MEET OUR STAFF
Ann Van Leer
Executive Director
If you ask Ann Van Leer what she does as executive director of The Escondido Creek Conservancy, she’ll tell you – what needs to be done.
Some days it might mean reviewing contracts, writing or editing grants, meeting with a funder or preparing for a board or committee meeting. Other days you might find her out at the site of the Conservancy’s new office, Boulder Outlook, tending the Conservancy’s native plant pollinator garden. A favorite activity is helping the land team pull weeds, remove trash, or help restore damaged land.
Ann finds it very satisfying to see progress associated with physical activity as a lot of her working day is tied to the desk and computer screen and takes years to accomplish, such as helping the Conservancy purchase conservation land, or working to secure funding for outdoor education. A licensed real estate broker, Ann has helped the Conservancy purchase over 2000 conservation acres during the past 10 years.
It is the land that brought her to this work. In grade school, her first job was feeding horses and picking up horse poo at a barn adjacent to the community of Isla Vista where she grew up. In exchange for her services, seven days a week, before and after school, she got $20 month and riding opportunities. It was through riding that she learned to love the land and the outdoors.
“When you are horseback, you have time to let your mind wander across the landscape. I was gifted with many extraordinary experiences while riding, observing wildlife in their natural surroundings,” says Ann.
Growing up, she was exposed to people at all income levels and walks of life who committed themselves to making change in their community.
“I’ve always felt an obligation to the planet, its corny but the idea that our purpose on this Earth is to make things better is in my DNA,” says Ann.
Her journey led her to get a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara, the first in her family to complete college. After college, she knew she wanted to gain greater exposure to the world and set out on a cross country trip to Washington, D.C. with her bicycle and an idea she would work in Congress. A few waitressing jobs later, she began a low-level job with a member of Congress, later becoming a legislative director and working on the Appropriations Committee.
While she covered many different issues, her first love was environmental policy. After six years in D.C., including environmental policy work with a state government, she got the itch again to explore, and headed to the London School of Economics for a master’s degree. Living in London and meeting students from all over the world was an opportunity to learn many perspectives. She especially liked living in London as it is filled with parks and natural green space but still a dense and walkable city.
“In southern California it’s easy to think of cities as places of sprawl and concrete and nature as elsewhere. Our goal should be to have dynamic cities that include nature for people and places where wildlife will always thrive,” says Ann.
Her journey to San Diego County after grad school was influenced by her sister Gayle, who had settled here. San Diego County seemed a place where people cared about environmental protection and land preservation.
After yet a few more waitressing jobs, Ann began working in local government, doing many things but always with an interest in environmental policy. Around the time she got married and had a daughter, she knew it was time to exit government work and make her passion for land protection her job. She met the Conservancy when she brokered a land transaction for them, later the board asked her to both broker land deals and serve as the Conservancy’s executive director.
“The executive director role is really a little of everything, it’s both implementing big ideas and making sure the small details aren’t missed,” Ann said. “Having worked in big, complex organizations, I’m very appreciative that the Conservancy’s board has a big vision and a willingness to take risks.”
Rita Petrekova
Director of Finance & Operations
Numbers make sense for Rita Petrekova, yet they also bring a sort of solace, along with a curiosity, of how to fit the pieces of the puzzle. Rita’s draw to math, numbers and even spreadsheets began at an early age, but before she evolved into a financial wizard for The Escondido Creek Conservancy, she and her family had to ride out a tough environment. Rita was born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia in a town, in what is now Slovakia, near the Ukraine-Hungary border. A strict communist country, the environment in Czechoslovakia was “rough,” Rita said.
Her parents put Rita and her brother through every extracurricular activity which might help them leave the country once they were old enough. She is a trained classical pianist, danced for 17 years and self-admitted gym enthusiast. She started piano at age 6 and took to it right away, noting the connection between the piano and math with the notes and pace. As a dancer until she was 17, Rita performed classical, ballet and modern, which she enjoyed a bit more as she was part of group, as her preference is to be part of a team.
In school, Rita said she had to be a straight-A student, and she was. She was always drawn to math, statistics, solving formulas and, yes, spreadsheets. After high school, Rita spent one year working in Israel while she saved to attend an American college with a satellite campus in Bratislava, where she studied business administration. Once she graduated, Rita briefly worked for her parents’ business, after which she packed her bags and set her sights on America, where her brother was studying at LSU. However, she was offered an entry-level job with a real estate company in Encinitas 15 years ago, so Rita chose her own Manifest Destiny and went west.
Although she lives in San Diego now, the move to the U.S. wasn’t too difficult for Rita. Always independent and mentally tough, she adapted even though she had an accent, and had to adopt in a new world. “I wasn’t really afraid and when you’re young, you do things like this,” Rita explained. “My first roommate is still my best friend, so I really lucked out. She is like my extended family.”
