Mori is a third-generation New Mexican who grew up with horses, dogs, cats, soccer balls, and lots of art in the dirt of Santa Fe and Taos. She is a lifelong lover of wild beings, sacred landscapes, and terrible puns, devoted to discovering and embodying a path of place-based ecocultural stewardship. She earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation from Emory University, where her thesis focused on human-wildlife conflict in Ladakh, India. She also has a background in community conservation, religion and ecology, and Tibetan Studies, merging these interests as a Fulbright-Nehru student researcher in India after completing her Master’s. Mori is grateful to now be back in New Mexico, and to have landed in the beloved community of SFWA. She joined the team in 2019 as Program Coordinator, slowly getting to know the organization from the inside out before stepping into the ED role in 2022. Beyond her work at SFWA, Mori loves to frolic in the mountains, make art, and track barrel cacti.

After working in corporate Human Resources for over nine years, Raquel put her career on hold to stay at home with her two young children before coming to work for the Santa Fe Watershed Association. In addition to a Human Resources background, Raquel worked as an assistant to the Director of Shidoni Foundry, Inc.; she has an Associate of Applied Science Degree; and has volunteered for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico. As a native Santa Fean, Raquel remembers growing up with water in the Santa Fe River and holds fond memories of taking off her shoes to play in the river with friends. Raquel has been an employee with the Santa Fe Watershed Association since May 2006.

Amara is a life-long learner, meanderer, and overall generalist. She pulls from experience and training in environmental studies, community development, urban planning, museum work, natural healing, non-profit management, social justice, and local food systems. Her interests lie in the intersection of modalities to help imagine and create spaces where people can find connection to nature, art, themselves, and each other; where the community of life that makes up the natural world is respected, revered, and integrated into our every choice. In this slow, unfurling process she values community and curiosity and is learning to be more patient and more brave. She also enjoys hiking, backpacking, yoga, reading, meditation, and traveling.

Julie has a passion for educating and guiding youth toward a deeper understanding of their natural environment, local water sources, and what it means to manage their local watershed. Having grown up in Santa Fe and lived most of her years in the Southwest, she has always enjoyed the outdoors and the beauty the Southwest offers. She received a BS in biology with a focus on ecology from the University of New Mexico and most recently facilitated water education for the University of Arizona, AZ Project WET, before returning to her sorely missed hometown. In her downtime she loves to run, hike, ski, and travel with her family. She is excited to be working with the Santa Fe community through SFWA to better understand the watershed and water challenges.

Ceci works as a digital marketer with extensive experience in website production and social media strategy. She has helped design, build, and maintain many digital systems for varied customers, from Nike and Swiss Army Knife to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. Ceci holds a BA in English Literature. Her lifelong love of communication started with her parents who owned the local newspaper in Crested Butte, Colorado. Ceci loves the outdoors, getting together with friends, and curling up with a good book. She is excited to be part of the Watershed team, because WATER, right? Doesn’t get more important than that!

Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Aaron Kauffman has over fifteen years experience analyzing and implementing simple and pragmatic solutions to watershed degradation. Aaron has a broad background in land management including reforestation projects in the Dominican Republic, monitoring and evaluation of pre- and post-fire erosion rates in oak savanna environments near the US-Mexico border, and stream restoration throughout the southwestern US. Aaron has also developed and taught community workshops and courses, including a Watershed Management class as part of the Sustainable Technologies program at the Santa Fe Community College. More recently, he has dedicated himself to addressing urban watershed issues such as stormwater pollutants, urban heat island effect, and channel degradation from flooding. Aaron completed his undergraduate degree in Ecological Studies at Seattle University and a received a Master of Science in Watershed Hydrology and Management from the University of Arizona. He founded Southwest Urban Hydrology LLC in 2012.