Meet The Team

​Board of Directors and Officers

Eric M. Welsh, Founder and Executive Director
Born and raised in Northern Arizona, Eric has always been fascinated with the beauty and intrigue offered through National Forests and Public Lands. His interest in Geology grew after taking an introductory class at Yavapai College while working on AA in Business Administration  this inspired him to continue his education and enroll in the Geology Program at Northern Arizona University where he earned a BS in Geology. Upon graduating from NAU, he formed a consulting agency and began working as a geologic consultant with individuals and small companies looking to claim mineral rights or expand operations on existing claims by completing basic survey, mapping, and safety assessments on a contractual basis. After working with small miners in the Nevada desert, he was awarded a GeoCorps Internship with the BLM which lead to his being contracted as a liaison with the Bureau of Land Management in the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program in New Mexico assisting in their inventory and remediation project work as a geologic consultant. It is through this experience that Eric decided to change his consulting agency into a non-profit organization benefiting geoscience students struggling to find jobs due to lack of experience or contacts within the industry. It is Eric's dream to create an environment through GEM's programming where students can apply the knowledge they have acquired in school to the practical industry applications used by many leading geologic and mining companies before they graduate, giving those students a higher chance at landing a job in their area of study, post graduation.
Contact him at Ericwelsh@gemenvironmental.org 
Jessica R. Cook, Chairman of the Board and Business Manager
Jessica was born and raised in Arizona and currently resides in Prescott with her husband Brandon, puppy Winslow, and two cats Damien and Pablo. She studied Business Administration at Yavapai College after working in the construction industry along side her grandfather. It was through the experiences she gained working after high school that she decided to start her career in Construction Management. Currently, Jessica is working as an Office Manager for a local paving and construction company. Jessica benefits our organization with her experience in bookkeeping, accounts receivable, accounts payable, contract writing, policy enforcement, and her ability to stay current on state and federal policy changes. She is passionate, loves helping those in need, and is excited to take on her new role in environmental conservation while assisting the development of GEM. As Chairman of the Board, Jessica takes pride in creating new partnerships between our organization and local businesses who share our passion and drive in creating new opportunities and experiences for those involved in our project work.
Contact her at: jessica@gemenvironmental.org

