Mary Fifield, Executive Director of Amazon Partnerships Foundation, has lived in Tena, Ecuador since 2007 and has worked in the country since 2004. Originally working for a community health organization, she created the grant-making model that Amazon Partnerships Foundation uses today. Previous to her work in Ecuador, she was a communications consultant for companies such as Microsoft and Boeing, as well as for nonprofit organizations such as Episcopal Charities, MoveOn.org, and The Pachamama Alliance. For four years she served on the advisory board for Interalianza, an environmental organization working in Guatemala. She has also taught composition and designed writing curriculum for ESL and disabled students at San Diego State University, where she received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Her articles and reviews have appeared in print trade journals and online, and she writes on her experiences in Ecuador at Traveling Storywriter. Her articles and reviews have appeared in print trade journals and online, and she is a regular contributor to GoodEater Collaborative, blogging about food security and environmental issues in Ecuador.

Susan Studer King brings over a decade of experience in the nonprofit, higher education and international development fields to the board of Amazon Partnerships Foundation. Susan worked as as a grassroots organizer, lobbyist and development director at the Ohio Environmental Council for over eight years before working with the Waorani Women's Association (AMWAE) in the Ecuadorian Amazon from 2007-2009. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Susan helped to build organizational capacity and develop environmentally-friendly income generation opportunities for indigenous women through the sale of traditional handicrafts. In addition to serving as President of the Gender and Development Committee, Susan’s Peace Corps service projects included reforestation of native palm species and construction of composting toilets in the region of Ecuador where Amazon Partnerships Foundation works. Since returning to the U.S., Susan served as the Environmental Studies Program Manager at Denison University and is currently the Outreach & Engagement Program Director at Ohio Campus Compact in Granville, Ohio. An Ohio native, Susan grew up on a small farm where she and her family started Buckeye Blooms, a small business growing organic flowers for green weddings and special events.

Ulises Gutiérrez , born in the Ecuadorian Amazon province of Morona Santiago, is a land use planning consultant with the government of Napo province and the German Technical Corporation. Previously, he was Director of Projects with the City of Tena, (Napo province) supervising a team that implemented projects ranging from sanitation to micro-enterprise. Participating in a variety of sustainable development and land use planning initiatives, he has worked directly with international organizations in Napo and Morona Santiago, as well as many indigenous communities. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from ESPEA University in Ecuador and is currently studying for a master’s degree in regional development and land use planning. He is married with three children.

Angel Aguinda is a Certified Public Accountant and has worked since 2003 for the Rural Bilingual-Intercultural Autonomous School System in Campana Cocha, Ecuador. Born in the same community, he served as Reserve Sargeant in the 17th Pastaza brigade from 1992-93 and has been a community leader since 1998, spearheading housing, eco-tourism, and agricultural projects. In 2003 he was elected vice-president of the parish government of Ahuano. Fluent in Spanish and a native Kichwa speaker, he brings years of community leadership and experience, plus knowledge of public management, accounting, and public service law, to Amazon Partnerships Foundation.

Stella Klemperer is Budget Manager for Root Capital, a nonprofit social investment fund that pioneers finance for grassroots businesses in Latin America and Africa. She graduated from Brown University in 2006 with a B.A. in development studies and economics. While at Brown, she was president of her campus chapter of Oxfam America and an active member of United Students for Fair Trade. In 2006, Stella was awarded a year-long fellowship in Amazonian Ecuador where she worked with the Kallari Association, an indigenous artisan and agricultural cooperative. She is fluent in Spanish and speaks basic Kichwa.

Sue Sivyer has a Certificate in Sustainable Business from The Bainbridge Graduate Institute and brings 20 years of experience in the wireless telecommunications industry, including nine in project management. Sue believes that raising awareness among corporate leaders about the benefits of sustainable practices on profits is a powerful tool to help end environmental abuse and social injustice. Sue grew up in Wisconsin, has been an active volunteer since age 14, and holds a BA in Sociology/Anthropology/Politics from Lake Forest College.

Katherine Sather is a web marketing professional for The Nature Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit that works in 32 countries and 50 states. She graduated from the University of Montana with a journalism degree and worked for The Seattle Times and KING 5 News, Seattle’s NBC affiliate, before transitioning to a career in the nonprofit world. She is passionate about building community online and using social media to power change.

Yolanda Palacios brings more than 15 years of experience in natural resource management and economic development to the board of Amazon Partnerships. Currently she is a consultant with the German Development Cooperation, assessing the impact of large-scale development projects on the environmental and economic health of Napo Province. Working with institutions such as the City of Tena, the FONDO ECUATORIANO DE COOPERACION PARA EL DESARROLLO (FECD), and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, she has executed and evaluated projects involving land use plans in protected forest areas, integrated water and environmental health systems, and organic cacao production and institutional support for local growers’ associations institutions. She holds a B.A. in business administration and certificates in land use planning and socio-environmental conflict resolution.