Our People

Staff

Guest Services

Edwardo Pop

Head Cook

Pedro Teul

Gardener

Ofelia Cus

House Keeper

Leonard Kus

Facilities Manager

Mario Teul

Tour Guide/ Educator

Gill Ical

Facilities Helper

Rangers

Sipriano Canti

Head Park Ranger
scanti@bfreebz.org

Marcos Kuk

Park Ranger

Esteban Cal

Park Ranger

Cacao Agroforestry Program

Elmer Tzalam

Operations Manager

Predencio Choc

Cacao Worker

David Sho

Cacao Worker

Roxanna Chen

Quality Control Manager

Milton Cohuoj

Cacao Worker

Alexander Cal

Cacao Worker

Michael Pop

Senior Cacao Worker

Hicatee Turtle Program

Thomas Pop

Hicatee Conservation &
Research Center Manager

Jaren Serano

Dermatemys/Hicatee Social Scientist

jserano@bfreebz.org

Thomas Pop

Hicatee Conservation &
Research Center Manager

Jaren Serano

Dermatemys/ Hicatee Social Scientist

jserano@bfreebz.org

Fellows

Andrew Choco

Wildlife Fellow

wildlifefellow@bfreebz.org

Heston Castillo

Cacao Fellow

cacaofellow@bfreebz.org

Samih Young

Wildlife Education Fellow

Administration

Jacob Marlin

Executive Director
jmarlin@bfreebz.org

Biography

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Jacob had a passion for the natural world at a young age – especially snakes. After receiving an A.S. degree in Biological Park Management in 1989, he worked in the Herpetology departments of several zoos. On an exploration trip to Belize, Jacob fell in love with the country and eventually moved there in 1993 to found BFREE, serving as Executive Director ever since. Jacob is Chairman of Belize’s Monkey River Watershed Association, President of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, and CEO of Crioco Cacao, LLC, a for-profit cacao and chocolate company.

His interest in cacao has grown since discovering wild cacao trees at BFREE and Jacob and his team are exploring the environmental, social, and economic benefits of shade-loving cacao as a tool for conserving and restoring tropical ecosystems. When not in Belize, Jacob enjoys spending time with his three grown children in the USA.

Rocento Pau

Belize Office & Hospitality Coordinator
contact@bfreebz.org

Biography

Rocento Pau was born and raised in Sundaywood Village, Toledo District. He is a Ketchi maya and grew up working with his father in the forest for a living. Because of this, he loves nature. At the age of 17, he graduated from Toledo Community College High School with a diploma majoring in the Business Department. He was employed by Aqua Mar Belize Limited for 9 years where he worked in a variety of roles including Data Clerk, Office Supervisor and Field Supervisor. Aqua Mar closed in December 2022, so Rocento began searching for other opportunities.

Rocento joined BFREE in July 2023 because he was inspired by the biodiversity and beautiful nature of the reserve. He is pleased to be a part of BFREE’s family as Administrative Assistant and is excited to contribute to the work BFREE is doing to preserve the biodiversity of Belize.

Heather Barrett

Deputy Director
hbarrett@bfreebz.org

Biography

Heather Barrett was born in Louisville, Kentucky and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Florida. Heather began working with BFREE in 2011 while in Gainesville, Florida with the intention of helping the non-profit through a period of strategic changes. Nearly 15 years later, her role has evolved and she continues to help lead the organization while splitting her time between western NC and Belize. She serves on the Board of Directors for Turtle Survival Alliance.

Heather is passionate about education and manages all of BFREE’s educational programs. Much of her energy is dedicated to empowering future conservation leaders through work training, outreach and professional development opportunities. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of human potential and strives to connect people to opportunities that will allow them to flourish.

Rob Klinger, PhD

Director of Conservation & Science
rklinger@bfreebz.org

Biography

Dr. Robert Klinger has a BS in Wildlife Biology and an MS in biology from San Jose State University, where he worked on the interplay between fire, deer, and mountain lions. He then spent a few years as an endangered species biologist and statistician for an environmental consulting firm; a couple of years as the field coordinator for a project looking at the effects of off-highway vehicles on plant and animal communities in the Mojave Desert; nine years as The Nature Conservancy’s ecologist on Santa Cruz Island off the California coast; and received a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution from UC Davis, where he found the Bladen Nature Reserve and got involved with BFREE.

For 17 years he worked as an ecologist and statistician with the US Geological Survey. He has spent a few years with the US Forest Service as a fire ecologist and worked with the Charles Darwin Station on the Galapagos Islands for six months and was a member of the board of BFREE for well over a decade, including a stretch as the president.

