Diego L. Gil-Agudelo is a Marine Biologist with more than 25 years of experience in Conservation Biology. Diego began his career in Colombia as a coral reef ecologist, later expanding his work to the Caribbean. Between 2005 and 2010, as Leader of Marine Conservation Biology at Invemar, the largest research institute of its kind in Colombia, he participated in the development of several conservation plans and strategies in the country and was granted the Alejandro Angel Escobar Conservation Award, the most important of its kind in the country. In 2010, after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Diego was named Leader of Offshore Research at ECOPETROL, the 3rd largest Oil and Gas company in Latin America. He led the development of research to decrease the environmental risks of offshore oil and gas exploration and production, involving Government, Private Industry, and the Academy. He also participated in different international initiatives including the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem project and was a member of the CITES Scientific Authority and of the Flora & Fauna Categorization Committee for the country.
In 2017, Diego joined Texas A&M University at Galveston as the Director of Research Operations, working with Faculty members, Students, and Sponsors to increase the research footprint of the University in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. He contributed to the development of the Blue Economy strategy at the University, and developed agreements with diverse organizations, including NOAA and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, where he was named part of the Advisory Council.
Now, as Director of Conservation at LightHawk, Diego is actively working to develop a new Conservation Strategy for the organization, with the goal of increasing the impacts the organization has on the environment and helping other organizations potentialize their conservation outcomes. Diego brings his expertise in the conservation of natural resources, his passion for the environment, and his experience creating conservation programs to the SJV Management Board.