Jen Kovecses is the Assistant Director of Programs for the Salazar Center, where she leads the organization’s program strategy and implementation, including the annual Salazar Symposium on Conservation Impact and other convenings, sustaining partnerships across North America, and developing the Center’s evolving climate resilience work. She helps bring practitioners, policy makers, researchers, or funders together to share and develop innovative ideas and solutions around landscape conservation and climate resilience to meet the Center’s mission and strategic goals.
Prior to joining the Center, Jen was executive director at the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed for over seven years, where she focused on post-fire restoration, forest, river, and wildfire resilience. In that work, she brought a variety stakeholders together to plan and implement strategies and projects to increase cross-boundary watershed resilience. Originally from Canada, Jen completed her Master of Science at McGill University in biology with a focus on aquatic ecology and conservation. When Jen is not playing in the closest river, lake, or ocean, she can be found throwing pottery, or occasionally throwing punches at the local boxing gym.
Leslie Harroun
Executive Director
Leslie is the Executive Director of the Salazar Center for North American Conservation, where she oversees the organization’s strategic development, operations, financial and human resources management, and communications. With nearly 30 years of experience in conservation, her leadership is characterized by vision, an entrepreneurial spirit, and collaboration. Prior to joining the Salazar Center, Leslie led The Democracy Collaborative’s Next System Project. From 2015-2020 Leslie was founding director of Partners for a New Economy (P4NE), an international donor collaborative to repurpose our economy for the benefit of nature and people, and co-founder of Climate Safe Lending, a cross-sector network to align bank lending with the Paris Climate Accord. From 1998-2015, Leslie was a Senior Program Officer at the OAK Foundation.
Leslie has a Non-Profit Leadership Certificate from the Executive Education Program of the Harvard Kennedy School and was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to work on biodiversity prospecting in Papua New Guinea from 1996-97. She holds a law degree from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, where she was a Sarah Williston Scholar. She currently serves as Board Chair of Oil Change International, and as a U.S. Director for Positive Money. She served on the Maine Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force from 2008-2009.
Jen Kovecses
Assistant Director of Programs
Jen Kovecses is the Assistant Director of Programs for the Salazar Center, where she leads the organization’s program strategy and implementation, including the annual Salazar Symposium on Conservation Impact and other convenings, sustaining partnerships across North America, and developing the Center’s evolving climate resilience work. She helps bring practitioners, policy makers, researchers, or funders together to share and develop innovative ideas and solutions around landscape conservation and climate resilience to meet the Center’s mission and strategic goals.
Prior to joining the Center, Jen was executive director at the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed for over seven years, where she focused on post-fire restoration, forest, river, and wildfire resilience. In that work, she brought a variety stakeholders together to plan and implement strategies and projects to increase cross-boundary watershed resilience. Originally from Canada, Jen completed her Master of Science at McGill University in biology with a focus on aquatic ecology and conservation. When Jen is not playing in the closest river, lake, or ocean, she can be found throwing pottery, or occasionally throwing punches at the local boxing gym.
Catie Boehmer
Assistant Director of Engagement and Operations
Catie Boehmer is the Assistant Director of Engagement and Operations for the Salazar Center, where she oversees the Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact, fostering connections between conservation innovators, ideas, and resources and supporting capacity-building for new and different solutions. As the Center’s longest-running staff member, she also manages a variety of partnership efforts, the organization’s day-to-day operations, and for now, all communications efforts.
Prior to joining the Center in 2019, Catie oversaw the Colorado Water Center’s grantmaking and outreach programs and previously spent nearly a decade in fundraising roles that directly supported conservation research, education, and practice at both local and international scales. Catie holds a Master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from CSU and a BA in political science from Northwestern University. She is currently serving a two-year term on the planning committee for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Partners in the Outdoors program, and in her free time, she can often be found running, camping, and hunting on Colorado’s public lands.
Shoshanna Dean
Program and Partnerships Coordinator
Shoshanna is the Program and Partnerships Coordinator for the Salazar Center where she supports critical project management, partner engagement, and research support for the Center’s programs, including the Peregrine Accelerator, the annual Symposium on Conservation Impact, and additional convenings. She communicates with partners on and off campus to understand how they may play a role in key initiatives hosted by the Center, to contribute to the vast network of conservation professionals that are working towards bettering outcomes for ecosystems and communities across North America. She also assists with management of program logistics across the Center’s initiatives to support successful execution of convenings and research.
Shoshanna completed her Masters of Conservation Leadership at CSU in 2021 where she was nominated for the Gasbarro Distinguished Achievement Scholarship for Conservation Leadership. Prior to joining the Center, she worked with organizations including the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, 350 Colorado, and the Olympic Natural Resources Center. In her free time, Shoshanna enjoys hiking and paddle boarding in Colorado’s mountains, traveling internationally, and visiting her family in Washington state.
Arielle Quintana
Communications Assistant
Arielle is the Communications Assistant for the Salazar Center where she provides communications and administrative support through the development, implementation, and evaluation of social media and web-based content. Arielle manages the Center’s blog and other creative content to grow the Center’s vibrant network. She seeks to amplify conservation stories that highlight communities who work to keep lands and waters healthy for all and make clear everyone’s responsibility to care for nature.
Arielle is a proud tribal member from Cochiti Pueblo, a federally recognized tribe in the state of New Mexico. She is a first-generation student who earned a degree in Rangeland Ecology at Colorado State University in 2017 and returned in 2020 to pursue a PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. No matter what she’s doing – baking, reading, studying – you can always find her listening to music at moderately safe decibel levels.
Akshadha Gunasekar
Administration and Operations Assistant
Akshadha Gunasekar serves as the Administration and Operations Assistant at the Salazar Center. In her role, she supports the Center’s team by ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, facilitating effective meetings, coordinating budgets, and managing travel logistics, among other responsibilities. Her role aligns closely with her passion for sustainability, conservation, and fostering meaningful solutions for people and the planet. With a deep commitment to addressing food security, sustainable resource management, and climate justice, she brings a people-centered approach to her work.
Akshadha is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration with Impact Specialization at Colorado State University. As an Indian born and raised in Oman, her multicultural upbringing has shaped her global outlook and drives her to create meaningful solutions. Professionally, she brings diverse experience in marketing and product management in the real estate and information technology industries. Additionally, she served as the Vice Captain of the Oman National Women’s Cricket Team, representing her country in tournaments across countries. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, meeting new people and cultures, and engaging in hobbies such as listening to classical Indian music, singing, and dancing.