Steven Panfil
Vice President, GCF Agency
Steve’s professional focus has been on forests and climate change for nearly 15 years. Much of his work has concentrated on REDD+, including the development and application of social and environmental standards, international and domestic policy, project design, and research. Prior to joining CI, Steve directed a conservation organization in Peru, which engaged with local communities to enhance livelihoods and improve the management of conservation areas while building scientific knowledge of Amazonian forests. A US citizen, Steve was a 10-year resident in Latin America and has also worked extensively with teams in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region. Steve holds a PhD in plant ecology from the University of Georgia and Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University.
Languages: English, Spanish
Susana Escudero
Vice President, Grants Management, CI-GCF and CI-GEF Agencies
Susana joined Conservation International in 2012 and serves as the Vice President of Grants Management for the CI-GCF and CI-GEF Agencies. She focuses on financial management and operations of the CI-GEF portfolio of projects and manages the relationship with the GEF Trustee and supports the relationship management of other GEF and GCF Agencies. Previously, Susana served as the Senior Manager of Multilateral Relations, managing Conservation International’s portfolio of GEF projects through Multilaterals. Susana has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank as a consultant and Cargill. Susana holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus on non-profit management from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tulane University. Susana is a native of Brazil and has spent her adult life in the U.S and, recently, lived in Thailand for three years with her children.
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish
Robert Merritt
Senior Director, Project Development
Robert joined the CI-GCF Agency in January 2018 after more than 10 years managing the implementation of development projects in low-income nations. During that time, he lived and worked in West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Since 2013, Robert has focused on climate change resilience programs, with particular emphasis on forest conservation and reducing coastal communities’ vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change.
Robert has extensive experience working closely with a wide range of partners and stakeholders including community leaders, NGOs, local & national governments, regional bodies, and international donors. He has conducted socio-economic and ecological vulnerability assessments, developed practical activities through options analyses, and recognizes the critical importance of local buy-in for climate change interventions.
Robert holds an M.S. in Climate Change from University College London and a B.S. from Bates college in Maine.
Languages: English, French
Ian Kissoon
Senior Director, Environmental and Social Framework, CI-GCF and CI-GEF Agencies
Ian hails from the South American country of Guyana and joined CI in February 2015. He holds two masters degrees from the University of Cape Town, South Africa; an MSc Degree in Conservation Biology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). Prior to joining CI, Ian worked at the UNDP’s Office in Guyana where he served as the country’s National Coordinator for the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP). He also worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Guyana where he led the work of the Protected Areas Unit, and this included the development of the national protected areas legislation and co-management plans for the Kanuku Mountains and Shell Beach Protected Areas. He developed a passion for ensuring the design and implementation of good conservation projects from having seen the positive impacts such projects can have on the lives of people in communities.
Languages: English
Lilian Nyaega
Senior Manager, GCF Project Oversight
Lilian joins Conservation International with 15 years of experience in the Environment and Conservation space. Before joining, she worked in the Eastern Africa region with Wetlands International, Community Action for Nature Conservation and the East African Wild Life Society where she played a key role in designing and managing initiatives focused on natural resources governance and management and stakeholder engagement. A Kenyan native, Lilian holds a graduate degree in Environment Development and Policy from the University of Sussex, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Community Development from Kenyatta University.
Languages: English and Swahili
Silvana Lara
Grants Manager
Silvana has worked for eleven years in The Nature Conservancy in the Grants Service Network, where she managed public donor agreements, including multilateral, federal, and non-federal public funds. Her portfolio of projects includes countries in Latin America, The Caribbean, and Micronesia. Previously, she worked for Chemonics, supporting the implementation of USAID and Chemonics procedures in three projects in Bolivia. She has also worked for a multinational company dedicated to telecommunications in logistics, human resources, and finance. Silvana holds a master’s degree in rural development, two post-graduated diplomas in human resources, and a degree in business administration. She will be based in CI’s office in La Paz, Bolivia.
Languages: English and Spanish
Holman Martinez
Grants Manager
Holman hails from Santa Marta, Colombia, and brings extensive experience in the design and implementation of humanitarian, development and emergency response initiatives across Latin America. Prior to joining CI in 2024, Holman worked as a Grants Manager with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), where he was responsible for overseeing cross-country teams in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. In this role, he led the development of high-impact proposals, facilitated training in grants management and donor compliance, and supported the design of projects focused on climate mobility, resilience, and community preparedness for extreme weather events.
He also served as a Young Innovator Fellow with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), where he helped strengthen innovation capacities for youth and local organizations. Earlier in his career, he also contributed to legislative initiatives through his work with the Congress of Colombia.
Holman holds a postgraduate degree in International Cooperation and Project Management for Development from the Externado University of Colombia and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of La Sabana. Holman is based in Bogotá, Colombia.
