Carolyn MacKenzie joined the Conservancy’s Board of Directors as Secretary in 2020. Carolyn always wanted to be a wildlife biologist. At age 20 she backpacked across Africa, India and the Middle East. She received a Bachelor of Science in zoology and her Master of Science degree in biophysics, both from the University of California, Davis. Along the way, her direction changed. She recently retired after a distinguished 40-year career in the field of Health Physics. Carolyn’s broad experience includes securing and disposing of dangerous radioactive sources for the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency. She currently consults on this topic to the federal government.

As an International Radiation Source Specialist with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, Carolyn led missions to 35 United Nations member countries to establish national strategies for the control of sealed radioactive sources. She participated in Technical Cooperation programs with Eastern European countries, China and Iraq addressing radioactive source location and recovery. She managed workshops and projects for source recovery in 10 African countries, and was technical lead on international standards development in the field of health physics. This work led to a 2005 Nobel Peace Prize shared by IAEA’s Director General and the approximately 2000 IAEA staff.

Carolyn is also the President of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, promoting peaceful dialogue and understanding among the world’s faith religions. This work is relevant to the Conservancy’s Land of Snow Leopard Network.