Vera joined Defenders of Wildlife in 2019 where she works to defend and strengthen federal law, policy and practice to improve wildlife conservation and recovery on federal lands. 

Before joining Defenders of Wildlife, Vera served as the Director of the National Forest Action Center at The Wilderness Society and Conservation Director for the Colorado Mountain. She began her public lands career as a ranger and geologist with the National Park Service where she specialized in land and water restoration. 

Vera currently serves as a board member on the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration Section.

Vera earned a B.A. in geology and environmental studies at the University of Pennsylvania and a M.S. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.