Our Staff
Salome Munoz Moreno
Executive Director
Sal traveled extensively in Latin America and Europe and has now done a full circle back to Crescent City. He has always worked in non-profits and fundraising. He was trained in fundraising at the University of Indiana, Kellogg Foundation Fellows, British Council, US Aid, Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, among others. Over the course of his career, Sal has raised millions in Mexico and United States for nonprofits! He was first hired as Redwood Parks Conservancy’s Development Director in 2022 and became the Executive Director January 1, 2024. He is working hard make our organization grow and have greater capacity to protect and preserve the Redwoods for this and future generations.
Melinda Thomas
Director of Retail Operations
Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, Melinda’s lifelong love of nature first began with regular trips to Yosemite National Park in her youth. Awestruck by the park’s natural beauty and the majesty of the Giant Sequoias, she would return year after year to explore and walk among the ancient trees. With 20+ years of experience in retail operations, Melinda went on to join the Yosemite Conservancy team overseeing the sales and merchandising of Yosemite Valley’s highest volume stores. Working with YC, she gained insight on how important the supporting non-profits are in the preservation of public lands.
Several years ago, Melinda hit the road with her husband in their RV to see our nation’s natural wonders. During their travels, they visited Redwood National & State Parks several times and fell in love with the area. On their last visit they put down roots and made the redwoods their home. Soon after relocating, Melinda joined the Redwood Parks Conservancy family. In her work with the Conservancy, she is proud to bring her passion and experience to a mission that is dear to her heart: supporting and preserving the magnificent coastal redwoods for generations to come.
In her free time Melinda enjoys spending time with husband and daughter around the campfire, hiking and exploring the northern coast.
Clair Van Vacter
North District Retail Manager
Clair Van Vacter was born and raised in the small yet famous town of Joshua Tree, California.
She and her husband Jason raised their 2 children camping, hiking, and enjoying nature. In 2018, they came across the foggy paradise that is the Redwoods while on a family trip up to Oregon. They fell in love with the beautiful coastline, and majestic forest immediately. Clair and her husband both accepted positions at Redwood Parks Conservancy in 2022, sold their home, and made the huge leap in moving to Crescent City. Clair originally started as a seasonal Park Store Associate, and has worked at every visitor center in Redwood National and State parks in some capacity. Clair has since moved up through the ranks, and has been the North District Manager of Retail since June of 2023. Clair has 25 years experience in the customer service industry prior to RPC, with the last 10 years working in the Barbering and Cosmetology field.
Clair and Jason now live with their teenage daughter Madalynn in the forest outskirts of Crescent City, and spend as much time as possible out in nature together as a family.
Ryan Gilmer
South District Retail Manager
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and the Central Coast, Ryan developed a deep connection to the outdoors early on in her youth in the dense evergreen forests of the cascades and the oak woodlands and scenic seaside cliffs of the Monterey Bay. Her background includes administration in a fine arts studio, retail management in the cosmetics industry, and working in startups focused on health and wellness.
Ryan’s career has revolved around building successful and efficient teams and systems, and sharing her passion for community, great guest experiences and environments that foster growth and development. A life of travel has fostered a deep inclination for supporting the conservation and preservation of the beauty of the natural world and the people within it. In her free time Ryan enjoys writing, hiking, photography, birdwatching and cooking international cuisines. She has lived in Arcata for four years with her partner, Brian and their cat, Jiji.
Kristen Zumeta
Development Director
Kristen has always been an outdoors enthusiast. Reveling in the mystery and excitement of challenges like thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, The Appalachian Trail, The Colorado Trail, and many others. She also draws from her background at companies like Patagonia in helping to operate RPC.
In her home state of Virginia, Kristen studied Biology and Chemistry with a focus on Plant Sciences. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2006 and quickly began a life of travel and long distance hiking. When she finally made her way to California in 2012, Kristen was hooked. She met her husband on the Pacific Crest Trail that year and in 2013 they decided that the Redwoods would be a perfect home base for all of their outdoor adventures.
Crystal Taylor
Development Associate
After graduating with a degree in social work from Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Crystal and her husband made their home in various places, including Japan, Idaho, Oregon, and Death Valley National Park. In 2012, along with their two young daughters, they visited the redwoods for the first time. The family instantly fell in love with the magic of the redwood forest and returned often for vacations in the following years. Ten years and three more daughters later, a long desired dream came true for Crystal and her family, and they were finally able to relocate to the redwoods and call it home. She began work at Redwood Parks Conservancy the following year and loves that through her work, she can be a part of protecting the redwood forest.
Crystal has worked variously as a writing tutor, a librarian, and a freelance writer, building skills that she now puts to use planning programs and writing grant proposals. When not hard at work for Redwood Parks Conservancy, she enjoys hiking through the redwood forest and visiting the beaches along the north coast with her family.
Taralyn Thomas
Communications Manager
Taralyn comes to Redwood Parks Conservancy with over a decade of experience in public relations, marketing and design. With a background in fine art, she brings a keen eye and holistic approach to RPC’s communications. Taralyn’s connection to nature began in early childhood through her rural upbringing on a ranch in Northern California and through regular visits to Yosemite National Park.
She first visited Humboldt & Del Norte County in 2018 and fell in love with the lush, varied landscapes the area has to offer. After living in Los Angeles for many years, she decided to make this beautiful region her home so she could be closer to family and enjoy the peace one finds amongst the trees. She spends her free time singing, writing songs and hiking.
Kurtis Shaul
Events & Community Engagement Director
Kurtis is originally from Pinedale, Wyoming and graduated with a BS in Marketing from University of Wyoming. Kurtis has 20 years experience in the Casino and Entertainment industry as a Marketing Director organizing special events, working with local tribes, supporting and organizing community events and developing loyalty programs. He has traveled extensively throughout the US and abroad, with his first career job in Moscow, Russia.
His love for the outdoors started at a young age growing up in Wyoming and he brings that enthusiasm along with his professional experience to help RPC expand their events and community engagement.
Autumn Subers
Volunteer & Transportation Manager
Autumn fell in love with redwoods the first time she walked among them on her honeymoon trip to the Pacific Northwest In 2014. It became a yearly vacation trip that continued to foster her love for all things redwood forest related. In 2021, Autumn took the leap from her work with child education to join the staff with Redwoods Parks Conservancy. She brings her excitement, joy, and passion for the parks to our visitors every day. Autumn loves to utilize her previous experience as an educator to enthusiastically teach our guests and Jr. Rangers all about our parks. She has traveled and lived in a variety of environments from Tucson, with the tallest cacti (Saguaros) to the California coast and the world’s tallest trees (Redwoods), as well as several other places in between. Autumn loves to share experiences and stories with our visitors from all over the world, and will tell you she has found her forever home here within Redwood National and State Parks.