Bridget Nelson

US Office Administrator
bnelson@bfreebz.org

Biography

Bridget Nelson has always been an advocate for wild places. After moving to North Carolina she became focused on public lands in the Southern Appalachians. She earned a Master’s Degree in Biology from Western Carolina University while specializing in molecular ecology. Bridget gained non-profit management experience serving on boards and working in offices of environmental non-profits. She is currently Board Treasurer of the Asheville Tool Library.

After a decade spent painting and restoring 100-year-old homes, she wanted to get back to making a difference for the planet. Since joining US for BFREE at the end of 2023, Bridget has been very impressed with the organization, its work and programs. She is honored to share BFREE’s mission of conserving the biodiversity and cultural heritage of Belize.

Interested in learning more about employment at BFREE?

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Board

Pamela Garvin

Biography

Pamela Garvin is a retired tax attorney originally from California, and she now claims Manhattan and Sarasota, Florida as home. She brings to BFREE her leadership and experience from serving on the Boards of a multitude of non-profits such as the Ventura County Community Foundation, Foundation for Diversity in the Arts, the Conejo Schools Foundation and most recently the Zonta Club of New York. Pamela had her own legal practice for over 30 years, was on the Small Business Council, and a sought-after speaker in her specialized field of pensions and benefits. She counseled clients on their estate and gift-giving plans, as well as assisting them in establishing businesses, and partnerships. Pamela is a strong supporter of BFREE and its missions, and looks forward to exploring Belize.

BFREE Board Treasurer, 2022 - present

Tim Gregory, PhD

Biography

Tim has a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology and retired, the first time, in 2007 after a twenty-five year career in the biotechnology industry making vaccines and cancer therapies. He then became a biopharmaceutical entrepreneur and co-founded a new company focused on new cancer therapeutics. He retired the second time in 2016 when the company was successfully sold. Since 2016 he has focussed his efforts on supporting conservation projects for freshwater turtles and tortoises, and cycads, worldwide. He is serving as co-chair of the conservation committee of the IUCN Cycad Specialist Group, co-founder of the conservation ngo Wild Cycad Conservancy, member and past chair of the Advisory BOD of the University of California Botanical Garden, a member of the BOD of the Turtle Survival Alliance, as well as a member of the BOD of BFREE and CRIOCO, LLC.

Gentry Mander, JD

Biography

Gentry Mander is a staff attorney at the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center, a not-for-profit law firm dedicated to serving low- and moderate-income heirs property owners aiming to clear title to their inherited property and build generational wealth. Gentry began working with BFREE in 2012 as a law student in the University of Florida’s Conservation Clinic. She later completed her masters in sustainable development practice (MDP) field practicum studying the economic viability of shade grown cacao for smallholder Maya farmers in collaboration with BFREE. When not in the jungle, Gentry lives in Atlanta with her husband, son, and two domesticated mini-jaguars.

Jacob Marlin

Biography

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Jacob had a passion for the natural world at a young age – especially snakes. After receiving an A.S. degree in Biological Park Management in 1989, he worked in the Herpetology departments of several zoos. On an exploration trip to Belize, Jacob fell in love with the country and eventually moved there in 1993 to found BFREE, serving as Executive Director ever since. Jacob is Chairman of Belize’s Monkey River Watershed Association, Board Member of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, and Managing Director of CrioCo, a for-profit cacao and chocolate company.

James Rotenberg, PhD

Biography

Dr. James “Jamie” Rotenberg is an associate professor of tropical environmental ecology in the Department of Environmental Sciences at UNCW. Beginning as a Fulbright Scholar for his PhD research in 1997, Jamie has conducted avian monitoring and research projects in Guatemala, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and now Belize. Jamie arrived at BFREE in December 2005 and was a member of the original scientific team that rediscovered Harpy Eagles in Belize. Since then, he has led several avian-related research projects focusing on the eagles, the bird community, and most recently forest restoration using cacao agroforestry. Jamie’s passion for teaching includes sharing the tropics with his students and he has brought ~100 UNCW students to BFREE for study abroad experiences.

BFREE Board President, 2022 - present

Sam Meachum, BFREE Board Member, smiling at the camera in a red cave diving jacket inside a cave.

Sam Meacham

Biography

Sam Meacham is the Director of El Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuífero de Quintana Roo AC (CINDAQ). An experienced cave diver, Sam remains committed to understanding the complex dynamics of the Yucatán Peninsula's karst aquifer, as well as the people affected by it. He has extensive experience leading cave diving expeditions in the region, the most significant of which is the ongoing exploration and documentation of Sistema Ox Bel Ha and the adjacent Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Sam hold a master’s degree in Science in Natural Resources from the University of New Hampshire. He has been a Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York since 2000, was a 2009 NASA Space Grant Fellow, and has earned the Award in Maritime Archaeology from the Nautical Archaeology Society.

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