Meet our Team

Tahnee is a professional facilitator, mediator, and collaboration practitioner. For the past 25 years, in the U.S. and internationally, her project work has included forest planning and management, large landscape conservation, outdoor recreation planning, urban planning, watershed collaboratives, collaborative adaptive management, community visioning, and youth engagement. She specializes in designing and supporting place-based collaboratives and peer-to-peer networks.

 

Tahnee has a Bachelor’s in Biology from Grinnell College and a Master's in Natural Resources from Cornell University. She is fluent in Spanish.

 

Based in: Tucson AZ​

Colleen joined Southwest Decision Resources in 2008. Her work with SDR has focused on watershed and place-based collaboratives, large landscape conservation, collaborative adaptive management, urban planning, participatory GIS, strategic planning, regional visioning, and scenario planning. She enjoys working on public lands issues and helping to support informed decision making.

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Colleen has a Bachelor's in International Development and Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona, and a Masters in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics.

 

Based in: Tucson AZ

Andi joined SDR in 2013 after a 15 year career working in wildlife biology.  Before joining Southwest Decision Resources, she focused primarily on wildlife-related research, endangered species recovery, and environmental policy.  As a facilitator and mediator working with SDR, her career primarily focuses on convening stakeholders to engage in productive dialogue surrounding complex natural resources issues. In addition, Andi has a particular interest in, and experience with, navigating conflict at multiple levels (1 on 1, team dynamics, multiparty). Her approach to conflict resolution focuses on normalizing, addressing directly and honestly, holding safe space for meaningful contributions, and adding light-hearted energy (when appropriate) to tense times. 

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Andi has a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Montana and a Master’s degree in Wildlife Science from the University of Arizona.

 

Based in: Flagstaff AZ

Brian joined SDR in 2024 with more than 25 years of experience helping groups and organizations learn, collaborate, solve problems, and navigate change successfully. As a facilitator and mediator, he specializes in complex, multiparty environmental collaborative processes, applying a tailored and adaptive approach to ensure that the needs and interests of impacted parties are appropriately addressed.  He has worked on a range of environmental issues, including water resource management, ecosystem recovery and restoration, public lands management, ocean and coastal planning, and transportation and infrastructure planning.

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Prior to joining SDR, Brian spent 16 years in Federal service, most recently serving as the Director of the Udall Foundation’s John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution. He holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution with a focus on environmental policy from the University of Denver and a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science from Virginia Tech.

 

Based in: Tucson AZ

Julia joined the SDR team in 2013. She has supported collaborative natural resource management in the Southwest through the design, facilitation, and implementation of collaborative large-landscape conservation, outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, rangeland management, watershed land use planning, as well as strategic planning, and community visioning efforts. Julia is committed to helping partners find forward-thinking, actionable solutions that serve both the land and communities.

 

Julia has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies with a focus on Environmental Psychology from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona. Her graduate studies focused on environmental impacts and public perceptions of renewable energy facilities.

 

Based in: Tucson AZ

Carrie joined SDR in 2015 and works with partners on natural resource issues including forest planning and landscape restoration, public lands recreation; she also works on robust community engagement with local municipalities on issues related to parks and recreation, housing, local economics and the environment. She enjoys working with stakeholders on community-based and public land issues to address challenges and come to collaborative decisions.

 

Carrie also has hands-on experience in community participatory analysis, curriculum development, and community projects both locally and in South America as a Peace Corps volunteer and coordinator. She has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology from Pacific University and a Masters in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University.  Her studies focused primarily on collaborative monitoring and results-focused stakeholder engagement.  She is fluent in Spanish.

 

Based in: Flagstaff AZ

Jessica joined the SDR team in 2018 with a background in natural resource management and planning. She has worked in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington with agencies, governments, and non-governmental organizations to accomplish forest and grassland restoration, regional planning efforts, policy development, and voluntary conservation programs. Along with SDR, she serves as a natural resources advisor for the Columbia River Gorge Commission bi-state agency. Her past work includes 9 years with the Arizona Game & Fish Department in Flagstaff.

 

Jessica has a Bachelor’s in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Masters in Environmental Science & Policy from Northern Arizona University.

 

Based in: Phoenix AZ

Lisa joined the SDR team in 2019 and supports collaborative natural resource management efforts including watershed partnerships, multi-jurisdictional outdoor recreation planning, collaborative governance, and strategic planning. She is particularly passionate about helping partners find solutions to complex issues in restoration, bringing together land managers and the community to improve ecosystem health in a variety of landscapes.

 

Lisa brings a variety of experiences with collaborative river restoration, ecological research, volunteer stewardship, outdoor education, and non-profit development and management. She has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies with a focus on The Southwest Environment from Northern Arizona University and a Masters in Biology from University of Denver. Her graduate studies focused on the impacts of collaboration on river restoration efforts in the Southwest.