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Mona L. Welsh, Board Member and Treasurer
Mona Welsh has lived in Prescott with her husband Gary for over 30 years where they raised two children. Her mission with the organization is to help develop and raise awareness for the scholarship program which will enable STEM students to help in funding their college education costs. She is enthusiastic about getting the community involved in fundraising. Throughout her life, Mona has worked with several nonprofit organizations in the Prescott Community where she has served as a board member for the YMCA to build a new pool and fitness center, as a board member on the Diamond Valley Water District special committee, and as a secretary for our local chapter of ABATE. Aside from work, Mona loves traveling in her motor-home with her husband where they visit National Parks and attend the Ranger programs. She believes that educational opportunities provided by programs such as the National Parks Ranger Program provide enjoyment, education and inspiration; all of which she hopes to foster in her continued work with G.E.M. Environmental. During her time off,
she hopes to visit every National Park in the United States.
Contact her at: Monawelsh@gemenvironmental.org
Alejandro "Chino" Martinez, Board Member and Diversity Officer
As a native Arizonian, Chino has always felt a certain responsibility and commitment towards the community that raised him. This sense of responsibility inspired him to begin taking psychology classes at Yavapai College. While attending his first semester, Chino quickly developed a deep passion for charitable work. He fell in love with the rewarding feeling gained through nonprofit work while attending community college. This resolve stuck with him through the rest of his collegiate years, leading him to complete a Bachelors in Social Work at Northern Arizona University. After 5 years working with several different behavioral health nonprofit companies, Chino decided to continue his dream and further his education. Now working towards a MS in Professional Counseling, Chino hopes to continue his support for our local community and is happy spending his days keeping Arizona and Prescott an amazing place to live, one program at a time.
Contact him at: Chino@gemenvironmental.org
Emily Petersen, Board Member and Director of Scholarships
Emily grew up in Maryland and traded the museums for mountains when she moved to Colorado  after earning her Art History Degree. This summer she moved to Arizona after teaching middle school science in Washington State. Before teaching, Emily worked with a variety of environmental education non-profits and explored the forests, rivers, and estuaries of Washington and Colorado. She loves teaching science and connecting students with nature. Emily believes that STEM education can inspire curiosity and unlock countless opportunities for students. Her passion is playing outside and she loves planning hiking trips to backcountry huts, rock climbing during daylight hours, and attempting bike-packing adventures.
Contact her at: emily@gemenvironmental.org
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Dave Tharp, Board Member
Dave has over 25 years of experience in the Firefighting and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Industry in Arizona – holding the ranks of Reserve Firefighter through Battalion Chief and is a certified Paramedic. He is currently the Assistant Chief of Administration for the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority and has overseen the “business part” of fire agencies (Human Resources, Finance and Administration) for the past 8 years. He managed the transition of the Central Yavapai and Chino Valley Fire Districts to create the first Joint Powers Authority in Arizona in 2016. He sits on the Board of Directors for Securis – a worker’s compensation risk pool for fire districts, and Kairos – a health insurance risk pool for town, cities, school districts and fire districts in Arizona. He is finalizing his degree in Fire Administration through Columbia Southern University, has 6 kids, loves to golf, was born in Hawaii and is fluent in Italian. 
Wayman Trujillo, Member at Large
Wayman was born and raised in the outdoors of Prescott Az. He went to Prescott High School and after graduation, attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. As a rodeo scholarship recipient, Wayman was part of the OPSU Rodeo Team. He graduated in 2015 with a BA in social studies/ political science. Wayman’s goal was to attend law school and pursue a joint law degree and masters in land conservation, however, his love for being outside lead him to work as a wild land firefighter, cowboy, hunting guide and river guide. In these pursuits, he has witnessed firsthand the importance of STEM education, from fire ecologists to hydrology engineers. His favorite hobbies include team roping, mountain biking and kayaking. Wayman enjoys spending time with his family and passing on his love of nature to his young son.
Contact him at: wayman@gemenvironmental.org
​Ashley McDonough, Board Secretary and GEM Corps Program Manager
Ashley is a native Arizonan and has resided in the Northern Arizona area for over a decade. Graduating from the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School, she then went on to Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University. She comes from many years in the restaurant industry, helping to facilitate company growth on multiple different levels. Ashley has always had a strong interest in all things science and is so excited to be part of the team. She whole-heartedly believes in G.E.M. and looks forward to contributing to the mission and our beautiful community.
Contact her at: ashley@gemenvironmental.org

GEM CORPS
Team Members
Marlena Willoughby, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator             
Marlena was raised in Kingman, Arizona and has had the pleasure of calling Prescott home for the past 5 years. She has three amazing sons and enjoys spending as much time with them as possible. When she isn't working at her full time job, you can find her in the kitchen cooking up amazing meals for her friends and family. Marlena has worked with GEM in many different aspects since 2018. She has volunteered on different service projects and educational programs, updated and managed the social media platforms and website, worked as camp cook in the field on AML projects, organized and assisted with multiple fundraising events, and worked on the remodel and maintenance of the GEM Environmental office suites.
Contact her at: marlena@gemenvironmental.org
Rena Kolikant, GIS Specialist
​Rena is from Southern New Mexico and after a brief stint on the East Coast, where she received a B.S. in Mathematics, she returned to the area and land that she loves. Through her experience doing contract project work for the Bureau of Land Management she developed an interest in applying GIS and satellite technology to problem solving land management issues. She believes STEM education can help individuals and organizations reach their potential through teaching an open and curious problem-solving approach that creatively adapts to the technological and other tools at hand. 
​Contact her at: rena@gemenvironmental.org
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GEM Corps Members

In partnership with The Corps Network , The Bureau of Land Management in Arizona and New Mexico, and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Division (EMNRD), our Youth Conservation Corps Program recruits, trains, and places service members on conservation based projects where our members work on a variety of science based projects geared to improve their job readiness through professional development workshops, certificate training, and on-the-job experience.
Ryder Moreno, GEM Corps Program Coordinator and AmeriCorps Team Leader
Originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, Ryder moved to Prescott to attend Embry-Riddle              Aeronautical University to pursue a Bachelor's of Science in Space Physics. While at ERAU, Ryder discovered a love for birds after seeing a Great Blue Heron at Willow Lake. STEM has always had a very important role Ryder's life. Ryder was a Physics Lab TA for 3 years at ERAU and held an internship with the Highlands Center for Natural History. Ryder's hobbies include ornithology, robotics, and rock crawling in their Jeep.
Contact Ryder at: rmoreno@gemcorps.org