Cadasta is pleased to announce the appointment of three distinguished leaders—María Pía Hernández Palacios, Ana Teresa Fuzzo de Lima, and Cristina Coc—to its Board of Directors. Each bring extensive expertise in environmental governance, climate action, and rights-based approaches that will strengthen Cadasta’s mission to secure land and resource rights worldwide.

María Pía Hernández Palacios is an international environmental lawyer with a career dedicated to advancing biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. She has held regional leadership roles with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and coordinated the Landmark Map of Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas, and Natural Ecosystems of Central America.

Since 2023, María has served as Regional Manager of the Mesoamerican Territorial Fund, an innovative financing mechanism created by the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests to channel investment directly to Indigenous and community organizations. Under her leadership, the Fund has already directed more than USD $2 million to strengthen locally led initiatives across some of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally significant forest landscapes.

Ana Teresa Fuzzo de Lima is a sustainability strategist working at the intersection of nature, finance, and policy. She currently serves as Partnerships Lead for the Accountability Framework Initiative at the Rainforest Alliance, where she guides high-level collaboration with policymakers, investors, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) stakeholders to strengthen global forest and ecosystem governance. Ana has held leadership positions across international organizations, including as Director for Nature and Climate Science at Recarb, where she led a pioneering risk management system for carbon projects,

and as a Governance Advisor for Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities at GIZ in Brazil. She has also advised on nature finance and sustainable commodities at Conselho Empresarial Brasileiro para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEBDS), World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), and the Principles for Responsible Investment, helping to design and launch initiatives at UN Conference of Parties (COP) climate summits to mobilize billions in sustainable finance. With deep expertise in ESG disclosure standards and a strong global network, Ana is committed to embedding Indigenous and local communities into climate, investment, and governance frameworks.

Cristina Coc is a Maya leader from southern Belize and recently served as the Advocacy Coordinator at Indigenous Peoples Rights International. She is the founder of the Julian Cho Society,  co-leader of the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA), and elected spokesperson for the Toledo Alcades Association. Cristina has been a central figure in the legal battle for Maya land rights, helping to secure a landmark 2015 ruling from the

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) affirming indigenous land tenure in Belize. Cristina continues in her fight to enforce the land tenure rights of the Maya people before the CCJ to enlist their help in monitoring the Government of Belize’s compliance. She and the other members of the MLA were awarded the Equator Prize in 2015 for their advocacy on Indigenous rights.

Reflecting on their appointments, Cadasta President and CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt shared:

“María, Ana, and Cristina are exceptional visionary leaders who understand the urgency of advancing Indigenous and local community land and resource rights as a foundation for climate resilience and sustainable development. They are each esteemed experts in their fields whose commitment, passion, and talents  will be invaluable as Cadasta continues to scale its global impact.” 

Please join us in welcoming María Pía Hernández Palacios, Ana Teresa Fuzzo de Lima, and Cristina Coc to the Cadasta Board of Directors!