As Chief Operating Officer, Alicia oversees Defenders’ operations and helps drive the strategic direction of the organization’s mission. She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning the nonprofit, environmental, political and military sectors.  Most recently, she served as COO at New Politics and previously held several roles at the Sierra Club, including Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

A proud Navy veteran, Alicia also brings scientific expertise to Defenders with a Master of Science in Applied Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from the United States Naval Academy.