JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is excited to announce two new team members: Tisa Djahangiri on staff and Dr. Maria Damon to the Board of Directors.
Tisa Djahangiri is the Alliance’s newest staff member, stepping into the role of Community Engagement Associate. Djahangiri grew up on a small farm in North Texas where she developed a deep connection with nature. She attended Texas State University for a BS in Physical Geography, a minor in Geology, and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Since college, she has worked in conservation and education in various capacities, including with the National Park Service in Colorado.Djahangiri moved to Jackson in January 2015 to work as an outdoor educator and has been committed to this community ever since.
She recently worked with the Alliance on its campaign to help Snow King succeed as a community Town Hill, not an amusement park, and has been enjoying the intricacies of engaging Jackson’s remarkable community in local conservation issues.
Tisa will lead the Alliance’s civic engagement work in elections, grassroots advocacy, and lobbying; and will teach the 10th and future rounds of the Alliance’s flagship Conservation Leadership Institute (CLI).
“I’ve experienced the power of people standing up for what they believe is right for their community, and I look forward to motivating others to do the same. I’m most excited about teaching CLI—the best program I’ve ever done in Jackson” Djahangiri said.
Dr. Maria Damon recently joined the Alliance board. She currently serves as Strategic Development Director of the Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative, an environmental economics institute focused on research, policy, and academic programs in developing countries.
Damon is widely published in the fields of environmental policy, green growth, and development economics. Prior to joining EfD, she was on the faculty at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Damon holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego and an A.B. in Economics from Cornell University. She also completed a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) doctoral program on marine biodiversity and conservation with Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Damon currently lives in Wilson with her husband and 2-year old son.
“I’m excited to join the Alliance board because I believe it is an ideal way to use my background in environmental policy and conservation to contribute to the community that I am so passionate about,” Damon said. “Protection of the resources and wildness of this valley, with policy that prioritizes conservation and smart growth, is crucial to keeping Jackson Hole the unique and magical place that I believe in for my son’s future and future generations.”
Maria’s board appointment will be confirmed by a vote of the Alliance membership at its June Annual Meeting.
Other Alliance board members are:
Tim O’Donoghue – Chair
Kirk Davenport – Vice Chair
David Sollitt – Secretary
David Hardie
Bruce Hawtin
Mike May
Brad Nielson
Danielle Shapiro
Dan Smitherman
Michael Stern
Juliet Unfried
