Our Tireless Staff

Bill Toone is the director of the ECOLIFE Foundation and a widely recognized conservation biologist and spokesperson for conservation.  Starting in early phases of California condor recovery program he played a key role in the development of endangered species recovery strategies for what was North America’s most endangered bird.  Later as director of applied conservation programs for the Zoological Society of San Diego his work carried him through a variety of conservation efforts throughout the world.  Today as the founder and executive director of the ECOLIFE Foundation he is striving for a new and innovative approach in conservation that holistically addresses both wildlife and human needs.

Bill Toone, a renowned lecturer, spoke to over 2000 individuals worldwide in 2009. Through over 20 different talks and lectures, Mr. Toone shared with audiences ranging from university students to senior citizens, the critical opportunity they have today to conserve the world’s natural resources for a better future.

As programs manager for the ECOLIFE Foundation, Christine Andersen manages San Diego and Mexico programs. She is responsible for coordinating partnerships with nonprofit organizations, supervising staff, writing grants, fundraising, interfacing with the board of directors, developing marketing pieces and creating project reports. On behalf of ECOLIFE Foundation, Ms. Andersen has secured grant awards from renowned funders such as: Disney, Yahoo Community Foundation, the California Coastal Commission, Port of San Diego, The McCarthy Family Foundation, The Jarrett Meeker Foundation and three sponsorships from Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

She worked for ten years as both an employee and consultant for the Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD), a membership based organization with over half a million members. As an education consultant for ZSSD, Ms. Andersen collaborated with other local San Diego non-profits, developed over ten K-12 curriculums, administered teacher workshops, managed project staff, as well as evaluated participants and project materials.

In 2001, the ZSSD hired Ms. Andersen as a Conservation Education Specialist to implement education programs in both San Diego and Latin America, in support of the organization’s worldwide field conservation projects. She coordinated the Zoological Society of San Diego’s premier international conservation education curriculum and teacher training in the Paraguayan Chaco from 1999–2002.

As ECOLIFE's Uganda field specialist, Alexis will be based in Bwindi, Uganda.  She will establish aquaponic systems and programs in order to create sustainable food sources, increase family incomes and help conserve wildlife populations as well as mitigate disease.  She will be working in collaboration with Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH).

Over the last few years she has worked with various wildlife conservation and rescue NGOs worldwide, in New York City, Botswana, Namibia and Indonesia.  Her educational background is in environmental conservation.

Mike is a photographer and naturalist specializing in amphibians, fish, and other aquatic life.  He has worked as an aquarist in wide variety of scientific and commercial endeavors.  Mike is dedicated to the preservation the freshwater and marine habitats, and to the advancement of captive husbandry and sustainable aquaculture as a tool for conservation and research.

Michelle joins the ECOLIFE Foundation with more than 12 years of marketing, public and media relations, business management and nonprofit development experience. She is responsible for assisting with the strategic direction and vision of the ECOLIFE Foundation, overseeing fundraising objectives, implementing marketing strategies and maintaining key relationships within the community.

Most recently, Michelle served as a development associate at the San Diego Food Bank where she assisted in all areas of marketing and development including special events, direct mail, online giving, cause marketing partnerships, donor relations, social media and graphic design projects.

As a lifelong animal lover and advocate, Michelle founded Lucky Dog Magazine, a Las Vegas-based pet publication in January 2006. With a mission of promoting pet adoption and responsible pet ownership, she strategically branded Lucky Dog as the premier pet publication in southern Nevada and garnered celebrity columnists, coverage from various other media outlets and recognition among numerous prominent consumer pet product sites nationally. She remained the publisher until August 2008 when she relocated to San Diego to serve as the Director of Development & Marketing for the FACE Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance and preserve the quality of life of animals by providing access to necessary medical care.

Taryn is an avid organic gardener and photographer with a passion for the environment. With over ten years of office management experience, she is impeccable at running the ECOLIFE office. In addition to a career in office management, Taryn has over 20 years experience in creating custom handmade beaded jewelry.