People Type: Staff

Nathalia is a passionate advocate for nature and sustainability, with over a decade of experience in conservation, tourism, and education. She began her career in 2012 as a volunteer at Guyra Paraguay, focusing on bird-based tourism. In 2016, she returned as the Coordinator of Paraguay’s first birdwatching tourism project, a groundbreaking initiative supported by National Audubon Society. She played a pivotal role in training birding guides at the national level and collaborated closely with partners in Guatemala, Belize, and the Bahamas.

In 2017, she earned her master’s degree in Tourism, Environment, and Development from King’s College London. From 2018 to 2022, she worked on Guyra Paraguay’s Organic Shade-Grown Yerba Mate initiative, leading project management efforts with rural producers and environmental education programs. She was instrumental in establishing a business unit through BirdLife International’s Forest Impact Accelerator, collaborating with international partners to drive sustainable development.

Beyond her core projects, Nathalia has pursued additional training in project management, attending postgraduate courses in Taiwan and Thailand in 2015 and 2019. She also worked with OPADES, where she coordinated tourism initiatives and supported environmental education activities. More recently, she has led projects on youth empowerment, education, and community development in various organizations across Paraguay.

Ashley joined Manomet in 2025 as the Vice President of External Relations, and leads the Development and Communications teams, with a focus on expanding external engagement strategies.

A seasoned leader with more than 30 years of development and communications experience, Ashley has a proven record of cultivating and stewarding long-term relationships with foundations, governments, corporations, and individual donors in the U.S. and internationally.

Prior to joining Manomet, Ashley spent two decades at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), an $80 million global nonprofit, where she played a pivotal role in expanding global institutional giving and worked closely with the Board of Trustees’ Development Committee. Earlier in her career, Ashley held leadership roles at the Cape Cod Foundation, the YWCA of Asheville, and the North Carolina Community Foundation, as well as working on event management and outreach for several political campaigns.

Ashley holds an MS in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University and a BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Cynthia (Cindy) Slattery joined Manomet in 2025 as the Vice President of Finance. She earned her B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. With a strong background in nonprofit leadership—including recent roles as CFO and Director of Human Resources—Cindy brings a wealth of experience to the team.

At Manomet, Cindy is passionate about using her financial expertise to support and sustain the organization’s vital conservation work. She’s particularly energized by the opportunity to build systems that promote long-term resilience, ensuring that Manomet can continue making a meaningful impact for years to come. With deep expertise in endowments, financial planning, and strategic management, Cindy is an invaluable addition to Manomet.

When she’s not immersed in numbers, Cindy enjoys spending quality time with her husband—an avid birdwatcher—and their three grown children. A favorite family escape is the Cape Cod shoreline, where they love walking the beaches, spotting wildlife, and recharging by the ocean.

As an Education Specialist at the Wade Institute for Science Education at Manomet Conservation Sciences, Diana focuses on STEM curriculum with an emphasis on problem-based learning. She holds an Ed.S. from UMass Lowell, an MSEd from Lesley University, and an MAT in Biology from UMass Dartmouth.

With more than 20 years of experience as both a classroom science teacher and education researcher—and another two decades in lab science—Diana brings a unique depth of knowledge to her role. She’s a skilled facilitator of professional development and well versed in the OpenSciEd curriculum, helping educators bring hands-on, inquiry-driven learning to life.

For Diana, working at Manomet is a dream come true. It allows her to connect with fellow educators and scientists and to support teachers in bringing science and nature into their classrooms. At home, she’s often observing the wildlife that shares her yard—from owls and hawks to foxes, salamanders, and tree frogs.

As a Senior Education Fellow at the Wade Institute for Science Education at Manomet Conservation Sciences, Sandi plays a key role in supporting a smooth transition for both staff and programs. After serving as Executive Director of the Wade Institute for 18 years, she helped lead the organization through its merger with Manomet before stepping into her current role.

With over 40 years of experience in science education, Sandi has dedicated her career to creating engaging, hands-on, minds-on learning experiences for K–12 students and providing professional development for their teachers. Her passion lies in opening up the world of science to educators and helping them spark curiosity in their students through inquiry-based learning.

During her time as Executive Director, she built strong partnerships between schools and science institutions to bring inquiry-driven programs to classrooms across the region and the country. Her career also includes leadership roles such as developing and serving as Director of the SeaScope Marine Studies Center, a field based program for K-12 school groups for Rhode Island Sea Grant, developed and implemented a marine science program on the water for Save the Bay in Providence, RI, and Education Director at the Lloyd Center for the Environment, where she created K–12 curriculum using real research data.

Sandi has been honored with induction into the Massachusetts Science Educators Hall of Fame. She holds a B.S. in Marine Ecology and an M.Ed. from the University of Rhode Island.