Luz Cervantes Valdivieso is a Program Officer for the Environment and Disaster Management program. Luz previously worked as an Environmental Management Specialist at Sun Mountain International, where she focused on ensuring environmental compliance for international development projects and gained work experience in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining WWF, Luz also served as senior project officer for the Science Based Targets initiative at CDP North America Inc. and as a research assistant supporting the ADVANCE program at Columbia University’s Center for Climate Systems Research. Luz holds a MA in Climate and Society from Columbia University as well as a MA/Bsc in Environmental Management from the Free University of Brussels. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.
Daniel Vernick is a Communications Associate for the Environment and Disaster Management program. A graduate of Yale College, Daniel studied climate change in Bolivia, Morocco, and Vietnam and wrote his senior essay on climate-induced displacement in the eastern Caribbean. Prior to his current role, Daniel worked on global climate policy for the WWF International Climate Cooperation Program and the Conservation International Global Strategy Department.
Charles Kelly has over 40 years of global on-site experience working on disasters, including droughts, food insecurity, earthquakes, insect infestation, hurricanes, epidemics, floods, war, and other emergencies. In addition to responding to disasters, Mr. Kelly contributed to the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment process, the Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit, the Natural and Nature-Based Flood Management: A Green Guide, and other tools for bridging humanitarian and environmental issues. Mr. Kelly provides environmental support and training for the Global Shelter Cluster and co-chairs the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA) Disasters and Conflict Section.
Arabella Samayoa Gordillo has worked for the last 30 years as a consultant in education, focusing on environmental education and risk management. She studied in Japan, specializing in environmental education in the context of developing countries. Ms. Samayoa has developed learning methodologies, educational materials, exhibitions, and training processes for various audiences. Since 2014, she has implemented workshops as a trainer of trainers for the Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit and the Natural and Nature-Based Flood Management: A Green Guide in Guatemala, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Upul Subasinghe is a Professor of Forestry at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenepur in Sri Lanka, where he teaches and conducts research on forest management and restoration, forest certification, and non-timber products of forest trees. His main research interests lie in aromatic products of Santalum, Aquilaria, and Gyrinops species. Currently, Dr. Subasinghe is the Director of the Centre for Forestry and Environment, which was established to conduct applied research on the forestry and environment sectors. He also engages with WWF training and awareness programs on land restoration using nature-based methods, especially with private sector organizations in Sri Lanka, which utilize large portions of watersheds for agriculture plantation management.
Luz Cervantes Valdivieso is a Program Officer for the Environment and Disaster Management program. Luz previously worked as an Environmental Management Specialist at Sun Mountain International, where she focused on ensuring environmental compliance for international development projects and gained work experience in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining WWF, Luz also served as senior project officer for the Science Based Targets initiative at CDP North America Inc. and as a research assistant supporting the ADVANCE program at Columbia University’s Center for Climate Systems Research. Luz holds a MA in Climate and Society from Columbia University as well as a MA/Bsc in Environmental Management from the Free University of Brussels. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.
Daniel Vernick is a Communications Associate for the Environment and Disaster Management program. A graduate of Yale College, Daniel studied climate change in Bolivia, Morocco, and Vietnam and wrote his senior essay on climate-induced displacement in the eastern Caribbean. Prior to his current role, Daniel worked on global climate policy for the WWF International Climate Cooperation Program and the Conservation International Global Strategy Department.
Charles Kelly has over 40 years of global on-site experience working on disasters, including droughts, food insecurity, earthquakes, insect infestation, hurricanes, epidemics, floods, war, and other emergencies. In addition to responding to disasters, Mr. Kelly contributed to the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment process, the Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit, the Natural and Nature-Based Flood Management: A Green Guide, and other tools for bridging humanitarian and environmental issues. Mr. Kelly provides environmental support and training for the Global Shelter Cluster and co-chairs the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA) Disasters and Conflict Section.
Arabella Samayoa Gordillo has worked for the last 30 years as a consultant in education, focusing on environmental education and risk management. She studied in Japan, specializing in environmental education in the context of developing countries. Ms. Samayoa has developed learning methodologies, educational materials, exhibitions, and training processes for various audiences. Since 2014, she has implemented workshops as a trainer of trainers for the Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit and the Natural and Nature-Based Flood Management: A Green Guide in Guatemala, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Upul Subasinghe is a Professor of Forestry at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenepur in Sri Lanka, where he teaches and conducts research on forest management and restoration, forest certification, and non-timber products of forest trees. His main research interests lie in aromatic products of Santalum, Aquilaria, and Gyrinops species. Currently, Dr. Subasinghe is the Director of the Centre for Forestry and Environment, which was established to conduct applied research on the forestry and environment sectors. He also engages with WWF training and awareness programs on land restoration using nature-based methods, especially with private sector organizations in Sri Lanka, which utilize large portions of watersheds for agriculture plantation management.
