External Advisory Board

Tony is the Chancellor of the Colorado State University System, home to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CSU-Pueblo, and CSU-Global. Prior, during his 10-year tenure as President of CSU, he co-founded the Salazar Center and oversaw the naming of university as the most sustainable campus in the nation. His leadership has also been essential to the development of the CSU complex at the National Western Center in Denver, which will provide a platform for collaboration on issues at the intersection of food, water, and human and animal health.

Carlos is the State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. He works closely with the Colorado Chapter’s Board of Trustees as well as partner organizations, agencies, elected officials, and other key decision-makers to advance conservation in Colorado and around the world. Carlos is a native of Argentina and holds law degrees from Mendoza and Georgetown universities. 

Tom has served as the President of the Gates Family Foundation since 2010, where he oversees investments in public education, natural resources stewardship, and community development throughout Colorado. Tom has served on the boards of numerous land conservation, urban redevelopment, environmental, and historic preservation organizations and is a former chair of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, The Nature Conservancy, the Urban Land Conservancy, and the Denver Water Board.

Happy is the Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation and a Denver native. She received a degree in Political Science from Columbia University and an MPA from the University of Colorado at Denver. Happy currently serves on several non-profit boards, including the Trust for Public Land, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Jocelyn is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of the Spur Campus & Special Projects for the ‎Colorado State University System. She is overseeing the design, construction, and program development of the new Spur campus, which focuses on inspiring life-long learners around topics of food, water, health and sustainability. She worked previously in sustainable and inclusive urban planning and has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton and a Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale’s Environment School.

Amy Parsons is the 16th President of Colorado State University. Prior to being named CSU President in 2023, Parsons served for 17 years in various senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System. She combines her higher education background with private sector experience, as well as a background in law. She began her career as a litigation attorney for Denver-firm Brownstein, Hyatt, & Farber (now Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck).

Jim is the Colorado & Southwest Region director for The Trust for Public Land, where he works to create parks and protect land for people across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Prior to joining TPL, Jim spent 17 years at The Nature Conservancy and 10 years working in Washington, D.C. as a communications director and legislative assistant for a senior member of Congress and as a press secretary for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Jim is an avid trail runner and competed in the Leadville 100 in 2012. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and two teenagers.

Lynn Scarlett retired in December 2021 from The Nature Conservancy where she served as Global Chief External Affairs Officer. In this role, she served on the global executive team, oversaw and influenced climate and conservation policy in the United States and the 79 countries and territories, and advanced private-sector partnerships to support corporate sustainability and enhance ambitious actions to address climate change. Prior to her role at the Conservancy, Lynn served at the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2001-2009 in the GW Bush Administration, where she was the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer of the department. She served as Acting Secretary of the Interior in 2006.

Dave is principal of Barnacle Strategies, a consultancy based on Salt Spring Island, BC, where he works closely with foundations, environmental and Indigenous organizations, and academic institutions. He is descended from Alaskans, trained as a marine invertebrate ecologist, and has evolved into strategic philanthropy for conservation and communities. He has long been active in funder affinity groups in land and marine conservation and Indigenous philanthropy, including the Arctic Funders Collaborative and the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’ Network.

Dan is the Managing Partner of Stiles.Legal and provides counsel to organizations seeking to make a positive human impact, from the global climate change nonprofit founded and chaired by former Vice President Al Gore to the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.  Dan serves on the Board of ICLEI USA and as a mentor for entrepreneurs with the Techstars-TNC Sustainability Accelerator.