A lawyer, politician and, above all, a conservationist, before joining CI Carlos Manuel Rodriguez held various political posts in Costa Rica, including director of the National Parks Service and the minister of environment and energy. As minister, he was a pioneer in the development of payment for ecosystem services (PES), curbing logging and deforestation trends to achieve a national net growth of forested areas through natural regeneration and reforestation. He is also internationally recognized for promoting the concept of identifying and capturing the economic value of standing forests within protected areas, private forests and indigenous reserves. This strategy has helped Costa Rica conserve ecosystems that would likely have been pillaged for resources, and was among the policies that have allowed the country to become one of Central America’s strongest economies. At CI, Rodriguez is responsible for providing strategic direction and identifying key international and U.S. policy issues, organizations, and forums in which to engage. Learn more.