Liliana Gutiérrez graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2000. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and an M.Sc. from the State University of New York where she defended the thesis “Public Participation in Mexican Biosphere Reserves: A Comparative Case Study.” Since 2007, she has been a member of the Latin American Network for Integrated Coastal Management. She joined Noroeste Sustentable in July 2007 as program coordinator, and was promoted to executive director in 2014. She has experience in highly complex multisectorial processes, and has received training from the Centro de Colaboración Cívica (Civic Collaboration Center) in conflict resolution, facilitation, mediation and effective communication and from the Society of Organizational Learning in organizational learning, leadership and generative dialogue. In 2016, Gutiérrez helped to found Achamar, a for-profit organization designed to invest in fishery and community restoration.