April grew up in Joplin, MO where she learned the value hard work and began carrying on her family’s tradition of DIY (do it yourself) before the DIY movement became cool. April coordinates strategic human resource functions for Rare, an entrepreneurial nonprofit conservation organization which harnesses it’s expertise in social marketing to influence behavior change. She is responsible for managing all domestic and international benefits, payroll, and staff training budget during Rare’s recent and ongoing annual 30% staff growth and multi-country expansion. In her free time April can be found creating art from discarded magazines, walking her Chocolate Lab Bruno, refinishing old furniture or road biking. Prior to joining Rare, April worked at Resources for the Future and at UPEACE Centre for Executive Education in Costa Rica. She has a varied background that includes floral designer, entrepreneur, and providing support for developmentally disabled adults. She has dual Master’s degrees in International Affairs, and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University. She studied at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica, has a BA in International Studies with a minor in Spanish and has also studied in South Korea on an International Exchange Program.