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Chapter Area
San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, and Monterey County.
Chapter Executive Board
Michaela Robbins: President (she/her)
Michaela has developed many of the workshops and events that have built this Chapter into what it is today. Michaela a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology and a master’s degree in Biology from Cal Poly SLO. She has over 22 years of experience working with endangered species and is currently a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) with California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Michaela is ready to serve the student chapters, increase the quality and breadth of Chapter events, make sustainability a priority during event planning, and bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of our Chapter. Michaela is delighted in the renewed enthusiasm that the current and new board members will be bringing to the board.
Jackie Hancock: President Elect (she/her)
Jackie has served on the California Central Coast Chapter board for many years. This is her second time through the presidency tract, with the first during the pandemic. Jackie graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology and a master’s degree in Biology. Jackie has been an endangered species biologist for 24 years at Fort Hunter Liggett. Jackie looks forward to continuing to help make this Chapter excel. Jackie is also the graphic genius behind the Chapter’s artwork!
Rachel Perpignani: Past President (she/her)
Rachel is a wildlife biologist and environmental consultant with over a decade of experience working with special-status species in habitats impacted by a variety of anthropogenic factors. She graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Science for Sustainable Communities. Rachel has worked to expand the chapter’s impact in Monterey County and increase student involvement at local colleges and universities. She is committed to prioritizing high quality professional development and diversity, equity and inclusion for all of the chapter’s events and goals as she continues to serve on the TWS executive board in the coming years.
Shelby Sanchez: Secretary-Treasurer (she/her)
Shelby is a wildlife biologist with a bachelor’s in Animal Science and minor in Biology from Cal Poly SLO. She worked for seven years in private consulting and has spent the last two years working as an Environmental Scientist (Project Biologist) for Caltrans District 5. Shelby volunteers with various LGBT organizations and is part of the Caltrans Equity Taskforce. Shelby is dedicated to bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of the California Central Coast Chapter.
Angel Ramirez: Chapter Representative (he/him)
Angel Rafael Ramirez, a Chicano hailing from Oxnard, California, developed a passion for wildlife as a child catching lizards in his apartment complex and later in a field biology course taught by a woman of color. He has a bachelor’s in Forestry and Wildlife Biology from Cal Poly SLO. Motivated by the imperative of enhancing BIPOC representation in his field, Angel founded the Oxnard Birder’s Club in 2021 to introduce members of his community to biology, ecology, and environmental science through the enjoyable pursuit of bird watching. Angel now works as a Wildlife Biologist with Stantec and is a father to his beautiful son.
Chapter Committee Chairs & Managers
Ivett Plascencia: Diversity Committee Chair (she/her)
Ivett is a Senior Biologist for Pax Environmental, Inc. She started off in community college as a Student Admin Intern for United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California Condor Recovery Program and later graduated from CSU Channel Islands with Bachelor’s in Biology. Since then, she has been a Park Ranger at Arches National Park, Eagle Technician at Latigo Wind Farm (Utah), a Raptor Biologist for Institute Wildlife Studies in the Channel Islands National Park. She has also served as a Cowbird Trap Technician in the Santa Clara and Ventura River Watersheds among several other hats. Miss Plascencia is first-generation Mexican-American and believes that Diversity and Inclusion will make wildlife conservation more robust because the more diverse backgrounds that work in wildlife conservation the more support at a policy and cultural level it will gain and serve Americans.
Nicole Gaudenti: Membership Manager (she/her)
Nicole is a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service on Los Padres National Forest. She received her MS in biology from Cal Poly SLO studying Blunt-nosed leopard lizards in the Carrizo Plain. Her interests include preserving biodiversity, understanding how wildlife respond to changes in the environment, and using field work as a life hack for never exercising. In her free time she enjoys live music, birding, and her favorite books and movies are The Lord of the Rings.
Janet Garcia: Outreach Manager (she/her)
Janet studied Biology and Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University Channel Islands. During her college years, she attended summer research internships with an emphasis on macro-invertebrates in San Francisco, CA and New Mexico which ignited a passion for conservation and the outdoors. This led to her combined experience of environmental education, natural resource management, endangered species and long-term ecological research projects mainly in New Mexico’s Middle Rio Grande valley. Throughout these experiences, she discovered that one of her goals is to connect communities from underrepresented backgrounds with nature and the great outdoors through equitable access. She is excited to grow within the media team and reach many audiences. She currently works as a biologist for a consulting firm and is an environmental educator.
Cynthia Martinson (she/her/hers): Professional Development Committee Chair
Cynthia is a wildlife biologist at Rincon Consultants, Inc., holding a bachelor’s in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Biology from San Diego State. With over seven years of experience, she has engaged in various field projects, including wildlife surveys, offshore fisheries monitoring, and endangered species conservation. She aims to enhance our understanding of wildlife behavior, ecology, and habitat dynamics, while collaborating with local communities, government agencies, and environmental organizations to promote education, outreach, and effective conservation strategies for diverse species and ecosystems.
Phoebe Hancock: Media Committee(she/her)
VACANT: Conservation Affairs Committee Chair
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