Jacob L. Slusser
Panama Program Coordinator, CATHALAC
Based at the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America & the Caribbean (CATHALAC), Jacob has two decades of forest landscape restoration experience in the Neotropics and is a leading expert on regenerative cattle ranching systems in Panama.
Jacob is a forester interested in the intersection of tropical forest restoration, climate change, and agriculture. With ELTI, he specializes in the design and implementation of tropical forest restoration courses and projects. Jacob began with ELTI in 2012, developing the Panama Training Landscape, which has since been utilized to train thousands of people on forest restoration themes. Jacob’s interest in capacity building began as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer, where he served as an agricultural extension agent in rural Panama conducting community-based agroforestry and native species reforestation projects. Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy and a Master of Science in Forestry from Michigan State University.
"Improving the capacity and leadership of rural people empowers them as land stewards to demonstrate and promote positive land use decisions for future generations."
