Meet The Team

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 and he went on to enroll in the Geology Program at Northern Arizona University. Upon graduating, 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 Nevada, he was hired as a liaison with the Bureau of Land Management in the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program in New Mexico to assist 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 to benefit geoscience students who struggle finding jobs due to lack of experience or contacts within the industry. It is Eric's dream to create an environment where students can take the knowledge they acquired in school and apply it to the practical applications used by many leading geologic and mining companies before they graduate to ensure higher levels of employment of his fellow geoscience students.
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 G.E.M. Environmental. 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

Mona L. Welsh, Treasurer and Secretary
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

Sharon Andrus Felker, Director Scholarship
Sharon has lived in the Prescott area for 40 years with a few short detours to Chandler, Tucson, Northern California and Germany. She has worked in Bookkeeping, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Collections, and Customer Service for over 25 years. Sharon loves her work and enjoys interacting with customers and clients while helping them with budgets, finances and savings.

In addition to working at G.E.M., she is the Business/ HR/ Transportation Manager at Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy (a Charter High School) in Prescott. Prior to this, she worked for Prescott Newspapers Incorporated in Accounts Receivable, Billing and Collections for 10 years. When not in the office, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her kids, family, friends, and critters. She has a 3 year old Rottie, her name is Prim and 5 Napoleon cats.
Contact her at: sharon@gemenvironmental.org

Alejandro "Chino" Martinez, 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 Masters of Science 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

Amie Winters, Public Relations Coordinator and Grant Writer
Amie was born and raised in California and has since lived in every region of the U.S. She currently resides in Prescott with her husband and pug. She holds an MA in Environmental Leadership, a Leadership Certificate from the Marpa Center for Business and Economics, and a BA in Anthropology. During her graduate work, she completed an internship with the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department, which led to a full-time grant writing position. As an undergraduate, she attended the CSU Chico Archaeology Field School. These experiences have allowed Amie to recognize the tremendous importance of both internships and field opportunities, which is why she's passionate about G.E.M's educational programs.

Amie has worked in a variety of public, private, and educational sectors as a grant/technical writer, marketing specialist, program coordinator, and director of communications. In her spare time, she loves to hike and travel. Some of her favorite places she’s visited include Iceland and New Zealand.
Contact her at: amie@gemenvironmental.org.

Giovanni Hernandez, Intern
Giovanni was born in Mexico, but before he had turned two, his family immigrated to Arizona. In Arizona, his father began working in one of the flagstone quarries near Drake, so at a young age he was introduced to the process of mining and the identification of flagstone. Giovanni even ended up working at the same quarry at one point. As far as he can remember Coconino sandstone has been a part of his life, and he believes this is what set the foundation for his interest in geology and STEM overall.

One of his current passions is creating fine art, and he has found that STEM and art go well together not only in the fabrication but in the concept of the pieces he creates. Giovanni joins the G.E.M. team with the generous support of Arizona Serves and AmeriCorps.
Contact him at: giovanni@gemenvironmental.org

Robert Briggs, Operations and Program Technician and Member at Large
Robert, a 21-year resident of the Prescott area, moved to Yavapai County from Sacramento when he was 25 years old. After working as a reputable auto mechanic for 20 plus years, he elected to change his career path and made the decision to return to college life as an older student at the age of 42. With persistence and dedication, he graduated in the spring of 2015 from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in Geology. During his work in the auto industry, he attained master ASE certifications and developed the ability to fix just about anything. This has led to a unique opportunity for Robert to join GEM as our fleet supervisor and as a contract Geologist working with our Abandoned Mine Inventory team. He thoroughly enjoys being outside with his eyes constantly on the terrain. His experiences working in the automotive field and his renewed zest for Geology offers GEM a unique ability to visit remote field locations without fear of being stranded.
Contact him at: robertbriggs@gemenvironmental.org

Terrell Conner Gooding, Geologic Consultant
A native of Texas, Terrell "Conner" Gooding has worked in a variety of fields ranging from mineral exploration, education, materials testing and inspecting, to geologic consulting.  He is a United States Marine and holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in Geology. Land navigation, TRAP (Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel), small team coordination, off-road experience, first-aid, and tracking, paired with mechanical knowledge gained during his years working as an automotive technician in Georgia, are just some of Conner’s cumulative skill-sets that he brings to G.E.M. Environmental. Conner has worked on a number of large-scale projects with US Gold, Goldcorps, EP Minerals, Berrick, Newmont, MolyCorps, Pioneer Gold, Western Lithium, Western Uranium, and Lincoln Mining, among others, at the services of Western Recon, Mineral Management Services, and Mineral Exploration Management, and Rangefront Consulting. Additionally, he holds ACI, ACI-strength, WAQTC, Troxler, CAPA A, and CAPA B certifications.
Contact him at: Connergooding@gemenvironmental.org