Steve Gwenin – GVI CA Managing Director

In 2007, Steve co-founded the GVI Corporate Alliance and has since created and managed international programs with Whole Foods Market (Fortune 100), Grameen Trust (Nobel Prize Laureate 2006), Global Giving, Kraft Foods, Emirates Foundation (UAE National Volunteering Program), Explore Travel and many others. He previously worked as the founder of Global Vision International's Marine Conservation Expeditions, and has been key in the set up and running of almost all of GVI’s Expeditions, including 3 in Mexico, and one each in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Patagonia, Kenya, Seychelles and Thailand, and has also spent time on the South African expedition and helped in its development.

Steve is a qualified commercial diver, PADI Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer, certified powerboat driver and Health and Safety off-site advisor and Off-Site Safety Management trainer, whom holds a B.Sc. in Oceanography and Fisheries Science and is certified in Firefighting and Offshore survival. Prior to joining GVI, Steve worked in the scientific field around Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and had used these opportunities to travel extensively. He disbanded his own successful and growing marine mammal research company, which operated around Northern European, Artic, and African waters, to join GVI and has now been part of the team for almost 6 years.

Steve has over 13 years field research experience spanning 5 continents, 4 oceans and a host of different eco-systems, including marine, coastal, tropical dry and rainforest, artic and savannah. His boundless energy and enthusiasm, commitment to conservation and determination to work with local communities, his strong background in working internationally with governmental, non-profit and commercial organizations in conservation, research and sustainable development initiatives, and his experience of living, training and working with volunteers, make him ideal for GVI CA.

Richard Walton – GVI CA Director

Having lived and worked overseas for many years as a Volunteer and Expedition Leader, Richard has been largely responsible for the development of Global Vision International from its early days on an island off the coast of Honduras. Richard has led and taken part in expeditions to Patagonia, the Amazon, Honduras and Malawi and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. He continues to be involved in all aspects of the day-to-day running of GVI and travels extensively throughout the year to GVI field stations.

Morgan Adams - Outreach and Development

Morgan’s interest and experience lies in intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. Previously, she worked as Executive Programs Coordinator for the Center for Intercultural Education and Development in Washington, DC, coordinating programs for Executives and Government officials from China, France, and Spain, and worked closely in the development of Center grants to USAID and the US State Department. She also worked for UNESCO during its 2006 ECOSOC conference in Geneva, Switzerland and for the past year has worked to strengthen GVI’s outreach and development across North America.

She holds an MA Honors degree from the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland in International Relations and Russian and has also studied Chinese and Arabic. Her commitment lies in strengthening the mutual understanding of cultures abroad, while gaining closer understanding of the people and economical, political, and cultural landscape which shape state relations and development, with long-terms goals of sustainability in mind.

Alicia Guzman - Program Development Officer

Alicia Guzman has designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated over 130 environmental and social projects in the last ten years. Examples include organic greenhouses in public schools as well as trails and conservation initiatives in national reserves and their buffer zones. Alicia has actively engaged with communities, national and local governments, as well as local and international for and non-profit organizations in each of these projects. Other relevant working experience involves international organizations such as USAID, UN, and the Ecuadorian government.

Her education involves a B.A in International Business, M.A. in Latin American Studies and International Relations as well as a diploma in Management of Social Projects and Environment and Sustainable Enterprise. Her understanding of international aid has led to the publication of her book Plan Colombia and International Aid: recreating the state in the Andes. Dozens of her articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and websites. Alicia's commitment lies in utilizing all of her skills to the service of communities that can lead to a sustainable future, while provoking mutual understanding and compromise from different stakeholders in this endeavor.

Chris Ash - International Projects Director

Chris works as GVI’s International Projects Director, managing GVI projects around the world and working to establish and liaise with future and existing partners. He has been instrumental in developing GVI projects and in the last 4 years since has set up and established more than 30 new conservation and humanitarian projects across the world. His previous background and experience includes work as a volunteer teacher in Tanzania, and working in environmental education and conservation in the National Parks of South Africa. Chris has extensive travel through much of Southern Africa, to include Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. In the last year, he has worked closely in the development of various Corporate Alliance Initiatives and was instrumental in the development of Explore’s new volunteer tours in Namibia, Ghana, Borneo, and Guatemala. He has also worked closely on bespoke programs for the Diana Awards. Chris is excited about the key role large corporations can play with regard to social responsibility and the example they can set.

