Board of Directors Election 2024
Candidate Bios
Lorraine marquez eiler
After completing a career in nursing administration, Lorraine Marquez Eiler served on the BLM’s Regional Advisory Council, one of many environmental stewardship positions she has held. She is a founder and board member of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance and a founding member of the Hia-Ced O’odham Alliance. She has served multiple stints on the Tohono O'odham Nation's Legislative Council as a representative and alternate representative of the San Lucy District. With the exception of a brief hiatus in the late 1990's, Lorraine has continuously served on the ISDA board since its founding in 1993.
Selina jesus
Selina is a lifelong resident from the GuVo community / GuVo District on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Selina’s background includes service to the community and GuVo District as a former council member sitting on the Housing, Education, Economic Development, Natural Resource & Domestic Affairs committees.
As Senior Director of Program and Tribal Relations for the Native American Advancement Foundation (NAAF), Selina oversees educational programs which are: GuVo Community After School Program, GED, Virtual Learning Center, and Summer Adventure Program. Selina earned her Tohono O’odham Language Teacher Certification in October 2017 and teaches the O’odham language in the NAAF After School Program. She is fluent in her language and is a very proud member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. In her spare time, Selina researches and documents the lesser-known Western dialects of the Tohono O’odham language.
Bridget Rendon
Bridget was born in Holbrook, Arizona but has lived in Ajo since she was 2 weeks old. She attended Ajo schools through her high school graduation in 1994. She lived in Mesa, Arizona for a couple of years while attending community college before moving back to Ajo with her then fiancé (now husband) to be closer to family. All 3 of her children attended school in Ajo.
Moving back to Ajo allowed Bridget to work for several businesses that provided opportunities to help prevent drug and alcohol abuse among opportunity youth. For 10 years she has been involved in the Ajo Elks Lodge and volunteering with various community events and programs. Being engaged with service organizations like ISDA and the Elks has helped Bridget and her children give back to the community and be more involved. She has served on the ISDA Board for 3 terms (12 years) serving as Secretary, Treasurer, and Board Member
Eric Alegria
Eric Alegria is a restaurateur and small business owner. He comes from a long line of entrepreneurs with his family owning and operating multiple businesses in Sonoyta, Sonora, MX. Eric has worked as a personal banker and is a long-standing member of ISDA’s Revolving Loan Fund Committee. He is committed to supporting small business growth and expanded economic opportunity throughout the region.
Eric has been an ISDA Board Member for 12 years.
Annelise Keuper
Annelise’s interest in ISDA started in the mid 1990s when she was invited by ISDA to collaborate with them at the 1995 conference “A Celebration of Desert Cultures” in Caborca, Mexico. The conference was to build greater understanding of both the cultural and biological diversity of the Sonoran Desert Bioregion and her resulting tapestry now resides in the ISDA offices. Nearly 25 years later, she returned to her tapestry and moved from Tucson to the Curley School to more intimately revisit the Sonoran Desert in her art.
Annelise received her MFA in Tucson and went on to teach in schools across the state and at Pima Community College. For many years she was a board member of Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery, and the Public Art Board of TPAC (Tucson Pima Arts Council).
Curley Coffee Roasters is the 2nd business she has owned. “I see the Cafe as a living weaving of community, bringing residents and travelers together over a great cup of coffee. I would be very honored to help continue to realize ISDA’s vision for the future.”
Her commitment is to work every day on global challenges to build a world where people respect and protect biodiversity, and recognize that the environmental goods and services that they provide us are fundamental to living in harmony with nature and building equitable societies. She has worked with ISDA on a number of convenings since 2020, including on the Tri-National Sonoran Desert Symposium.