 

Based in: Flagstaff AZ

Anna joined SDR in 2020. Her work with SDR specializes in multi-stakeholder convening, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and long term watershed collaboration – especially related to western water, public policy, and climate adaptation. Previously, Anna worked as a policy and management consultant at CEA Consulting. In this role, she worked with national-level environmental NGOs and a Fortune 500 energy company on policy research, political advocacy, and regulatory strategy. She also managed communications and outreach for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the NGO responsible for implementing the largest dam removal project on Earth, so far. Anna also serves as a volunteer mediator for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights Division.

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Anna has a Bachelor’s in Geology and Environmental Humanities from Whitman College and a Masters in Water, Society, and Policy from the University of Arizona. Her graduate research focused on technology and stakeholder engagement on the Colorado River. She is proficient in conversational Spanish.

 

Based in: Tucson AZ

Jessica joined the team in 2022 after attending an SDR facilitation training the year prior. She brings years of experience in domestic and international social-ecological research on relevant topics such as community engagement, collaboration, and governance. Jessica applies her social science and participatory research experience to facilitation, and she is passionate about facilitating data-driven and stakeholder-led initiatives that enhance social and environmental benefits. Her project experience at SDR has included outdoor recreation planning, forest restoration, watershed collaboratives, strategic planning, and community planning. 

 

Jessica holds Bachelor degrees in Environmental Studies (B.S) and Spanish (B.A.) from Northern Arizona University. She is a doctoral candidate in Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies at the same university and a Graduate Fellow with both the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. She is fluent in Spanish.

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Based in: Flagstaff AZ​

Mark joined SDR in 2022 after 20 years in the trails and outdoor recreation industry.  His experience working for federal land agencies and a non-profit conservation corps has solidified his dedication to collaborative decision making to meet the needs of communities throughout the Southwest.  He is passionate about balance in solutions that benefit the largest audience.  Through his work developing and leading trail skills trainings for a variety of non-profit organizations, Mark has learned the importance of practical learning to advance shared understanding of conservation objectives, and brings his perspectives to outdoor recreation projects in northern Arizona.

 

Mark has a Bachelor’s in Geography from the University of Minnesota and professional certificate in GIS from San Francisco State University.

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Based in: Flagstaff AZ

Since joining SDR in 2022, Annia has provided marketing and communications expertise to support collaborative natural resource management and regional planning efforts. Her project work spans multi-jurisdictional outdoor recreation initiatives, partner coordination, and strategic planning for collective impact. She specializes in providing strategic and tactical outreach support to multi-stakeholder partnerships, with a focus on audience engagement, digital communications, and partner stewardship. 

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Annia’s background includes leading digital marketing for programs, managing habitat restoration projects, and coordinating conservation initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a Master’s in Environmental Mass Communication from the University of Colorado Boulder. Fluent in Spanish, she brings a cross-cultural perspective to engagement and outreach.

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Based remotely​

Nell joined the SDR team in 2023 with interdisciplinary expertise that shapes her collaborative and solutions-oriented approach to engaging decision-makers, community leaders, and volunteers on issues and opportunities that matter. Her project work has included ecological research and monitoring, wildlife and habitat restoration, regional planning efforts, watershed collaboratives, outdoor recreation planning, science communication, and community engagement. She is committed to facilitating robust processes that foster strong partnerships, engage communities in decision-making, and lead to enduring solutions.

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Nell holds a joint Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and Environment & Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming and a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Conservation Biology and Arts & Letters from Prescott College.

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Based in Phoenix, AZ​

Colleen Cooley joined the SDR team in 2023. Originally from the Navajo Nation, Colleen has over 12 years of experience working as a facilitator, educator, and consultant in intertribal, multiparty collaborative spaces to advance community-led solutions. She has worked on a range of critical environmental issues and strategies including climate adaptation, co-management research and planning, watershed stewardship, youth engagement, food sovereignty and more. She is passionate about fostering meaningful Indigenous partnerships, youth engagement, and long-lasting relationships.

 

Colleen has a Bachelor's in Environmental Sciences with a Management emphasis and a Master's in Climate Science & Solutions, both from Northern Arizona University. 

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Based remotely​

Ruby joined the SDR team in 2024 with expertise in groundwater reform, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative governance in the arid West. Her interdisciplinary background informs her facilitative approach, fostering collaborative decision-making on natural resource, community, and public policy issues to create enduring solutions. Before joining SDR, Ruby worked as a consultant and researcher, addressing complex water governance challenges across multiple scales and sectors. She is committed to creating collaborative pathways that foster sustainable resource management.

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Ruby holds a Master’s in Water Science, Policy, and Management from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from Columbia University.

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Based in Tucson, AZ​