Board of Directors
Marc Brody, President USCEF and Environmental Alliance
For over 25 years, Marc Thein Brody has actively been involved in China. Starting in 1983, Mr. Brody began to travel throughout the country for his father’s trading company. Witnessing China's profound economic and social reforms for 10 years, led Mr. Brody to found the U.S.-China Environmental Fund (USCEF) in 1993.
Since then, Mr. Brody has designed and managed USCEF programs in-country, and he has also guided the organization’s development in the U.S. as well. USCEF’s growth has been based upon Mr. Brody’s ability to facilitate partnerships among government agencies, industry, universities, and non-governmental organizations, and on his commitment to build multi-disciplinary teams of dedicated professionals that volunteer their expertise in education, environmental policy, and resource management.
Today Mr. Brody is bringing an entrepreneurial approach to conservation by leading an integrated conservation and development campaign for the Wolong Nature Preserve. In the aftermath of the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake, USCEF has started to operate its Wolong programs under the name of “Panda Mountain.”
Mr. Brody was born, raised and educated in Los Angeles, California, and received a BA in political philosophy from Claremont McKenna College, just east of Los Angeles. In 1986 he moved to Wisconsin to pursue graduate studies in environmental policy and to live in the country side. He received a Masters of Science from the Institute for Environmental Studies, the University of Wisconsin-Madison in environmental planning and management. His graduate thesis "Conserving China's Heritage through Concession Management" is guiding USCEF's investment and commercial activities in Wolong.
The United States offices of USCEF are located on a 110-acre (50 hectare) property near Madison, Wisconsin, where in addition to overseeing the daily operations of USCEF he manages ecological restoration projects on his own property where he lives with his wife Dr. Lori Thein Brody and their four children Nathaniel (10) and Lousia (7) , and twins Benjamin and Ethan (4). Marc also is now active in supporting an environmental educaiton and restoration program for the county park next to his home and his children’s schools. Additionally, he serves as the President of the Mt. Horeb Academic Booster’s Club and a Steering Committee member of the Mt. Horeb Parent Teacher Organization.
Tom Lamb, Vice President, USCEF; Principal, Lamb Studio
Mr. Lamb is the USCEF project director for the Badaling International Friendship Forest at the Badaling Great Wall and the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve project in Sichuan Province. Mr. Lamb has worked with USCEF in China since 1994. As a landscape and ethnographic photographer and an environmental planner he has worked internationally on numerous environmental projects and for USCEF he is instrumental in organizing teams of design professionals and creating communication tools and images for many of USCEF core programs and activities. He holds advanced degrees from the University of Hartford, the Hartford Art School and the Rhode Island School of Design. For ten years he was a general partner with the SWA Group, a landscape architectural firm based in the United States. Currently he owns and operates Lamb Studio, a communication and graphics arts design studio in Southern California.
David Vossler, Board Member, USCEF; President, ECOEZ & I ACT
Mr. Vosseler has broad experience in business management and capacity building for small and medium enterprises and non-government organizations around the world. He has developed and managed programs linking social and economic activities, education and conservation, marketing, product and resource certification, credit provision and other business development components. Has held senior positions with the Marine Aquarium Council (Standards setting body for the global marine aquarium trade), Fauna and Flora International, Counterpart International, Australian Foundation for Asia and the Pacific, and The Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific. As the President of EcoEZ (a for-profit company focused on the development of shared-brand ecoenterprises) he will assist indigenous communities of The Wolong Nature Reserve develop, certify, and market sustainably produced and Wolong branded products. He is also the President of I ACT (a NGO focused on the promotion and use of awareness theatre as a communication and educational medium) and was the inspiration for USCEF’s Theater for Environmental Awareness program. Based in Washington, D.C.
Jeff Gersh, Board Member, USCEF, and Vice President, Environmental Alliance; President, Narrative Lab Communications
Mr. Gersh has 17 years of experience in the field of environmental communications, ranging from research, writing and strategic planning to media relations and video production. Narrative Lab is a production and marketing communications firm specializing in strategic storytelling. Mr Gersh holds a BA in biology from the University of Colorado-Boulder and an MS in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Based in Portland, OR.
Mr. Yuill has been affiliated with USCEF since 1999 on the development of a Global Environmental Facility biodiversity conservation project in Yunnan Province, China. Over the past few years, he has received Chinese national park officials at the University of Wisconsin and facilitated introductions to UW faculty for USCEF. Has worked extensively in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. Is Emeritus Director of the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Holds Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Veterinary Science and Wildlife Ecology. Numerous affiliations and distinguished service in professional associations, government agencies, related to control of wildlife diseases. Based in Provo, Utah.
