Gabriel Pacheco

Advancing community-driven climate resilience solutions across the Caribbean

San Juan, Puerto Rico

About

I am a project/program manager with a proven track record of leading and supporting cross-functional teams to implement climate resilience initiatives in urban, suburban and rural communities across Puerto Rico. I currently Iead the implementation of Grid Alternative's Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing Initiative in Puerto Rico, where we're gearing up to help low-income families get access to clean, affordable and reliable energy via solar + storage systems. In my previous role as Trails Program Manager at Para la Naturaleza, I lead a team of regional land managers to expand public access to natural protected areas by coordinating efforts to design, build and maintain recreational trails, standardizing organizational trail practices across geographical regions, and training managers, field staff and volunteers in sustainable trail development techniques. Leveraging a background in Engineering and Communications, I have led and supported diverse nonprofit initiatives across Puerto Rico, Oregon, and Colorado, including land management, community engagement, volunteer coordination, disaster relief, environmental education, green infrastructure development and outdoor recreation efforts. I am particularly interested in fast-paced project management roles that advance sustainable development goals, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, field operations, workforce development, and data analysis. In my personal time, I like to go hiking, trail running, mountain biking and camping, as well as reading about economics, urban planning, birdwatching and botany.

Experience

  • Caribbean Program Manager at Footprint Project
    Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

  • GRID Alternatives (Full-time · 10 mos)
    • Regional Manager
      Sep 2025 - Apr 2026 · 8 mos

    • Program Manager
      Jul 2025 - Sep 2025 · 3 mos

  • Para la Naturaleza (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
    • Trails Program Manager
      Feb 2024 - Jul 2025 · 1 yr 6 mos

      Leading a cross-functional team of land managers to improve public access to natural protected areas by designing, building and maintaining sustainable nature trails for hikers and cyclists throughout Puerto Rico, which includes advising 5 regional teams on trail project management, training staff and volunteers on the proper use of hand tools, PPE and field safety protocols, and proper collection, analysis and reporting of trail data.

    • Environmental Interpreter
      Feb 2022 - Jul 2025 · 3 yrs 6 mos

      Designing and delivering environmental education programs to diverse audiences, training and supervising volunteers during field operations, leading urban reforestation efforts in low-income communities, and implementing land management best practices in almost 30 natural protected areas spread throughout Puerto Rico's mountainous center and urban northeastern regions.

  • Trails Crew Member at Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
    May 2021 - Sep 2021 · 5 mos

    Patrolled and maintained a network of 2,500 miles of trails in five congressionally designated wildernesses within the White River National Forest of Colorado during week-long backcountry assignments, building erosion control trail features with locally-sourced materials, clearing debris from extreme weather events in highly visited areas in the backcountry, and informed the public on federal regulations concerning Leave No Trace Ethics.

  • Crew Member & Lead at Northwest Youth Corps
    Mar 2021 - May 2021 · 3 mos

    Led or co-led a 10-person roving crew engaged in fire restoration, mitigation and relief projects, including the removal of hazardous trees, production and distribution of firewood, planting conifer saplings, and removing invasive species from riparian areas.