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Sonia Perillo is an experienced and dedicated conservation professional. She joined ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Arizona as executive director in March 2016, following more than 20 years of work in land conservation.

Sonia began her professional land conservation career with Catawba Lands Conservancy in North Carolina, where she served as land protection coordinator, program director, associate director, and interim executive director over the course of seven years. She then served as a consultant to Catawba Lands Conservancy and other organizations during her time at home with a young child.

While working as a consultant, Sonia and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  In November 2009, she began working as executive director of Desert Foothills Land Trust in the North Valley communities of Carefree, Cave Creek, north Scottsdale, north Phoenix, Anthem, and New River.

Sonia left Desert Foothills Land Trust in order to become the state director of ±¬ÁϹ«Éç’s Arizona office, allowing her to apply her degree in wildlife science and her experience with onthe-ground conservation to accomplish significant conservation wins on behalf of birds and the places they need.

In addition to her work with ±¬ÁϹ«Éç, Sonia serves as vice chair of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and immediate past chair of their public policy council, and as a member of the management board of the Sonoran Joint Venture.

Her roots in Arizona began in college with riparian restoration work on the Lower Colorado River for the Colorado River Indian Tribes. She is an Indiana native, has a bachelor of science degree from Purdue University, and lives in north Phoenix with her husband, Adam, daughter, Sophie, and a menagerie of poorly-trained pets.