Emily Barbo

Peregrine Accelerator: Evaluator Spotlight 3

The Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact program wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners who have graciously agreed to serve as mentors and proposal evaluators to our applicants. 

While only a maximum of 12 teams will be accept into the program, The Center wants to make sure that all applicants walk away with something valuable from the experience since it takes time and resources to develop a proposal. Getting substantive feedback from regional and subject matter experts on the strengths and opportunities for improvement on proposals is one of the significant benefits of applying to this program.  

These evaluators were selected for their experience, curiosity, and passion for watershed health, climate resilience, and social equity. They will provide a thorough review of each application submitted, and each applicant team will receive feedback from a minimum of five evaluators to help them strengthen their approach and solutions. Since they play such an important role in the program, take a moment to get to know a few of the evaluators who will be investing their time and energy in this work!  

Be sure to check out the full list of evaluators and their bios.  


Kate Trujillo, Honnold Foundation

Kate is the Deputy Director at the the Honnold Foundation, where she develops and oversees HF’s work supporting grassroots organizations that are using solar energy to improve peoples’ lives and reduce environmental impact. Throughout her career, Kate has worked with various nonprofits and foundations at the nexus of social justice, public health and environmental conservation. Her work has always focused on increasing access to basic needs for marginalized communities and spans from strengthening Tribal Court Systems on Native American reservations to developing sustainable agriculture programs in Ecuador. She believes strongly in the power of grassroots movements and in using community-designed solutions to foster sustainable change. Kate is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and received her master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan. In her spare time, Kate can be found running through the forests of the Pacific Northwest, spending time with her friends and family or planning her next adventure. 

Whether the Honnold Foundation’s grants are helping to fund solar-powered boats in the Ecuadorian Amazon, set up solar water pump systems in indigenous desert communities in Mexico, install micro solar home systems built from salvaged electronic waste in Indonesia, or improve energy resilience in the USA’s Navajo Nation tribal lands, the criteria is the same, says Trujillo. 

“It has to be a community-driven project,” she says, which both fits the needs of locals and has a self-sustaining plan for the maintenance and upkeep of the solar equipment, which invariably means there are beneficial training, education, job-creation and other spin-offs. 

“Community is such a huge part of what we do. What it boils down to is, ‘who owns and is accountable for this program’? And if the answer is not the community, then we’re not interested.” 

Kate is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and received her Master’s of Public Health from the University of Michigan. In her spare time, Kate can be found running the streets of Salt Lake City with her dog or on an outdoor adventure with her fiancé. 


Carlos Fernandez, The Nature Conservancy

Carlos leads a staff of 60 Colorado employees as the Nature Conservancy’s State Director for Colorado. Working with partner organizations, government agencies, elected officials, and other key decision-makers, Carlos and his team strive to build alliances that advance conservation outcomes both in Colorado and around the world. Since taking the helm in Colorado in 2015, Carlos and TNC have enjoyed many notable achievements—everything from protecting large swaths of native grasslands to helping to create Colorado’s newest state park. He previously served the Conservancy as the Southern Andes Conservation Strategies Manager and the Patagonia Program Manager. He joined the Conservancy in January 2003, working as the Foreign Legal Advisor for the South American Conservation Region.  

Carlos believes in cultivating collaborations and investing in diversity when it comes to the development of conservation goals and initiatives. “Many people say that the environmental movement lacks diversity, and I always answer the same thing: yes, but only in the United States,” he shared in an interview with Colorado Water Trust. “The environmental movement is a wide movement. It may not be diverse in the United States, but the global environmental movement is very diverse, and that difference is very important.” He went on to share, “There is a lot of work to be done. We need to make sure our environmental outcomes have a match to their demography. I think we ought to be in a place where the work we are doing and putting out is not only relevant for the white demography of Colorado but to the entire demography of Colorado, including, of course, our large Hispanic population and everyone else.” He also spoke of the need to elevate Black and Native American voices in the conservation world, especially in the areas where they are most affected. 

Earlier in his career, Carlos worked for large international law firms in both Washington, DC and Buenos Aires. He holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center and a J.D. from the University of Mendoza, School of Law from Mendoza, Argentina.


Emily Warren Armitano, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation  

Emily is the director of land conservation and water programs for the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin, Texas. She is responsible for leading the design of the land conservation and water program strategies and managing a grants portfolio to achieve the foundation’s sustainability goals. 

Emily joined the foundation in 2019, bringing with her deep experience in community engagement, movement-building, connecting research to action, and a commitment to equity and social justice. 

Previously, she held leadership positions at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, where her focus was on sustainable natural resources management. She also served as a member of the management team at United for Iran, working to improve human rights, support civil society, and increase civic engagement in Iran. In addition, Emily worked as part of the global management team for a United Nations Development Program aimed at reducing the volume and toxicity of health care waste in eight low-income countries across the globe. 

She recently participated in the Center’s 4th Annual Symposium for International Conservation Impact. You can watch her session in English and Spanish. 

Emily is from Venezuela and comes from a family that spans four continents. She is fluent in Spanish. Emily holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Texas State University, a Master’s of Science in Environmental Science, and a Master’s of Public Affairs from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a dual B.S. in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution and Pre-Medicine from the University of Illinois. 


The Center is thrilled by the number of high-quality applications we received to join the Peregrine Accelerator program. Our evaluators will be reviewing applications and sharing feedback over the next several weeks. Be sure to keep an eye out for an announcement introducing our cohort in the new year!