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Akiko is based in Lao PDR. She joined the UN-REDD Programme in 2009 just as the Viet Nam national programme (Phase I) came online, and has been involved in the two phases of the Viet Nam national programmes, as well as engaging with UN-REDD support for Lao PDR and other countries.

Kucera is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied geology and communication design. She is currently based out of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

He has more than 20 years of experience working in strategic communications for the World Bank and USAID in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Iraq, and South Sudan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from the University of California – Santa Cruz and a master’s in international relations from American University.

Karin Kaechele is a Carbon Finance Specialist at the World Bank's Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice, based in Washington, D.C. Kaechele works on forest, landscape, biodiversity and climate change issues. She previously worked with the Bank's Climate Change department. She holds a master’s degree from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, in environmental Science and Policy. She also has a master’s in environmental science from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Federal University Minas Gerais (Brazil).

Dr. David Ganz has over 28 years of experience in natural resource management including several years working in Asia on large-scale natural resource management and biomass energy projects. Before joining The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), David served as the Chief of Party on SERVIR-Mekong, a joint initiative between USAID and NASA aimed at developing geospatial data to respond to the environmental and disaster needs of the region. Prior to SERVIR-Mekong, David was Winrock’s Chief of Party on USAID’s Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF) Programme, where RECOFTC served as a key partner. He is a graduate of two distinguished community forestry institutions, holding a BSc from UC Berkeley, and a MSc and PhD from Yale University. He has successfully taken these skills into project management of international organizations including The Nature Conservancy, FAO, IUCN and WWF. David has also recently begun to serve as a CSO observer to the UNREDD Executive Program Board representing Asia and the Pacific.