Ms. Brochu has prepared interpretive plans for USCEF projects at The Great Wall and the Wolong Nature Reserve, as well as leading two interpretive training courses in China. A National Association for Interpretation Certified Interpretive Planner, Trainer, and Guide. Program Director for the NAI, is responsible for planning, development, and supervision of programs, products, and services for the 4500-member international organization. Recently co-authored the book Personal Interpretation: Connecting Audiences to Heritage Resources. Has won numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Fellow Award, the highest honor given by NAI to recognize excellence, innovation, and leadership in the interpretive field. Based in Austin, TX
Mr. Davis has since 1985 developed numerous original theatre productions with professionals, and with youth and communities. He was the Artistic Director of two New Mexico based theatre companies. Garcia Davis’ has toured his work nationally and internationally to critical acclaim. He has performed in many varied productions from a one-man show to opera to feature films. He is also an award-winning screenwriter and an independent filmmaker. Garcia Davis’ visual art has been exhibited in regional, national and international shows and he has designed sets and created masks and puppets for stage and screen. Based in Los Angeles, CA
Mr. Brighton is the leader of USCEF's interpretive master plan for the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve principal architect for USCEF's plans to renovate the Center --including new panda enclosures and interpretive stations. Currently PJA is working on plans for new panda enclosures that will be the training ground for Wolong's panda reintroduction program. Mr. Brighton brings over 20 years experience in landscape architecture and zoo design to the company. He was exhibit landscape architect for Disney's Animal Kingdom and has since worked for public institutions and private clients all over the world. He has successfully completed recent projects such as; the Trail of Elephant exhibit at Melbourne Zoo in Australia, Lemur Forest at San Francisco Zoo, the Reid Park Zoo Master Plan and the ARK 2000 Master Plan in San Andreas, California. Based in Seattle, Washington. 
Ms. Liao has been actively involved in USCEF projects, including the International Friendship Forest and Wolong Natural Reserve. Born and raised in Taiwan, Ms. Liao received a BS in horticulture from National Taiwan University, where she worked for the Building and Planning Research Foundation, one of Taiwan’s most progressive and leading edge environmental planning institutions. She also holds an MLA in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan. Ms. Liao is skilled in bringing together diverse groups in order to collaborate as a powerful team to conduct design and planning process, eventually creating leadership in the communities. She served as planner in helping regenerate the "Kochapogan" Rukai culture in the first Aboriginal preservation case in Taiwan. The work included organizing a variety of events and workshops to involve local people’s participation and strength their cultural identity. She is currently based in Laguna Beach, California where she runs Land Vision, a landscape architecture firm.
Chantal Prunier serves as the Executive Vice President for Development of Panda Moutnain —USCEF. Ms. Prunier began advising the US-China Environmental Fund (USCEF) in 2005 on legal affairs and strategic partnerships with high-end hotel operators and with green investors to develop Panda Mountain Lodge and USCEF’s training center within the Wolong Nature Reserve. Over the last few years, she has traveled to Wolong and Hong Kong to provide a range of professional business development services, working directly with Marc Brody.
Mr. Gaskill works closely to advance a variety of USCEF capacity building details. Founder of a consulting firm that efficiently transfers the knowledge, skills, practices and procedures that a few are doing well to many more who want to implement and build upon those best practices in their own unique settings. Rapid Improvement Associates is the leading consulting firm in the country in deploying a collaborative implementation model to environmental improvement work. Specializes in strategic planning, breakthrough improvement and the collaborative learning process. Has over 25 years' experience in organizational change and communications field. Holds an MBA in operations management from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BS in communications from University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana. Based in Black Earth, Wisconsin.
Mr. Zachlod is an experienced international business manager, professional educator and non-profit organization leader, Mr. Zachlod provided leadership for a wide array of non-profit groups including health, civic, environmental, educational and cultural organizations. Has served as Dean of the John F. Kennedy University School of Management; President of the Global Community College and World Trade Institute; and as Vice President, Education, for World Rescue Services and most recently as Managing Director of WildAid. Earned MS in Education and International Affairs (Asian Studies) and an MS in Geography from Florida State University. Received a doctorate in education, Organization and Leadership/International Business from the University of San Francisco in 1990. Has extensive experience in China and served as Director of the Taishan China Study Program from 1980-1989. Personally has led more than 40 missions to Hong Kong and China. Based in San Francisco, California.