Blue Forest Welcomes Nine New Team Members

We’ve recently welcomed nine incredible new team members, including three additions to our Project Development team, who are helping to strengthen our operational and financial foundations, advance restoration efforts across diverse landscapes, and deepen engagement with the communities and organizations that shape these places.

Laying the Foundation for Impact

Louise RoDee joined in November as Controller based in Tucson, Arizona. She brings decades of nonprofit accounting experience to this critical role, which includes leading the Accounting team and overseeing financial reporting, compliance, and grants finance. “Blue Forest’s compelling mission and innovative model involving climate finance intrigued me from the start,” she reflects.

“I’ve never encountered such an original yet practical way for a nonprofit to make a significant impact.” – Louise RoDee, Controller

David Allen started in December as Director of Human Resources and Operations based in Lyme, New Hampshire. With a background as both a trained HR professional and a technical founder of multiple startups, David brings experience leading organizations through growth and change in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. “The supportive culture at Blue Forest is quite special,” he shares. “I’m looking forward to providing our team with even more opportunities to grow and thrive.” In his role, David is focused on strengthening the systems that support Blue Forest’s people and culture, ensuring the organization’s continued success and impact.

Expanding into New Horizons

Philip Michael (P.M.) Feliciano, Investment Associate focused on the California Wildfire Innovation Fund investments, joined in May and leverages his background in finance and passion for conservation in his role. “As I reflected on my career in finance, I realized I wanted my next role to help make the world a better place.” Now based in Los Angeles, P.M. shares, “Blue Forest has shown me how these fields can work together to drive impact.” In his role, P.M. is focused on scaling restoration efforts and investing in companies addressing wildfire risk and biomass utilization, critical components of enhancing forest health and resilience.

Based in Tahoe City, California, Nicole Miller joined in November as a California-focused Project Development Manager, applying her extensive experience in wildfire resilience and forest restoration. As a lifelong Northern Californian, Nicole is deeply committed to reducing wildfire risk and increasing forest resilience in the region. She first encountered Forest Resilience Bonds (FRBs) a few years ago and has been captivated by their potential ever since.

“California has so many good strategies underway, but funding, cash flow, and capacity constraints often limit large-scale projects. I’m humbled and honored to help ease those constraints for large-scale projects and to develop Forest Resilience Bonds across California.” – Nicole Miller, Project Development Manager

Focused on expanding FRBs into the Colorado region, Emma Troller, Project Development Manager based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, joined in October, bringing a background in conservation planning and innovative land management solutions. Emma moved to Colorado in 2021 to help private landowners protect their land through conservation easements and is excited to partner with local organizations to advance restoration across the state. At Blue Forest, Emma is excited to collaborate with local organizations to advance landscape restoration across the state, leveraging conservation finance tools to amplify the impact of their work. “I’m incredibly inspired by Blue Forest’s interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to climate resilience,” she says.

Also focusing on the Colorado region, Garrett Hanks of Taos, New Mexico joined in October as Senior Manager of Project Development, drawing on hands-on experience restoring ecosystems across Colorado and New Mexico. His goals include fostering thriving communities where people deeply care for and tend to the land they depend on, leveraging conservation finance to create lasting watershed health and resilience in the Southwest.

“The connection between climate resilience, ecosystems, and communities is what inspires me most about Blue Forest.” – Garrett Hanks, Senior Manager of Project Development

Fostering Partnerships and Community Engagement

Based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Brandon Jirō Hayashi joined in September as Director of Beneficiary Partnerships, working closely with utilities and other organizations that manage and depend on these landscapes. His work focuses on fostering strong relationships to advance Blue Forest’s mission of landscape restoration and resilience.

“I see my role at Blue Forest resembling the flow of fresh water moving downstream, requiring adaptability, determination, and resourcefulness to uncover our beneficiaries’ needs, utilize momentum from our past, and collaboratively navigate through opportunities.” – Brandon Jirō Hayashi, Director of Beneficiary Partnerships

Wiyaka Bennett, Indigenous Partnerships Manager, joined in November and resides on the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation (QVIR), California. A Karuk Tribal member, cultural practitioner, and ecologist, Wiyaka brings deep expertise in fire ecology, cultural fire, and Tribal-federal relations on ecosystem restoration projects. In her role, she focuses on building trust with the communities who call these landscapes home and co-creating solutions that align with Indigenous knowledge and priorities.

McKinleigh Lair started in September as Storytelling and Communications Development Senior Associate based in Denver, Colorado. With a background in documentary storytelling, McKinleigh blends writing and camerawork to educate, inspire, and build investment in innovative solutions that are making our world a better place. “Environmental challenges can feel abstract or distant, but they touch everything—our neighborhoods, water supplies, wallets, and livelihoods,” she explains. “A well-told story can make abstract challenges more relatable, showing people how these issues affect their lives and communities.” Drawn to Blue Forest’s forward-thinking and solution-oriented approach, McKinleigh looks forward to crafting narratives that inspire hope by showcasing the people and partnerships who are working to build a brighter future for us all.

Looking Ahead: Growing Together

As we grow, so does our capacity to enable restoration, build meaningful partnerships, and create lasting change. We’re excited to see how these talented individuals will help shape the future of Blue Forest and the landscapes we serve. Louise and David are strengthening the operational, financial, and organizational foundations that support the scaling of our mission and the expansion of our reach. P.M., Nicole, Emma, and Garrett are advancing restoration strategies tailored to the landscapes, economies, businesses, and communities they serve, helping expand Blue Forest’s reach into promising new places. Brandon, Wiyaka, and McKinleigh are deepening engagement with communities and organizations, building trust, and fostering understanding to maximize Blue Forest’s impact on the landscapes where we work to enable restoration and resilience.

Together, these talented individuals exemplify the power of collaboration and innovation to address complex environmental challenges. With their contributions, Blue Forest is better positioned to shape a future where ecosystems thrive, communities flourish, and our shared efforts create lasting, resilient solutions.