Several years ago, though, Rita had a chance encounter with Ann Van Leer, the Conservancy’s executive director. The two bonded and soon Rita would join Ann to work at the Conservancy.
“I was impressed with Rita’s intellect and her integrity, as well as her fiscal acumen,” said Ann. “As the Conservancy has grown, and now with accreditation, financial competence is more important than ever. We were so pleased when she decided to join our team.”
At the Conservancy, Rita covers all the financial responsibilities, and the list runs deep. She oversees income, expenses, statements, analysis of statements, investments, budget comparisons, programs, payroll, she produces and prepares the budget and covers all financial transactions from grants, to name a few. Rita, along with Donna Leon, led the Conservancy’s efforts to obtaining the prestigious Land Trust Alliance accreditation last year.
“I didn’t know too much about conservation,” Rita said about the Conservancy’s efforts before being hired. “I learned on the job how these things happen. I grew to love and care about it.”
But when she’s not in her kingdom of numbers and spreadsheets, Rita said she’s either in the gym or outside, a nod to her childhood where she would work in her grandparent’s garden or pick grapes at their vineyard.
In 2019, she summited Mt. Whitney, which is the highest mountains in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. Her journey — up and back down — took 17 hours and began at 2:30 a.m.
She also loves to ski with the Dolomite Mountains in Italy as her favorite spot and Mammoth and Park City, Utah, as her go-to destinations in the U.S.
And earlier this year, Rita became a naturalized U.S. citizen. It was a proud moment for Rita, her friends and family, as the journey was long, full of obstacles, but undoubtedly worth it.
Meanwhile, her parents remain in Slovakia, currently helping the Ukrainian refugees at the border as they still vividly recall past Russian occupation.
Donna Leon
Preserve Manager
Donna was raised in Fallbrook and, before she found her way to The Escondido Creek Conservancy, she knew animals and nature would be her future. She recalled growing up on a large property with her home on the middle of hill and a small creek below and was surrounded by the native chaparral, along with deer, mountain lions and coyotes.
Donna said she always found the animals fascinating and how they navigated the terrain. However, her grandparents instilled in her a passion as an advocate for land, which put Donna on her path as a land management assistant with the Conservancy. “I always wanted to work with animals or nature,” she explained. “Any sort of living non-human thing.”
After high school, Donna worked several jobs including as a ranger for a non-profit and the San Diego Humane Society as an adoption counselor to match dogs with families. But there was a burning desire for more, so Donna returned to the classroom and earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Cal State University San Marcos in 2019. After graduating, she was hired by the Conservancy as an administrative assistant to work alongside Rita Petrekova, director of finance and operations. And for nearly two years, the dynamic duo worked to secure the Conservancy’s Land Trust Alliance accreditation. The two put in more than 2,000 hours, bonded over Thanksgiving and put a tremendous amount of work into securing the prestigious certification.
After seeing Donna’s talent in action helping the Conservancy secure accreditation, she was promoted to a full-time position in her natural habitat, the open lands of the Conservancy, where she spends time monitoring the land and animals. Out on the preserves is her sanctuary where she can dive deep into learning more about the plants and animals. In fact, Donna can’t get enough. She loves to learn.
But she also takes her duties seriously, saying her biggest responsibility is create and maintain wildlife corridors, especially for mountain lions so it is easier for them to reproduce and keep a healthy population.
Her day-to-day responsibilities includes monitoring the preserves to identify species, “chasing butterflies,” locate birds, document plants in bloom and seeking out non-native species and creating action plans for their removal.
“I love my job. I tell people I get paid to hike, chase butterflies and identify birds,” Donna said laughing. “I love it. It’s peaceful.”
The non-native issues center on mustard plants, Donna said. The non-native weed spreads like crazy, overtakes the habitat and creates a toxic chemical from the roots that kill native plants.
As for non-native animals the red-eared slider turtle, a common pet, is an issue as people released them into the Escondido Creek, so education from the Conservancy to the public is key. The turtles take up habitat and nesting sites from the native Western Pond Turtle, Donna said. Also, the red-eared slider is aggressive and eats frogs, thus compounding the impact on the ecosystem.
But when Donna’s not taking on pesky turtles, she’s on the land learning.
“I’m excited every time I go out to learn new plant and animal species,” she explained. “I increase my count. If I know 100 birds, I want to know 200. I want to know all the birds or species in the area.”
And when it’s time to relax and take a beat, Donna is back in nature. She loves to hike, and her personal goal is to visit every national park in the country. So far, she’s been to 16 of the 63 with Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada as her current favorite, although the one she wants to visit most is Yellowstone.
Juan Troncoso
Preserve Manager
Escondido native Juan Troncoso joined the Conservancy as its Conservation Land Management Assistant just in time for him to hit the ground running on lots of important projects. Juan came to us fresh from achieving his undergraduate degree at UC Irvine.
