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staff updates
The Catalina Island Conservancy team, which amounts to just less than 100 staff, works diligently to protect and preserve the Island and uphold the Conservancy's mission.
After working on the mainland as an environmental consultant, an opportunity arose to work on waterrelated projects on Catalina Island.
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Laura Minuto has a long relationship with Catalina. Her family would sail to the Island from San Diego to spend summer vacations at the Isthmus and visiting Avalon. She developed an early interest in sustainability, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Sciences from University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master’s degree in Hydrologic Sciences from University of California, Davis.
2002225 OCDM.pdf
Laura thrived on Catalina, volunteering as a firefighter for Los Angeles County Fire Department and quickly became part of the local community. She had been working as a subcontractor for different companies on the Island when she started looking into permanent employment with the Conservancy. “The Conservancy was, and is, perfect for me,” she added. “The mission and goals really align with my views and offer opportunities to work on a wide variety of projects.” She began with the organization as GIS program manager, developing and implementing the Geographic
Information System program to support Conservancy projects across all departments. Several years into the role, Laura decided to pivot and serve the Island as a Conservancy ranger. Combined, these positions helped her develop a deep knowledge of both the Conservancy and the Island itself, uniquely qualifying her to become conservation operations director in October 2019. Laura feels that “having strong relationships with staff and with other stakeholders in the community, and understanding how all of those pieces fit together, is critically important.” She believes that her diverse background and long standing relationship with the Island has positioned her well to provide support for the Conservation team.
March 3, 2020, 15:23:56