Britt Larsen - Director of Programs

Britt Larsen joined GVI almost 5 years ago as the Expedition Manager of the remote Amazon Expedition in Ecuador. She ran the program for 18 months and was then appointed to set up the Costa Rican wildlife expedition in the coastal lowland rainforest on the Caribbean coast. After set up she managed the Costa Rica expedition for a year and naturally moved on to manage all South American Expeditions for a year and a half before finally being promoted to Director of Programs. She now overseas all GVI field programs and has been key in the GVI reaction to Hurricane Dean in Mexico, and in the set up and running of corporate volunteer and community capacity building programs for Whole Foods Market (Fortune 100) and Kraft Foods through the GVI Corporate Alliance.

Britt is an Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer, an Off-Site Safety Management trainer, a certified powerboat driver and holds a B.Sc. in Zoology from Newcastle University. Originally from Denmark, Britt has worked and studied abroad during the last 12 years. She has run independent zoological expeditions to Tanzania, where she conducted primate, mammal, bird and amphibian surveys in the Udzungwa Mountains of the Eastern Arc, and to Ecuador’s cloud forest searching for the endangered Pacarana, the 3rd largest rodent in the world. She has also sailed across the Atlantic in a 36-foot ketch, cycled around Central America for a year working in a range of National Parks and has traveled extensively around Africa, Europe and the Americas. With over 10 years of international field experience, Britt has managed research, community and conservation programs globally and is a key member of the GVI team.

Peter Bradford - Country Director - South Africa

South African born and bred, Peter joined GVI in July 2004 as the Karongwe Expedition Leader. His roles and responsibilities have expanded over the years and he now oversees both the Karongwe and Venetia bases, the SANParks internship programme and various other GVI projects in the country. He came to GVI with over three years experience guiding and managing safari lodges in the Timbavati and Sabi-Sands Game Reserves bordering the Kruger National Park. He is a level 3 guide with the Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) and a registered South African nature guide. Peter has a National Diploma in Forestry and worked in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands and Drakensberg region managing sustainable forests for four years before moving into eco-tourism and conservation. He is well travelled having spent two and a half years backpacking in Europe, North- and South America. He’s a qualified EFR instructor, has his advanced weapons handling certificate and, apart from English, also speaks Afrikaans and Zulu.

Graham Corti - Country Director - Kenya and Tanzania

Graham first joined GVI in November 2005 as Expedition Manager in Kenya, and has to date over 6 years experience working in East Africa, with 23 expeditions under his belt. He obtained his degree in Zoology at the University of Southampton, undertaking his thesis in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, supporting stakeholders through research on the behavioural ecology of a feral cat population. After graduation he followed his one real passion and came to Africa, volunteering on a conservation research expedition in central Tanzania before taking a staff position. In addition to Kiswahili language, his time in Tanzania provided him with a broad range of research experience in forest, savanna and wetland habitats. In addition to initiating the first long term research on Africa’s most conservation critical population of the puku antelope he was involved in research projects as diverse as butterfly, amphibian and small mammal biodiversity, bat netting, wetland bird surveys, large mammal tracking, boat-based crocodile surveys and fisheries monitoring. He also delivered training and assessment for BTEC qualifications, co-authored 6 scientific publications and trekked to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Since then he has added two years management experience from the business sector.

In addition to developing Kenya’s marine research, coastal forest research and community development programs, Graham is excited to be involved in the development of GVI programs in Tanzania and applying the knowledge and experience gained from diverse environmental awareness, alternative livelihoods and sustainable development in both coastal and in land communities in Kenyabot. He is a qualified Emergency First Response Instructor, RYA level 2 power boat handling certified, PADI open water certified and has completed basic freefall parachute training.

Jill Walker - Country Director - Thailand

Jill is the Country Director for GVI Thailand and is responsible for all GVI’s activities and personnel within the country. Jill has been living in Thailand for 4 years prior to joining GVI where she has been teaching English as a foreign language at a government high school and has completely fallen in love with the culture of Thailand and the vibrant colors and culture of Southeast Asia. Jill is fluent in Thai and enjoys connecting with the community. Jill has organized and led English camps, workshops for teachers and free English classes for rural students as well as salespeople, tour guides, and others who work in the tourist industry. Jill received her Bachelors degree in Environmental Education from the University of North Carolina and has just finished a Masters degree in Environmental Education with Nova Southeastern University. Jill is a qualified Emergency First Response Instructor and has more than 10 years experience teaching English language and ecology to people of all ages and walks of life in a number of formal and non formal settings. Jill is particularly interested in the possibility of integrating environmental education into English language learning and into everyday life.