Over the last few years, Juan has been involved with all phases of ecosystem restoration projects in a sage scrub system, and has also studied desert and oak ecosystems; his expertise is a great help to the Conservancy's many projects involving treating invasive plants, restoring damaged agricultural land, and revegetating portions of the creek currently obstructed by damaged structures. Juan’s Conservancy coworkers feel fortunate to get to experience his positive attitude, curious mind, and great skills!
“I started my college career with a mentality of wanting to help the environment, but I wasn’t sure how. After trying a few different fields, I discovered ecological restoration and conservation. Since day one, I fell in love with the subject. I received my master's in Dec. 2022. I was captivated by the beauty of southern California and made it my goal to share it with as many people as possible. Joining The Escondido Creek Conservancy team has been a blessing as I get to work with amazing, passionate individuals. Their dedication and knowledge make it exciting and a privilege to work alongside them. I want to use previously gained skills and knowledge to create a healthy, vibrant ecosystem along the Escondido Creek. As someone who grew up in Escondido, it has become a personal dream of mine for its amazing ecosystems and diversity hotspots to be discovered, preserved, and enjoyed.”
Ariel Reed
Education Director
ariel@escondidocreek.org
Ariel’s passion for science and outdoor education has guided her academic and career aspirations.
After receiving a bachelor’s bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology and Chemistry in North Alabama, she headed to the West Coast. Upon her arrival, Ariel worked for Catalina Island Marine Institute for four years in the positions of Science Educator, Aquarist, and Administrator.
Education was calling to her a little down south, which is how she ended up in San Diego pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. Ariel started as our Education Manager in June of 2022 and was promoted to Education Director the following year.
“The Conservancy has an amazing team of employees and an important mission that I am proud to be a part of,” Ariel said. “Our team has an obvious passion for providing outdoor and environmental education to underserved students throughout the watershed and beyond."
Laurel Perun
Environmental Education Facilitator
Laurel started working for the Conservancy in 2024 after spending a few years as a Student Mentor at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside, CA. She has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a certificate in Spanish Language. She does both Education and Outreach for the Conservancy. Laurel grew up visiting her grandmother in Placencia, Belize with her family quite a bit because her mother was raised there. This is where she inherited a love for outdoor education and conservation.
Steffani Clark-Jijon
Environmental Education Facilitator
Nature and kids has always been a passion for Steffani Clark-Jijon, even as a small girl growing up in Quito, Ecuador.
After high school, Steffani and her mom and moved to the United States so she could attend The Ohio State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology with a focus in conservation biology. Steffani later interned and worked for various conservation organizations as a field biologist, furthering the conservation efforts of several raptor species.
While her focus had always been about protecting nature and conducting research, after becoming a parent, Steffani’s perspective shifted. Her personal and professional goals aligned well, and she became very passionate about helping children learn, appreciate, and bond with nature, just as she had done in her childhood.
So, Steffani went back to school and earned a Masters in Community-based Conservation & Inquiry-based Learning. These studies took Steffani to remote areas in Mexico, Mongolia and Kenya to learn first-hand about how cultures around the world address environmental conservation using the bottom-up strategies and partnering communities with scientists to develop effective and long-lasting conservation strategies.
Steffani was also exposed to a learning pedagogy that was based in inquiry and discovery more than merely acquiring knowledge. The time spent acquiring this degree, reshaped her professional career.
Today, Steffani runs a Nature-immersive & Bilingual Outdoor Learning Program for elementary-aged children, connecting them to nature and fostering environmental stewardship. She is also an educator with The Escondido Creek Conservancy, where she teaches 3rd graders conservation science as part of the Conservancy’s Habitats program. She also helps facilitate a statewide outdoor education coalition started by the Conservancy called California Statewide Outdoor Learning initiative (CalSOL). CalSOL advocates for every K-12 student in the state to have equal access to outdoor education.
Steffani’s passion truly lies in connecting children with nature, and empowering youth to be environmental leaders and nature stewards in their communities. The environmental challenges our world faces are many and quite concerning.
She wholeheartedly believes that many of the solutions to our problems lie not only in education, but in equal access to an education that is filled with opportunities and experiences in nature, so that we collectively shift our perspective from a young age and take meaningful actions for chance.
Matthew Cooney
Environmental Education Facilitator
Matthew’s passions have taken him from his hometown in Ontario, Canada to all around the world! He has lived in Canada, the US, Australia, and Europe - and has gotten to explore parts of Asia, the Caribbean, and the Amazon rainforest in South America as well.
He has a Bachelor's Degree in Business from San Diego State University, a Master's Degree in International Business from the University of Vienna, and a Master's Degree in Biology from Miami University.
