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| Graduate of the School of Business Administration and Economy from Chile’s Catholic University, Valeria earned her Commercial Engineer title in 2006. She discovered her love for Patagonia after working for more than a year in the Chilean National Park Torres del Paine as a mountain and horseback guide for Hotel Explora. She not only fell in love with the majestic landscapes of Patagonia but also with its people and cultural flavor. During 2008, Valeria worked for the Latin American NGO "Un Techo Para Mi Pais," an organization dedicated to helping families in extreme poverty, first as Director of Operations, and later with “Un Techo para Chile” as Building Coordinator of the Metropolitan region. |
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| Daniela studied journalism and history at the Gabriela Mistral University in Santiago, Chile. Her passion for working with communities and interest in culture and local development allowed her to assume the role as the Latin American director of Social Empowerment with the NGO, “Un Techo para mi País” where she was responsible for implementing education and micro-finance programs as well as training sessions in 6 Latin American countries. Daniela’s passion for traveling has lead to local developmental programs in Africa, specifically in Ethiopia and India. Since March of 2010, Daniela has worked as Coordinator of Social Projects & Communication for Fundacion Patagonia Sur. |
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| A Futaleufú native, Fernando has been working with the education and conservation initiatives of Fundación Patagonia Sur since June 2007. He is also the property manager of Patagonia Sur LLC’s Valle California and Lago Espolon sites. Fernando worked for the Chilean Forestry Agency (CONAF) for ten years in Chile’s ninth and tenth regions where his various roles included overseeing native forest development and managing three national reserves in the Palena Province. From 2002-2004 Fernando served as technical administrator in Parque Pumalín and headed the park’s ranger service. He also served as the property manager for the non-profit organization and guide school Dos Margaritas en Futaelufú in 2005. Fernando has a degree in forestry engineering from the Austral University in Valdivia. |
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Melissa works in the Organic Garden and in the local Producers Initiative for the Foundation. She studied Agronomy at the Austral University in Valdivia.
In 2009 Melissa worked with Tito Correa in the production of the organic garden in Palena and this year Melissa is responsible for development activities at the Foundation’s office in Palena. Melissa is from Santiago but has lived in Palena acquiring a large knowledge of the traditions, history and way of life in Palena, which is vital for project development and sustainability. |
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Luis Feitzick y Luis Remolcoy,
Organic Garden and Nursery Project Workers |
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Luis Feitzick, agricultural technician , began working at the Foundation in August 2009 when he started the native species nursery in Palena. Since then he has been in charge of
operations and daily maintenance of the nursery. Luis is originally from Palena and studied to be an agricultural technician in Chaitén. He has also worked with the Chilean Forestry Agency (CONAF) in the Palena Province.
Luis Remolcoy has been working for the Foundation since 2009. He contributes to the agricultural work in the organic garden and nursery in Palena. Luis feels his work is an important way to increase the natural value of his hometown of Palena. |
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| Brendon O’Connell, originally from Michigan, studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Throughout college, Brendon was involved with many community service initiatives, including a semester of supporting relief efforts in New Orleans, and a summer working with Camp Heartland, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of children, youth and families impacted by HIV/AIDS worldwide. In 2009, Brendon participated in the WorldTeach Chile program and taught English at DuocUC in Santiago. Brendon will live in Palena in 2010, serving as the foundation English teacher and leading environmental education initiatives within the school and community. |
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| Melanie Kurtz received her degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado in 2006. Since then she has worked in both Bozeman, Montana, and Marble Falls, Texas, as an outdoor educator. In 2009 Melanie helped pilot WorldTeach’s Colombia program where, in addition to teaching English, she organized a women’s community group to help empower women to improve their social conditions. She is looking forward to moving south for a bit of cold weather after spending the past year in the intense Caribbean heat. Melanie will live in Futaleufú during the 2010 school year where she will teach English and Environmental Education. |
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| Prior Staff Members |
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| Nancy Moore, Project Coordinator 2007-2010 |
| An Ohio University graduate with a B.S. in Secondary Education and a minor in Spanish, Nancy first came to Chile in 2006 as a volunteer teacher with WorldTeach, Inc. in Santiago. Until the beginning of 2010, Nancy worked for the Fundación Patagonia Sur as an English teacher in Futaleufú. Her contribution to the Foundation was very important and laid the groundwork for current programs in both Futaleufú and Palena. |
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| Katharine McCormick, English Teacher 2009 |
| A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Katharine is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature. In the summer of 2006 she taught English in a small town in Ecuador with WorldTeach and also has experience teaching Spanish to disadvantaged students in a charter school in Philadelphia. Prior to beginning teaching in Futaelufu with Patagonia Sur, Katharine completed her TEFL International training in Buenos Aires. |
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| Elizabeth “Biz” LaRose, English Teacher 2009 |
| Biz has spent the past three years teaching History to at-risk high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She earned her Masters of Secondary Education at Boston College with concentrations in History and Teaching English Language Learners (TELL). Originally from Illinois, Biz spent the summer of 2003 in Costa Rica as a teacher’s aid and is very excited to have the opportunity to teach abroad this year with WorldTeach and Patagonia Sur |
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