, and positively impact environmental challenges. It’s a privilege to work with colleagues around the world to create a better climate future for generations to come." Tracy Drogus Nugent, Vice President, Talent
Kevin Green
Vice President, Center for Behavior & the Environment
Solving most environmental challenges generally means somebody is going to have to do something differently. Only when we begin to use the science of people and their behavior as expertly as that of other species and ecosystems will we be able to inspire and enable the sort of change we need to help people and nature thrive." Kevin Green, Vice President, Center for Behavior & the Environment
Angela Kirkman
Vice President, Foundation Relations
Rare brings a powerful combination of conservation practice, partnership with communities and behavioral science to help tackle pressing global challenges. We are uniquely positioned to play a catalytic role, bring scalable solutions to help people and nature thrive.“ Angela Kirkman, Vice President, Foundation Relations
Caryn Perrelli
Senior Vice President, Talent
I am so proud to be part of such a diverse, mission driven organization filled with committed, creative and collaborative colleagues." Caryn Perrelli, Senior Vice President, Talent
Claudia Quintanilla
Vice President, Fish Forever, Hub for Collaboration and Learning
At Rare we like to tackle wicked challenges and do it with wickedly talented community members, partners, and colleagues. To see the power of this collective make change for people and nature to thrive, is inspiring. Claudia Quintanilla, Vice President, Fish Forever, Hub for Collaboration and Learning
Rocky Sanchez Tirona
Managing Director, Fish Forever
When I hear mayors, Rare Fellows and community members talk about how working with Rare has changed them, I know we are making a difference." Rocky Sanchez Tirona, Managing Director, Fish Forever
Brandon Schauer
Senior Vice President, Climate Culture
Rare's the unique team that can combine science, conservation, design, and passion to take on some of the worlds hardest problems and demonstrably win." Brandon Schauer, Senior Vice President, Climate Culture
Annie Schouw
Chief Development Officer
Kate Schweigart
Vice President, Innovative Finance
Rare works directly with communities, empowering local leaders to actively participate in natural resource management. This creates the enabling environment necessary for communities to invest in their natural assets and benefit equitably from natural resource resilience." Kate Schweigart, Vice President, Innovative Finance
Aya Silva
Vice President, Fish Forever, Philippines
Andrew Simpson
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Rare inspires people, and in turn we are inspired by people, and the actions they take for their communities and the world we share." Andrew Simpson, Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Ron Thomas
Vice President, Rare Technology, Information Technology
At Rare, our journey is marked by our unwavering commitment to forging new paths, where change isn't a challenge; it's our greatest opportunity.“ Ron Thomas, Vice President, Rare Technology, Information Technology
Monica Varela
Vice President, Lands for Life, Colombia
Diana Vasquez
Vice President, Fish Forever, Central America
Working at Rare strengthens you as a person and as a professional. The experience of working with people in the communities inspires you and fills you with hope for the future, all together makes you a better human being” Diana Vasquez, Vice President, Fish Forever, Central America


Who Makes Us Rare: Board of Trustees

Dorothy Batten, Chair
President, DN Batten Foundation
Thomas A. Patterson, Vice Chair
Co-founder and Managing Partner, Madrone Capital Partners
Lizanne Galbreath, Treasurer
Managing Director, Galbreath & Company
Sarah Stein Greenberg, Secretary
Executive Director, Stanford d.school
Scott M. Amero
Former Chief Investment Officer and Vice Chairman, BlackRock
Guilherme Azevedo
Co-Founder, Alice
Mehrdad Baghai
Co-Founder, Chairman, and Global CEO of High Resolves; Chairman of Alchemy Growth
Kathy Baird
Chief Communications Officer, Washington Post
Amy Margerum Berg
Bruce W. Boyd
Executive Director, The Morrison Family Foundation
Lincoln Brown
Randy Brown
Chief Investment Officer, Sun Life Financial
Alice Farmer
Human Rights Lawyer
Dr. Steve Gaines
Dean – Marine Science, Sustainable Fisheries | Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UC-Santa Barbara
Avi S. Garbow
President, Resources Legacy Fund
Brett Jenks
CEO, Rare
John Marshall
Senior Advisor, Lippincott; Founder, Potential Energy Coalition
Carlos Alvarado Quesada
Presidente de Costa Rica (2018-2022) and Professor of Practice, The Fletcher School Tufts University
Ed Soule
Professor, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Jamie Staugler
Grants Operations Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Karen Toliver
Vice President, Animation Film at Netflix
Dr. Elke Weber
Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University


Who Makes Us Rare: Honorary Trustees

Ken Berlin
Co-Founder
Paul John Butler
Honorary Trustee
Capt. David Hill
Co-Founder
Nancy Mackinnon
Honorary Trustee
Duncan McFarland
Honorary Trustee
Vadim Nikitine
Honorary Trustee
Wendy Paulson
Chair Emerita
Bob Ridgely
Co-Founder