His love of nature, science, education, and conservation led him to work with the Conservancy.
Matthew says the most exciting aspect of his role is the chance to change the way young learners view nature and science. He hopes to help young learners discover the beauty of the natural world, the fun and excitement of science, and how they can change the world for the better.
“I love working with the amazing and passionate team at the Conservancy. Everyone has a deep love and commitment for what they do, and it shows! Working in nature is a dream of mine, and the Elfin Forest is the most beautiful "office" I could imagine working in. The kids I get to work with are an absolute highlight - they impress me every day with their inquisitive questions and commitment for making the world a better place; we have a bright future ahead of us with them at the helm.”
Carly Nichols
Environmental Education Facilitator
Carly is a student at San Diego State University, originally from the Inland Empire. After attending community college at Riverside Community College, she transferred to SDSU to pursue her Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry. Once she completes her degree, she seeks to continue her education with a graduate degree Environmental Chemistry.
She began her work for the Conservancy as a volunteer through SDSU. While volunteering, she quickly discovered her passion for teaching about environmental causes.
“The most exciting prospect of this job is the ability to teach children about science. I credit science for saving my life, and I feel like it can do the same for our students. I hope that some of the students finish at our field trips/after-school programs feeling both empowered and curious about how they can save the world.
Growing up disadvantaged, I understand what many of the students in Escondido face. Living in an urban area with minimal exposure to nature is detrimental to our connection with the planet. It is so important to teach the students that not only do they have nature all around them, even in urban settings, but they can help bring back nature for themselves and their loved ones.”
Carly I hopes that students leave the Conservancy’s field trips/after-school programs feeling both empowered and curious about how they can save the world. Living in an urban area with minimal exposure to nature is detrimental to our connection with the planet. It is so important to teach the students that not only do they have nature all around them, even in urban settings, but they can help bring back nature for themselves and their loved ones.
Zack Slavkin
Environmental Education Facilitator
Zack comes from a diverse educational background: he has a BS in Psychology and certifications in wilderness medicine, early education, ropes course facilitation, conflict management, and more. Originally from Denver CO, Zack considers himself fortunate to have been able to travel and explore amazing places like Iceland, Wales, Argentina, Spain, Israel, as well as some of the most beautiful spots in North America.
Zack sought out the Escondido Creek Conservancy for an opportunity to engage with his community, educate kids and those around them, and appreciate nature with likeminded people. In his role, he is excited to intimately learn the land the Conservancy works with and to inspire the next generation to appreciate and protect it.
“I enjoy the openness and joy of children, the beauty and power of the Elfin Forest and greater watershed, as well as meeting people that share my values and passions.”
Jacob Casey
Environmental Education Facilitator
Jacob was born and raised in Oceanside, California and has spent most of his life here. As a child, his family would often travel around the US on road trips visiting national parks, and would usually tent camp while on these trips. From a young age, he has participated in activities such as camping, skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, and birdwatching. He credits his experience in outdoor clubs as a child for his strong respect and admiration for nature.
He has a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley in Psychology and Scandinavian Studies from UC Berkeley, where he graduated with Honors of Highest Distinction. Jacob started working in education while still in high school, tutoring underclassmen in math for the California Scholarship Federation. After college, he became a tutor, substitute teacher, college instructional aide, and language instructor.
Jacob wanted to work for the Conservancy to combine his love for the outdoors with his career in education. So far, he has loved sharing his passion for nature with younger generations, being that from a young age he was positively impacted by nature in a way that has shaped who he is today.
“I firmly believe that connecting with nature improves one’s mental health, and learning about conservation efforts can make us more environmentally conscious and mindful of the ramifications that our actions have on our surrounding environment," Jacob says.
"What is most exciting to me is seeing how inquisitive and engaging students are. That in turn increases his own passionate feelings when it comes to the outdoors, the natural environment, and conservation efforts. While I do believe it is important to educate and inform the next generation, my biggest hope is to simply be something students have in their week that they look forward to in anticipation and excitement. Spreading joy and igniting students’ passions truly are the greatest gifts of working in education.”
In addition to his love for nature, he is interested in the humanities, specifically the folklore and mythology of other cultures and foreign languages. He speaks English, Norwegian, Japanese, and some German, Danish, and Swedish. He hopes to one day go to grad school and continue to work in education or perhaps academia.
Sophia DeHolanda
Administrative Associate
Sophia has been a lifelong advocate of the environment, having grown up around trees and nature. Currently, she is an administrative associate with the Conservancy. Her passion for conservation was sparked during a trip to Costa Rica, where she helped a research group study to protect sea turtles. Sophia will receive a Bachelor's in Environmental Systems with a minor in International Studies at UC San Diego in Summer 2025. In the future, Sophia hopes to expand and do more in fieldwork, data collection, and sustainable development