María José González is a biologist with a Master’s degree in Wildlife Management. She was advisor to the National Council for Protected Areas of Guatemala and the executive director of the Fundación para la Conservación de los Recursos Naturales y Ambiente from 1996-2004. She participated in the design and establishment of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds. Since 2005, she has been the executive director of the MAR Fund, a private regional environmental fund established to support conservation, restoration and sustainable use of resources in the Mesoamerican Reef.