STAFF
Marcy Summers
Director & Co-Founder
Home Base: Vashon Island, Washington, USA
Joined AlTo: 2006
Favorite Part of the Job: Sleeping in the rainforest.
Marcy Summers is a 4th-generation native of the islands of the Puget Sound, Washington, USA. She has a bachelor’s in Comparative Religion from Harvard University and a master’s in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from University of Maine,
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and is currently working on a PhD at Newcastle University, U.K.
Marcy has been the recipient of a number of awards for leadership and innovation, including the Switzer Foundation’s Fellowship for Environmental Leadership and the Maine Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. For 13 years, Marcy worked as a scientist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in the United States, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. She left TNC in 2006 to co-found AlTo. Marcy loves to play, especially with animals, children, and old people.
Sukendra "Ken" Mahalaya, PhD
Indonesia Program Director
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2018
Favorite Part of the Job: Enjoying the moonlight from the beaches near our guard huts.
Sukendra “Ken” Mahalaya was born in a rural area of West Java. Raised primarily by his grandmother, Ken’s academic abilities were recognized early on with a scholarship to IPB (Institut Pertanian Bogor), Indonesia’s premier agricultural college,
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where he earned both a BS in Soil Science and an MS in Communication for Development. Ken also received a full scholarship to complete a PhD in Natural Resource Management at University of Adelaide in Australia.
Ken’s work experience includes 13 years as a government agricultural official and a researcher for the International Potato Center (CIP). Later he spent another 13 years leading a project for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) doing outreach to farmers in Papua to improve their pig husbandry and sweet potato farming, which was recognized as one of the five most successful ACIAR projects in the world. Ken is valued as both a wise leader and everyone’s Uncle. His superpower is Friendship; he can be friends with anyone, including animals and ghosts.
Galen Priest, PhD
International Programs Manager
Home Base: Vashon, Washington, USA
Joined AlTo: 2020
Favorite Part of the Job: Learning new skills for conservation.
Galen Priest grew up in Colorado, U.S.A. His lifelong interest in the natural world led him to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the College of Wooster (Ohio), and then a PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics at the University of Missouri – St. Louis,
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where his research focused on interactions between ants and wood-boring beetles in the Brazilian Cerrado.
Galen’s work experience includes conservation, outreach, and research efforts in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Before coming to AlTo, Galen worked for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in salmon recovery. He is also an accomplished musician (bagpipes) and hand-engraver.
Agustian "Agus" Laya
Program Coordinator
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2006
Favorite part of the job: Traveling to do fieldwork in other parts of Sulawesi, for instance for the maleo survey
Setting an example of leadership among the AlTo team and within his family, Agus is always cheerful, enthusiastic and field-ready… except if shots are involved!
Noval Suling, S.T.
Government Relations Manager (part-time)
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2007
Favorite part of the job: Teamwork and kayaking on the beach.
As a respected Civil Servant, Noval is the team’s premier guide for building relationships with government and navigating regulatory requirements. Noval is also a talented nature photographer, with a skilled eye for capturing birds on camera.
Pandji Ariyo Kresno
Field Program Manager
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2009
Favorite part of the job: Seeing the maleo nesting ground FULL of maleos.
Hardworking and highly skilled in everything he does, Pandji is thoughtful, respected and admired by all… and is the best camp cook on the team.
Vivi Megayanti Tan Oga, S.H.
Research Coordinator
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2012
Favorite part of the job: Watching the maleos perform their courtship dance.
“Ten Stars” Vivi loves research, and sets the team’s highest standard for conscientiousness, accuracy, and dedication to our work.
Ritfan "Ipan" Djano
Conservation Officer and Artist
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2007
Favorite part of the job: Interacting with guest teachers/experts who come to build the team’s knowledge and skills.
AlTo’s gifted Conservation Artist-in-Residence, Ipan enoys outreach activities and weaves art and beauty into all AlTo’s work.
Adrianus "Sandhy" Bawotong
Conservation Officer and Maintenance Manager
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2012
Favorite part of the job: Experiencing the peacefulness of the beach.
Despite his nickname, “Crocodile,” Sandhy is a gentle, friendly soul, and keeps AlTo’s facilities, fences, and equipment in ship-shape. And as a skilled photographer, Sandhy helps show the world the beauty of Tompotika and its residents, both human and non.
Ahmad Muh. Nur, S.P.
Conservation Campaign Coordinator
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2014
Favorite part of the job: Having all-staff meetings at AlTo’s base camp “Home Sweet Home.”
Ahmad’s sunny disposition makes him a favorite co-worker. He says, “I never thought I would have the opportunity to work in conservation, especially for maleo and sea turtles… but here I am, working for AlTo!”
Mega Pumalasari Djafar
Assistant Manager for Operations
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2017
Favorite part of the job: The reward of being able to watch maleo birds and release sea turtle hatchlings at the beach during family vacations.
As Rule Administrator Number One, Mega is both loved for her cheerfulness and feared for her fierceness by all team members.
Moh "Pandy" Isfanddri
Conservation Officer and Assistant Maintenance Manager
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2017
Favorite part of the job: Studying and playing games with his fellow staff members.
Like his beloved maleos, Pandy loves to be together with his teammates. Versatile and flexible, he is valued for his easygoing and willing attitude.
Wiranto Abas
Assistant Field Program Manager
Home Base: Teku Village, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2017
Favorite part of the job: Conducting the Sulawesi-wide maleo survey and guarding in different places.
A star “native son” from AlTo’s partner village Teku, Wiranto is hardworking, willing, and always has a big smile. His villager neighbors are proud that he works for AlTo.
Nurhidayah "Dayah" Andi Rihu
Conservation Officer
Home Base: Baruga Village, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2019
Favorite part of the job: AlTo’s Tompotika International Maleo and Sea Turtle Festival.
Dayah is strong, dedicated, amiable, and careful in her work in the field and beyond. She can run up and down ladders with great agility–even while pregnant!
Yiska "Dina" Kolmusu
Conservation Officer
Home Base: Tanah Merah Village, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2021
Favorite part of the job: Observing birds while doing guard assignments
Dina grew up in AlTo’s partner village, Sampaka (Tanah Merah), and has known AlTo since childhood. Now she is thrilled to be part of the AlTo team… especially when she gets to go hiking!
Agil Pas
Conservation Officer
Home Base: Balantak, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2021
Favorite part of the job: Working as a team in the field. It is serious, but can also be full of laughter.
As a high school student, Agil was a member of AlTo’s Festival drama company in 2018. After that, he was keen to join AlTo as an apprentice and then permanent staff. Agil loves patrolling forest and beaches to protect wildlife.
Thusi Bonandito
Mining Outreach Manager
Home Base: Luwuk, Tompotika, Indonesia
Joined AlTo: 2022
Favorite part of the job: Working with local people to get them what they need
Thusi Bonandito has a degree in law and a background working for other NGOs, on disaster relief and community well-being. In this newly-created post as Mining Outreach Manager, Thusi is helping local communities understand the risks and their rights with respect to mining; he encourages government to enforce regulations to protect nature and communities; and he builds relationships with mining companies to encourage them to institute safer and less-destructive mining practices. Thusi says “We need to better udersand about the future of nature and what nature needs. People say ‘I need this, I need that’ but nature is quiet and can’t ask for what it needs. We have to be proactive in protecting it!”
