|Senior Director of Programs and Research, Bioneers|
Born and raised in Northern New Mexico, Teo grew up hiking and fishing in the mountains and streams of the southwest. An early interest in Edward Abbey’s writing during a series of family backpacking trips in Utah combined with a year spent researching renewable energy policy in high school kick-started his environmental career trajectory.
Teo completed his graduate work at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC-Santa Barbara. He partnered with Conservation International during his masters thesis project, helping to develop a methodology for assessing the economic benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation efforts. The Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship funded his graduate education and he remains part of this national network of young conservation leaders.
Bioneers’ interdisciplinary approach is in line with Teo’s professional goals and experience. Over his career, Teo has engaged in diverse efforts including managing youth and educator outreach efforts, conducting state-level assessments of long-range planning efforts, and lead research on topics including climate change adaptation, ecosystem services and ecological networks. Combining a clear-eyed approach to problem solving with a knack for identifying cutting edge trends and approaches, his career goal is to work towards the healthy integration of natural systems and human communities at multiple scales.