Languages: English and Spanish
Kevin Martinson
Operations and Administration Manager, CI-GEF/GCF
Kevin was raised in Aiken, South Carolina, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from the University of South Carolina Aiken. Kevin is a dual citizen of Costa Rica and the United States and lived in Costa Rica as a hostel administrator in Manuel Antonio. The experience broadened his cultural horizons and instilled a deep appreciation for nature, wildlife protection, and environmental sustainability. Upon returning to the United States, he moved to Washington, DC, where he worked as the Director of Operations for Little Leaf, a local business known for its robust community engagement. He is an avid houseplant hobbyist with a keen interest in arid and epiphytic plants. When traveling, he loves to visit botanic gardens, nature reserves, and national or state parks.Languages: English
Valeria Garcia
Director, Project Management
Valeria is specialized in developing green finance instruments and policies, as well as in integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into investments, projects and institutional frameworks. In recent years, she has collaborated and advised financial institutions and governments across the Latin American and Caribbean Region for the issuance of thematic bonds, green credits, and debt-for-nature swaps transactions, supporting the mobilization of more than $500 million dollars between 2021 and 2023. Valeria has developed her career in multiple international organizations, such as the German Development Agency, the United Nations Development Program and the Global Green Growth Institute. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a Master's degree in Sustainable Energy from the University of Sussex. Valeria enjoys spending time in nature and the sea, practicing yoga, playing tennis and running.
Languages: English and Spanish
Valerie Osodo
Manager, CI-GEF/GCF ESMF
Valerie is a Kenyan based in Nairobi. She has experience overseeing the implementation of environmental and social safeguards throughout project life cycles and has successfully led projects funded by major development banks such as the Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank, US Development Finance Corporation, and African Development Bank Group.
Previously, Valerie worked at Serengeti Energy, an independent renewable power producer, where she played a key role in implementing the company’s Environmental and Social Management Systems for solar and hydropower projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. Her experience also includes working in Zambia and Malawi, where she supported the implementation of community development projects and livelihood restoration initiatives as part of Serengeti’s operations in the region.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Policy at the University of Nairobi. In her free time, Valerie enjoys spending quality time with family and friends and engaging in outdoor activities such as bike riding in parks.
Languages: English and Swahili
Juliana Rios Amaya
Manager, Environmental and Social Management Framework
Juliana joined CI in April 2022. She has experience on gender, inclusion, and social safeguarding issues. She has worked in the past seven years in development projects and programs, making sure that the voices of women and those from disadvantaged groups feature high in project design, decision making and implementation. She has worked for government institutions, local NGOs, and international cooperation for development assistance. Throughout her career, she has contributed to advance rights for women, young people, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ, and children. Before joining the CI-GEF Agency as Manager, Environmental and Social Management Framework, Juliana was a Social Development Adviser for the UK’s FCDO in Colombia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and has an MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Juliana is from Colombia and has spent most of her life living in Bogotá, with some short periods of time in other places around the world.
Languages: English and Spanish
Johann Bell
Senior Director, GCF Program Oversight
Johann joined the CI-GCF Agency in April 2025 after spending more than seven years developing the Funding Proposal for the GCF program ‘Adapting tuna-dependent Pacific Island communities and economies to climate change’ within CI’s Center for Oceans. During that time, he was a key member of the internal Taskforce established to develop the Concept Note and secure the GCF Project Preparation Facility Grant and co-finance from the Minderoo Foundation and USAID, needed to set the stage for developing the Funding Proposal.
Johann brings extensive experience to the CI-GCF Agency on the vital importance of fisheries to the food security and livelihoods of Pacific Island people, and the dependence of many Pacific Island economies on tuna, through his previous positions with the Pacific Community (SPC) and The WorldFish Centre. He has published extensively on the strategic planning needed to secure the benefits of fish for Pacific Island food systems and the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture to climate change in the Pacific Island region.
Johann holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in fish ecology from Macquarie University, Australia, and is an Honorary Professor at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong.
Languages: English, Solomon Islands Pijin, French
Kara Miller
Technical Advisor, GCF Program Oversight
Kara joined the CI-GCF Agency in April 2025 after supporting the development of the 156.8 million in value GCF Funding Proposal ‘Adapting tuna-dependent Pacific Island communities and economies to climate change’ within CI’s Center for Oceans.
Kara grew up in the Pacific Islands region, learning to deeply understand and respect Pacific Island people and cultures as well as the ocean and fisheries. Holding a BA in marine biology and a MS in marine resource and environmental management, she has worked in multiple high-level governmental positions, first within the NOAA Fisheries Service and later the Department of Interior. In these roles, she administered many different competitive grant programs to the Pacific Islands region including but not limited to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Palau. Extremely well connected and respected in the Pacific, she is an expert in international fisheries management and policy, grants and project management, and capacity building on pacific islands and has been working alongside the people of this region for over 15 years.
Languages: English and Spanish
Sandro Miranda
Grants Manager
Sandro joined the CI-GCF Agency in April 2025. He brings experience from his previous role as Operations Manager at CI Mexico, where he had served since 2020.
While at CI Mexico, Sandro supported projects focused on climate change and biodiversity in southern Mexico. His responsibilities included ensuring adherence to safeguard policies and best practices, alongside monitoring and reporting on project budgets.
Sandro holds a degree in European Studies and Politics from the University of Coimbra in Portugal. He is based in Mexico.
Languages: English and Spanish