Stephen Meyer - Country Director - Argentina

Stephen joined the team in October 2006 as the Science and Logistics Manager and stepped up last August to lead the expeditions. He graduated with a Masters in Geography and Sports Science from the University of Mainz, Germany, in 2005. Stephen has been in the German Special Forces and has worked as a commercial diver in Australia and as a snowboard instructor in the European Alps. He was bitten by the travel bug some years ago and spent many months travelling through SE Asia, Australia, North America and Africa looking for places to dive and searching for waves. Before coming to Patagonia, Stephen led 2 conservation expeditions collecting data in Malaysia (Setiu Wetlands Biodiversity Assessment) and Fiji (Coral Reef Conservation Project) for another British NGO.

Tim Kirkpatrick - Country Director - Seychelles

Tim is originally from the Cotswolds in England and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to GVI and the Seychelles expedition. A PADI Scuba Instructor, he studied mechanical engineering prior to moving to Durban in South Africa. Here, he built the boat that first brought him to the Seychelles, via the islands of the Indian Ocean, a 44 foot catamaran. First time around, Tim remained for 3 years, skippering and falling in love with the islands. Having spent 4 years on the sea he then turned his attention to the land and became an expedition leader on the Africa overland routes. In a two year period he completed 4 trans-Africa expeditions from London to Harare in Zimbabwe covering 60,000 K’s. He has since completed 2 transatlantic passages, lived and worked in the Caribbean as dive master/yacht technician and skipper, in Madagascar after 4 years where he skippered a 60 foot trimaran, worked as a PADI Underwater Instructor rating, set up and managed Zanzibar’s first diving centre, and he started and ran a live aboard diving business in Pemba, Tanzania. Tim washed back up on the shores of the Seychelles after joining the GVI team, ready to renew the love affair that started some twenty three years again.

Daniel Ponce-Taylor - Country Director - Mexico

Daniel studied BSc (Hons) Oceanography with Marine Biology at the University of Southampton and is currently finishing an MSc in Sustainable Development of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems from the University of Cádiz (Spain). Before taking up his position with GVI, Daniel worked as Marine Science Coordinator for CCC and carried out research and conservation projects in Australia, Costa Rica and Mexico. He was also the Marine Biome Coordinator for the WWF/Spain Valencia’s Local Group, where he grew up, and is a qualified PADI Dive Master. Due to his experience in working with local coastal communities, his native grasp of the Spanish language and his knowledge of cultural aspects of Central and Latin America, Daniel is be a very valuable addition to the Mexico Head Office in Playa del Carmen.

Dom Williams – Latin America Community Projects Director

Dom works as GVI’s Latin America Projects Director, managing and setting up projects throughout Central and South America and has served as integral part in the start-up and managing of Corporate Alliance projects in Guatemala. Dom says “education and food are basic human rights, and for us to be able to help fulfill these human rights in Indigenous communities throughout Latin America is a huge step forward.” Their first Indigenous project was set up in San Andrés Itzapa, Guatemala and in 2003, with the great success and advances made, Dom has set up further Indigenous education projects in Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Peru with the help of local community leaders. Now over 1500 indigenous children benefit through education and food programs from GVI-funded projects in Latin America. Dom looks forward to working alongside international corporations and organizations in the future and working with these same goals in mind.

Alton Germain - Country Director- Guatemala

Alton is GVI CA's Country Director in Guatemala. He holds degrees in political science and education and previously worked as a teacher and coach in upstate NY for 7 years before joining the team in Guatemala. He previously worked and helped set up GVI’s community education projects in Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, and Guatemala and serves as manager of the WFM Team Member Volunteer Program in Guatemala, while acting as the direct liaise to community leaders and people within Panajachel and Sololá.

Louise Murgatroyd - Country Director - Costa Rica

Louise joined GVI in 2005, setting up the country office in Ecuador and establishing the current Amazon expedition at the Yachana Reserve. She holds professional instructor certifications in sailing, scuba diving and TEFL, speaks Spanish fluently, and holds a Master’s degree in Marine Management from Dalhousie University, Halifax, during which she focused her studies on eco-tourism and protected areas.

She has also provided instruction and leadership in youth training adventures around the world and established an on-going youth volunteer program in the Galapagos Islands. Her professional experience includes environmental contract work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, the co-ordination of a marine stewardship program. She set up and ran the Team Member Volunteer Program for Whole Foods Market in Costa Rica, a program focused on micro-enterprise support, education, and community development and through her work with GVI, has developed a further interest and commitment in sustainable use of natural resources, the role of the local communities, and larger developed world.